With my special interest in heirloom plants, I find "Old Southern Apples" by Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr. (McDonald & Woodward) especially useful. The author gives a complete history of apples, their cultivation, and uses in the South with descriptions of over 1300 varieties. Some long forgotten watercolors (there were 7000 or more) of American fruits from the USDA files appear here. If anyone locates one of the varieties he's listed as extinct, he asks that you contact him. Thomas Jefferson loved fruits, and introduced some to America. In "The Fruits and Fruit Trees of Monticello," Peter J. Hatch (University Press of Virginia) gives a comprehensive account of Jefferson's fruit gardens and orchards. The book is lavishly illustrated with period photos and artwork. In the appendix, you'll find listings of the varieties Jefferson grew, such as the Alpine strawberry.
"Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants" by Stephen Facciola (Kampong Publications) is encyclopedic in scope. It contains so much information in a compact, easy to use form. For each type of plant, he gives the cultivar name and synonyms, a brief description of the fruit or crop, information about its origins, and sources. The first part has alphabetical listings of the Latin names by plant family, while the second is alphabetical by crop, such as apple.
If I want basic information on a particular fruit, I turn to "A Produce Reference Guide to Fruits and Vegetables From Around the World: Nature's Harvest" by Donald D. Heaton (Haworth-Food Products Press). Very reader-friendly, the foods are arranged alphabetically by common name. You'll find information on the plant's origins, a description, time of harvest, and special notes on uses. For example, the Criterion apple doesn't turn brown when it is cut.
For practical information on growing small fruits, I turn to several books. In "The Backyard Berry Book" (OttoGraphics), Stella Otto takes the reader through every step of the process, from choosing the right site, soils, fertilizers, propagation, and plant problems. Whatever questions you have about pollination, hardiness, and chilling requirements, she has the answers. She devotes a chapter to each fruit, including rhubarb. The appendix is crammed with lots of helpful information, such as sources and a seasonal guide to fruit care.
In "The Backyard Orchardist" (OttoGraphics), Otto treats fruit trees in a similar, comprehensive manner. This award-winning book won the coveted Benjamin Franklin Award. She has a wonderful chapter on growing fruit trees in containers. Do you have questions about harvest and storage? She answers that and much more.
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