American Visit, 1947.

Burnley Printed by Hortus PrintingN Co. Ltd., Burnlety for J. W. Fife, Amulree, Barnton, Midlothian, 1948. FIRST AND ONLY EDITION. 4to, 248 x 185 mms, pp. 66, lithographed and liberally illustrated with pictures, at least one on every page, also with amusing drawings in the margins made by Fife, fine quality paper, attractive binding with gilt outline of American on front cover, white paper wrappers (soiled and worn), and inscribed by Fife on recto of front free end-paper, "With my compliments / John W. Fife / Oct. 1948." John Weir Fife (1900-c.1979), British horticulturalist and traveller, was a director then chairman of Dobbie & Co., Ltd, a well-known horticultural firm of Britain. The company is still going strong today as Dobbies Garden Centres. Much of his travelogue is about his horticultural visit. He attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh and travelled extensively. The John Fife Travel Awards were inaugurated in 1979: "The aim is to encourage young people of Scottish birth or parentage working or studying in horticulture to expand their horizons by enabling them to travel overseas to attend courses or conferences and experience for themselves different cultures and broaden their horticultural knowledge and understanding." The only copy that I have located is in the NLS.