Fourteen volumes from the 25 published. Three text volumes + 11 notebook folders containing specimens of wood from hundreds of varieties of trees and bushes, sliced thin, set in window mounts. Present are text volumes: I, II, and V; folder volumes: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI. 9x6, green cloth.
A new edition of Romeyn Hough's great work on American trees and woods, first produced between 1888 and 1928, the final volume coming out four years after the naturalist's death. Most mounts display three specimens from a species of tree in transverse, radial and tangential sections. Each specimen is about 2x4½” in size and cut thinly enough to be partially translucent. A tremendously important work for ecologists as well as connoisseurs of American furniture and antiques.
Hough described his magnus opus as “illustrated by actual specimens, and being in this way an exhibition of nature itself it possesses a peculiar and great interest never found in a press-printed book.” The present edition was produced using remaining samples that Hough had gathered but not used in the original publication, and has textual contributions by Hough's daughter, Miss Marjorie G. Hough.