This bound volume combines two issues of an agricultural journal that recorded the history and cultivation of fruit such as apples, peaches, and pears. The two volumes contain 47 color plates that show the flowers, fruits, and stones of various cultivars available in early nineteenth-century America.
The Orchardist's Companion was the first illustrated American journal devoted to fruit cultivation. The journal’s full title describes it as a "quarterly journal, devoted to the history, character, properties, modes of cultivation, and all other matters appertaining to the fruits of the United States." The introductory pages of the volume include praise for the journal. However, despite the praise for its usefulness, only five issues of Orchardist’s Companion were published between 1841-1842. The journal’s creator, Alfred Hoffy, found that publication was too expensive and he could not cover publication costs through subscriptions.
Alfred Hoffy, was a British-American lithographer and botanical illustrator. He immigrated to the United States in the early 1830s after serving in the British Army. Hoffy initially settled in New York City, where he collaborated with J.T. Bowen, a fellow British-born lithographer. Bowen would become one of Philadelphia's most important lithographers and lithographic plate publishers. Hoffy moved from New York to Philadelphia around 1838 and set up his own business. Orchardist's Companion was one of the most important works he produced while living there. He would later work with William D. Brinckle to produce another book dedicated to North American fruits entitled "North American Pomologist."
