The Book Of Apples
Joan Morgan & Alison Richards
ISBN 0-09-177759-3

Ebury Press, London

published in assn with the Brogdale Horticulture Trust

Brogdale, Home of the National Fruit Collections
http://www.brogdale.org.uk/

The Apple Journal
http://www.applejournal.com/

a web reference to "the Book of Apples"
and some reviews;-
http://my.linkbaton.com/get?lbCC=q&genre=book&item=0091777593


A wonderful reference book of many Apple varieties, their features,
qualities, disease resistence and susceptibility, uses also some history and
lovely pictures. Page 20 Chapter 1 of the book says this:-
"As the Fruit sacred to the Greek love Goddess Aphrodite and her Roman
Counterpart Venus, there are numerous references in the classical literature
and mythology to the apples' role in the ritual of courtship and marriage.
In ancient Greece the unattached would hurl apples at each other as a sign
of romantic interest..."
hehe
it's full of little gems like that, but i really like the Directory toward
the back which gives the key to features of each variety, the place of
origin etc for example just opening at the page no 222 I find a variety
called
"Jersey Black" raised in the USA, Recorded in 1817 by Coxe as "black apple",
it has almost black flush, very sweet, juicy, but flesh has a curious
resinous taste, "uch admired table fruit " in early 19th century New Jersey"
can be used for cider, pollinates with Cox's orange Pippin,
a vigourous growing tree,  picking times and seasons also listed.
Also it is printed in the UK, there are hundreds of varieties listed from
UK, NZ USA France Romania Germany Italy Netherlands Hungary.

Lots of unusual varieties are kept by collectors in NZ