1949 I.V. MICHURIN Selected Works First English Edition Soviet Horticulture

Author: Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin Full Title: Selected Works Edition/Printing: First English Edition, published in 1949. This volume was specifically compiled by the Foreign Languages Publishing House in Moscow to introduce Michurin's work to a foreign readership, bringing together theoretical, methodological, and pomological descriptions from his extensive Russian publications. Binding style and materials: Bound in original dark green cloth with gilt lettering on the front board and spine. Notable features: A foundational text in Soviet horticulture and an important artifact from the Lysenko era of biological science. The book features a detailed autobiographical section, extensive principles and methods of fruit breeding, and comprehensive pomological descriptions of numerous new fruit varieties developed by Michurin. Illustrations, maps, plates, engravings, foldouts, or decorative elements: Includes a striking black and white photographic frontispiece portrait of Michurin with his printed signature. The volume is richly illustrated with multiple full-page, vibrant color plates depicting various apple, pear, and plum varieties, along with numerous black and white diagrams of leaves and fruit cross-sections throughout the text. Historical or collectible significance: This work represents the collected scientific contributions of I.V. Michurin, the acclaimed Soviet horticulturist whose innovative fruit breeding techniques aimed to adapt temperate fruits to the colder Russian climate. Published in 1949, it stands as a key document from the Stalinist era's scientific output, explicitly referencing the 1948 session of the Lenin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, where Trofim Lysenko's controversial views on biological science were affirmed. Michurin's work, though later subject to scientific re-evaluation, was highly influential in Soviet agriculture and held up as an example of socialist scientific achievement. This English edition offers a direct insight into the period's scientific discourse and agricultural ambitions. Historical & Collectible Context: Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin (1855-1935) was a revered Soviet botanist and fruit breeder, celebrated for his efforts to develop new, robust fruit varieties capable of thriving in the diverse climatic conditions of the Soviet Union. His work, which included innovative cross-breeding and grafting techniques, aimed to improve agricultural output and food security. Michurin's scientific contributions were posthumously intertwined with the politically charged biological theories of Trofim Lysenko, known as Lysenkoism. The 1948 session of the Lenin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, mentioned in this book's publisher's note, was a pivotal event that solidified Lysenko's dominance and led to the suppression of genetics research in the USSR. As such, Michurin's "Selected Works" not only serves as a significant scientific text on horticulture but also as a historical document reflecting the specific political and scientific climate of the early Cold War Soviet Union. Published by the Foreign Languages Publishing House, this edition was a strategic effort to disseminate Soviet scientific achievements and ideology to an international audience. Collectors interested in the history of science, Soviet history, horticulture, or the Lysenko period will find this book a valuable addition. Condition: Exterior - The cloth at the head and tail of the spine has moderate wear and light fraying. Dark green cloth boards are present. The front board shows light surface spotting and discoloration. Both boards have general shelf wear. Rubbing to all board edges and corners, with some fraying at the corners. Gilt lettering on the front board and spine is present but rubbed, remaining legible. Binding is square and firm. Hinges are sound. Interior - Pages are clean and supple. Front free endpaper has a handwritten inscription in ink: "$2.75 / Hector Mokhtavian / P.C." and the number "48".…