author
U. P. Hedrick
1870–1951
Best known for richly detailed books on cultivated fruits, this American botanist and horticulturist helped turn cherries, grapes, plums, peaches, and pears into subjects of serious history and careful study. His work still stands out for its mix of science, field knowledge, and affection for old varieties.
6 Audiobooks
Manual of American grape-growing
by U. P. Hedrick
The grapes of New York
by U. P. Hedrick
The pears of New York
by U. P. Hedrick
The peaches of New York
by U. P. Hedrick
The plums of New York
by U. P. Hedrick
The cherries of New York
by U. P. Hedrick
About the author
Born in Iowa on January 15, 1870, Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick became an American botanist and horticulturist whose career was closely tied to the New York Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva. He studied at Michigan Agricultural College and later earned an advanced degree at Cornell, building a reputation as a careful researcher of cultivated plants.
Hedrick is especially remembered for major reference works on fruit, including The Grapes of New York, The Plums of New York, The Cherries of New York, The Peaches of New York, and The Pears of New York. Rather than writing only for specialists, he brought together botany, cultivation, history, and vivid descriptions of varieties in a way that still appeals to gardeners, growers, and readers interested in agricultural history.
Later in life he also wrote more broadly about the past of American gardening and farming, including A History of Horticulture in America to 1860. He died on November 14, 1951, leaving behind a body of work that helped preserve knowledge of traditional fruit varieties and the people who grew them.