Origin of Cultivated Plants The International Scientific Series Volume XLVIII

"Origin of Cultivated Plants" by Alphonse de Candolle is a detailed exploration into the history and domestication of plants grown by humans. The book is a scientific journey that seeks to give a large view of how agriculture tied into early human societies. The author starts by talking about why it's important to know where our crops come from, aiming his words to farmers, plant scientists, and historians alike. He points out how tricky it is to pinpoint exactly where a plant first grew, correcting old, wrong ideas about plant origins. The author explains how he uses plant science, old clues dug up from the ground, and writings from the past, all mixed together, to figure out the story of each plant.