farmer

Weather Lore

Richard Inwards’ Weather Lore is a collection of proverbs, sayings, and quotations about the weather. With wide-ranging chapter titles such as Mists, Sound, Frost, Birds, Insects, Plants, Thermometer, and Spectroscope, Weather Lore captures the myriad ways that people have attempted to forecast weather, harvest, and human behavior from occurrences in the natural world.

Not All Okies Are White

The author of this book is currently a professor of English at the University of Arizona. Sixteen years ago, Geta J. LeSeur collected oral histories from Black cotton pickers in Arizona. These are a special population of migrant workers who formed their own community (not by choice, of course) the town of Randolph, Arizona from 1930 through 1960. Each chapter is named after the person speaking in the oral history interview. There are family photographs throughout the book. This work is an essential part of Arizona state history.

The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America

First published in 1845, A. J. Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America became the most influential of books about growing fruit trees and went through several editions, even after Downing's untimely death in 1852.  The book discusses orchard design from both practical and esthetic standpoints, detailing information on planting schemes, grafting techniques, and pest control.  Downing lists more than 185 apple and 230 pear cultivars - the majority first grown in America - and classifies them by best eating season.  A. J.