14.    BRINCKLÉ, William D., editor; Alfred HOFFY, lithographer.   HOFFY'S NORTH AMERICAN POMOLOGIST,   Containing Numerous Finely Colored Drawings, Accompanied By Letter Press Descriptions, &c. Of Fruits Of American Origin.    Philadelphia: A. Hoffy,   1860.          First edition. This was the last of several ambitious attempts by the Philadelphia lithographer Alfred Hoffy to establish an illustrated American fruit periodical with color plates equal in quality to those found in the European publications of the day. His first effort, THE ORCHARDIST'S COMPANION, begun in 1841, was the first American journal devoted entirely to fruit cultivation. The high quality of Hoffy's plates, however, made the work too expensive and it did not survive its second year. A second publication, THE AMERICAN POMOLOGIST, was begun in 1851. This time Hoffy was joined by the prominent Philadephia pomologist William Draper Brincklé, who worked as editor and prepared the text. This publication did not survive past the first 10 plates issued in Book One. Undeterred, Hoffy tried once again in 1860, this time with the title NORTH AMERICAN POMOLOGIST. The objective was to describe and illustrate the best native American fruit varieties and promote their superiority over imported varieties for cultivation under American conditions. It was a cause that Brincklé firmly embraced, but his confidence in the commercial success of the publication was less certain. Thus, at the conclusion of his preface, he writes: "the Editor will embrace this opportunity to state that he is in no way connected with the profits and emoluments of the present undertaking. Having known Mr. Hoffy for many years, and believing him to be a worthy man, as well as an accomplished artist, the undersigned desires most cordially to promote the enterprise, and with this view, his editorial services are rendered without any remuneration whatever. The propriety of addressing directly to the publisher, all communications in relation to the work, will therefore be apparent." Even without the additional expense of paying an editor, however, the cost of producing a work with color plates of this quality made it too expensive for its intended audience. After publishing one volume only, with 36 plates, Hoffy ceased for good his career as a pomological publisher.   8vo (27 x 19.5 cm); portrait frontispiece + (ii) + vi pp. + 36 color lithographed plates, finished by hand and heightened with gum arabic, each with accompanying leaf of descriptive letterpress.   From Seed To Flower 35; Whitman Bennett, Addenda, pg 117: "This book is very rare."          Recently rebound, skillfully preserving original cloth covers with gilt-embossed decorative cover title; original endpapers preserved; a few plates with light margin soiling or paper discoloration; edge and corner of one plate skillfully restored, five other plates with light ghosting from old inserts; repaired tear in unprinted portion of one plate; small stain in lower corner of last four plates and text leaves; tissue guards from 13 plates lacking. $2,500.00

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