
Pomological Watercolors Depict
Beauty and Detail By Marcia Wood August 31, 2000
A treasure trove of more than 6,000 splendid watercolors of apples,
blackberries, cherries, grapes, persimmons and other fruits is safeguarded in
the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection. This array of original prints and
related materials is one of the treasures of the
National Agricultural Library, which is
managed by USDA's Agricultural Research
Service at Beltsville, Md. The collection makes up one of the world's most unique holdings of late
19th- and early 20th-century American botanical illustrations. Described as a
"priceless but little known legacy for all Americans," many of these
beautiful drawings resulted from USDAscientists' need to depict new varieties that they had developed, or had
gathered during overseas plant-collecting expeditions. Many of the prints were featured in early USDA publications, including
bulletins and circulars for farmers, as well as annual reports. Today, the
drawings are a boon to horticulturists, historians, artists and publishers,
according to Susan H. Fugate, head of special collections at the National
Agricultural Library. Fugate said these specialists--and others--rely on the
illustrations as an invaluable source of information about the history of fruit
culture in the United States. Today, horticultural
research continues to be a key part of the USDA research mission carried
out by scientists in the Agricultural Research Service. For more information on
ARS research programs that affect horticulture, see the list of "Crop
Production, Product Value and Safety" national programs at: http://www.npr.ars.usda.gov Examples of the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection can be viewed at the
National Agricultural Library's website, located on the World Wide Web at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collect/water.html In addition, 10 of the
watercolorsare printed in the September issue of Agricultural Research magazine. Contact: Susan H. Fugate, Head, Special Collections, ARS National
Agricultural Library, Beltsville, Md., phone (301) 504-5876, fax (301)
504-7593, [email protected]. Story contacts Marcia A Wood U.S. Department of Agriculture | |