My standard book is AHS Pruning and Training which covers all plants. Lee Reich has The Pruning Book which is supposed to be good but I don't have it. I think it covers all plants as well. Harry Baker's Growing Fruit has some of the same material as the AHS book above in it because they are ultimately all from the Royal Hort. Soc. books on the subject. This book has the fruit stuff only, but also covers all other aspects of fruit growing. Personally the book I read the most is Horace Wright's Fruit Growers Guide which is the most extensive writing I have ever found on pruning fruit trees. It is from 1920 and a bit outdated in some respects, but in other respects it has old knowledge which is mostly lost now. I bought this book used somewhere. This book is a revision of a book set written by John Wright who if I recall correctly is his father. His fathers set is online - John Wright's Fruit Growers Guide - an epic 6-volume tome on all aspects of fruit growing. I have not read that set but am sure it has a huge amount of information in it about pruning and training. Scott

MrsG47 hi I have seen this book on internet. I think this is U.S.A. book is that for Michigan part of U.S.A.? I meant that part of U.S.A. for growing fruit. U.S.A. is quite big country, growing situations can vary different parts of U.S.A. You mean it is easy to understand? Noogy hi You mean posts, something posted here Gardenweb? I think saw something pear posting here regarding that. That last book sounds like medicinal book to me. I forgot to say Florida's best fruiting plants book have few pages for each fruit. Florida's best fruiting plants book was good book. It listed some varieties, good images, good information about plants, just to look the book is good. Peach world cultivars to marketing was also good book, good amount of information. Fruits of philippines was good book, it had images of fruits which is good. Next book name is Common Malaysian Fruits from 1975 and it have 64 pages. This books have tropical fruits. It have color plates which shows fruit and leafs. It also have diameter in centimetres so you can compare fruit size. Images are without colors. This book have mainly common tropical fruits, not much special fruits. Fruits are listed in alphabetically by family. First is Anacardiaceae mango family, followed by Annonaceae cherimoya family and caricaceae papay family. First it say something about family and after that it explain plants. First fruit is mango. It describes what size tree is, what kind of leaves it have and what kind of fruit it have. It says fruit size, what color it have and what it taste like, is it sweet fruit. This book is good too, not very big but it have information about fruits. This book have soursop, rambai, assam gelugur and mangosteen fruits. Just to mention few of them. Next book is Malaysian Fruits in Color from 1996 and it have 129 pages. This books have color images. This books have chapter which are following : common Malaysian fruits, rare fruits, ornamental fruits, wild fruits, nuts, highland fruits, fruit arrangement, seasonality of fruits, propagation, planting and maintenance, index to common names and index to botanical names. This books have common fruits, but some unusual fruits too. This books explains fruit plants size, fruit size, what kind of taste fruit has, when it starts bearing. Images shows fruits in branches. It give plant name, latin name and what family it belongs to. Common malaysian fruits chapter have information about durian, mangosteen, banana and pineapple. Just to mention some of them. Rare fruits chapter have fruits which are rare or are uncommon many people. It have butterfruit Diospyros Discolor and Gnemon tree Gnetum Gnemon. Just to name a few of them. Ornamental fruits chapter have plants which are grown mainly for their ornamental purposes but might be edible. This chapter have kumquat plant. Wild fruits chapter have edible fruits, they are growing wild in forest. This chapter have soft fig Ficus Obpyramidata, wild watermelon Passiflora Foetida, west inidan cherry Muntingia Calabura and tampoi Baccaurea Griffithii. Just to mention some of them. Nuts chapther have nuts. This chapter have brazil nut Bertholletia Excelsa. Highland fruits chapter have fruits which grow high elevations. This chapter have strawberry. Fruits arrangement chapter have some information about fruit arrangments. Seasonality of fruits chapter explains fruit production, what kind of flower plant can have, what can influence that plant produce fruits. Propagation, planting and maintenance chapter tells about plant propagation by seeds, budgrafting, planting, and watering plants. After that there is index to common names and index to botanical names. This books was good, it have good images, also plants are in section. Having planting information is also good, altought i have not much looked there yet. Next book is Oro verde Securing the Future of our Food book from 2007 and have 308 pages. I didn't like this book. I feel like information what it gave on fruits, was information that i could find on internet. Waste of money in other words. It have followin chapters : tropical vegetables, tropical herbs & spices, tropical fruits, the philosophy behind holistic organic cultivation, soil - the foundation life, pest & disease control, genetically modified foods, the holistic farmer, future hope, epilogue, glossary and index. It has color images on fruits, but grey on vegetables. Tropical fruits list are from page 140-199. There is 30 additional tropical fruit & nut crops with commercial potential after that list. Each fruit takes few pages. So about 60 pages of that book 300 pages is about fruits. It looks like this book is written for farmers, as it says how much they profit from fruit, pest control, disease control, organic growing. It is not a fruit growing book, too much general taking about soil, fertilizing, planting. As it have short fruit describtions, it don't have much growing advice, it didn't have much images either. I think it is not good book for fruit growing. Mine last book is Fruits for southern Florida from 1980 and it have 196 pages. This books habe black and white images. This books tells fruits alphabetically in family order. Before plants it have following chapters : introduction, climatic factors, cultural notes, plant disorders, commercial plantings, home yard plantings, uses of fruits, introduction to describtive text. It explain plant disorders, which might be good for beginners. It also list fruits are they trees or bush or vine. Information for planting is also given. It have information about uses of fruits and also have table of uses of fruit which is good. First family is Anacardiaceae cashew family. It first give describtion of family. First fruit is cashew. It tells what size tree is, what kind of fruit it has, what fruit taste like, when fruit ripens, also has information bark use. It have nutritional information of fruit. It have list of fruit varieties. It don't have much of images, so there is pretty good amount information about fruits considering size of this book. This book is good. This books have cherimoya, soursop, custar apple, sugar apple, loquat and mangosteen fruits. Just to mention some of them.

