First editions of four major Dutch works on the planting and cultivating of trees, the first two works on fruit trees for the kitchen garden, the third one on all sorts of trees and shrubs for the pleasure garden and the last work on fruits, plants and herbs for the kitchen garden. Of all fruits, herbs and vegetables the names are given, and the different species, when, where and how to plant them, their cultivation, and their use in the household is discussed. At the end several useful indices are given.
The first work (Pomologia) is dedicated to Epo Sjuk van Burmania, lieutenant forester of Friesland and burgomaster of Dockum, with his large engraved coat-of-arms. Especially the first two parts have become famous for their beautiful hand-coloured plates of fruits. They are usually found together with the third part. The fourth part, published in the year of the author's death and here present in a separate volume, is usually lacking.
Johan Herman Knoop (1700-1769), was curator of the gardens of Princes Maria Louisa in Leeuwarden, and teacher in mathematics in the same city. He was a learned man who wrote a number of excellent works on horticulture, next to works on other subjects, like geography, Frisian topography, spherical sundials, as well as a number of schoolbooks on various subjects. He was also a great promotor of the growing of potatoes in Friesland, and the first to bring the potato on the table of Princes Maria Louise of Nassau, in December 1742.
Fine, untrimmed copies from the library of bibliographer F.A. Stafleu (see Stafleu & Cowan below), with his bookplate on the front paste-down of volume 1. Further with some annotations and markings in the text of the first volume in blue pencil, a (partial?) purple stamp on the verso of the last free end leaf of H. de Greeff (and remnants of that same stamp on the recto of the first free end leaf), and a blind stamp on the title-page of ad 1 of "J.C. Ballot Utrecht". The bindings show some signs of wear, the edges of the leaves are slightly frayed. Otherwise in good condition. Ad 1: Arnold Arboretum vol 1, p. 392; BLNH vol 2, p. 998; Bradley Bibl. vol 3, p. 75; Dunthorne 171; Landwehr, Col. plates, 87; Nissen 1078; Plesch p. 289; Pritzel 4754; Raphael, An oak spring pomona 48; Stafleu & Cowan 3766; STCN 314440194 (6 copies); WorldCat 949803816, 1434608093, 562018325 (7 copies); cf. Hunt 620 (French ed.); Ad 2: Arnold Arboretum vol 1, p. 392; BLNH vol 2, p. 998; Bradley Bibl. vol 3, p. 76; Johnston, Cleveland Herbal Coll. 465; Landwehr, Col. plates, 91; Nissen 1077; Plesch p. 289; Pritzel 4754 (note); Stafleu & Cowan 3767; STCN 157498220 (10 copies); WorldCat 1126162201, 998895, 9152767, 899062876, 959396072, 917185089, 246779588, 1065171932 (27 copiers, incl. 10 also in STCN); cf. Hunt 620 (French ed.); Ad 3: Arnold Arboretum vol 1, p. 392; BLNH vol 2, p. 998; Bradley Bibl. vol 3, p. 75; Plesch p. 289; Pritzel 4755; Stafleu & Cowan 3768; STCN 157499545 (9 copies); WorldCat 1086402078, 64900568, 959334920, 917184868, 1249713718, 312353559, 94984076 (27 copies, incl. 9 also in STCN); Ad 4: Arnold Arboretum vol 1, p. 392; Plesch p. 289; Stafleu & Cowan 3769; STCN 15750090X (5 copies); WorldCat 64787954 (17 copies, incl. 5 also in STCN); cf. not in Bradley Bibl.; BLNH; Pritzel; for the whole work: Stiftung für Botanik 420 (whole work).