Hi Let's continue list now. Next book name is The A B C of strawberry culture, for farmers, village people, and small growers: a book for beginners from 1902 and online version has 235 pages. This book have information about growing strawberries. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2719628 Next book name is English walnuts: what you need to know about planting, cultivating and harvesting this most delicious of nuts from 1912 and online version has 29 pages. This books tells about growing english walnuts. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2716504 Next book name is The American apple orchard: a sketch of the practice of apple growing in North America at the beginning of the twentieth century from 1909 and online version has 215 pages. This books have information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3317142 Next book name is American pomology: apples from 1867 and online version has 744 pages. This book has information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3072510 Next book name is Apple growing from 1912 and online version has 185 pages. This books have information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx? c=chla;idno=2887342 Next book name is Apple growing in California: a practical treatise designed to cover some of the important phases of apple culture within the state from 1914 and online version has 124 pages. This books have information about growing apples in California. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2824238 Next book name is Apple growing in the Pacific northwest: a condensation of lectures, experiments and discussions from 1911 and online version has 215 pages. This books have information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2924725 Next book name is The apple-tree from 1922 and online version has 117 pages. This book has information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3150023 Next book name is The apple: what it is ; how to grow it ; its commercial and economic importance ; how to utilize it from 1898 and online version has 229 pages. This book have information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2824304 Next book name is Apples of England from 1936 and online version has 280 pages. This books have information about growing apples. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3321877 Next book name is The principles of fruit-growing, with applications to practice from 1915 and online version has 432 pages. This books tells about planting fruit trees, fertilizing peaches. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=6068935 Next book name is Small fruis from 1954 and online version has 93 pages. This books have information about growing blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3132169 Next book name is The cherry in Kansas: with a chapter on the apricot and nectarine from 1900 and online version has 128 pages. This books have information about cherry growing. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3141734 Next book name is The grape in Kansas from 1901 and online version has 139 pages. This books have information about growing grapes. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2907166 Next book name is The plum in Kansas: with a chapter on the prune from 1900 and online version has 159 pages. This books have information about growing plums. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3141743 Next book name is Beginners' guide to fruit growing: a simple statement of the elementary practices of propagation, planting, culture, fertilization, pruning, spraying, etc. from 1912 and online version has 120 pages. This books have information about growing, planting, prunning and sraying fruit trees. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2923536 Next book name is Date growing in the Old World and the New from 1913 and online version has 316 pages. This books have information about growing dates. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3145183 Next book name is New and enlarged manual on practical strawberry and berry fruit culture: also of grapes, asparagus, rhubarb, etc. from 1900 and online version has 120 pages. This books have information about strawberries. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2717652 Next book name is The book of the apple: together with chapters on the history and cookery of the apple, and on the preparation of cider. from 1902 and online version has 116 pages. This books have information about prunning and planting apple trees. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2857296 Next book name is The book of useful plants from 1913 and online version has 374 pages. This books have plants what fruits can be eaten for example peaches, plums, loquat, grapes. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=2717673 Next book name is Register of new fruit and nut varieties, 1920-1950 from 1952 and online version has 206 pages. This books have peach, plum, almond and blackberry variety describtions. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3174378 Next book name is A handbook of hardy fruits more commonly grown in Great Britain: apples and pears from 1920 and online version has 205 pages. This books have information about apple. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3163353 Next book name is Fruit growing outdoors from 1946 and online version has 524 pages. This books have information about growing peaches. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3157758 Next book name is The fundamentals of fruit production from 1922 and online version has 686 pages. This books have information about fruit tree temperature relation to fruit plants for example hardiness, winter injury to peaches , water requirements and fruit setting. Here is the link : http://chla.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=chla;idno=3161606 There was many books in that list, i stop now. Hopefully you can find them useful.

Wow! What I have been hearing from fruit people in my part of MA/NH (near Lowell) is that apples are a poor choice -- too many pests -- but peaches are a good one! Pears are significantly better than apples. In my yard, unsprayed apples are a mess, pears better, and cherries seem to be fine (but the birds get them all!). And the blackberries are incredible... Trying to think what resources I can politely point to here -- the Fruit and Orchards gardenweb forum is fantastic! I also have the name of a good orchard consultant who is now in central MA (formerly here). Some of our more popular pests and diseases: plum curculio, apple maggot, codling moth, aphids; apple scab, black spot, fire blight, pear psylla. I used to get the MA Extension newsletters, but now they charge $$ even for the email subscription. Also... first pick your varieties, then the size that you want (most catalogues offer semidwarf rootstocks but some will give you a choice).