GROWING interest in the region's traditional fruit varieties is resulting in too much wear and tear on copies of a rare book - and on a small band of veterans who thumb its pages.

The Marcher Apple Network is turning to modern methods to tackle the first problem. It is preserving the fabulous colour plates of the Herefordshire Pomona, published in the 1880s, by launching a CD.

As for the human problem, people who know about old apple and pear varieties don't grow on trees.

A handful of experts - most in their 70s - frequently have to cope with queues of people bringing fruit for identification at apple fairs.

Project officer Tony Malpas, of Kimbolton, said: "The workload on our panel of experts is getting very heavy and we need to share the load.

"We don't want knowledge to be 'lost' and we are very keen to pass on identification skills to younger people.

"We had a very successful training session at Craven Arms and we are planning further events in Herefordshire."

The launch of the Pomona CD was a major step in the network's bid to spread information, he said.

The original Victorian era project by the Woolhope Naturalist's Field Club took nine years. Only 600 copies of the book were printed - they can now sell at up to £10,000 at auction.

Paintings were commissioned from Miss Alice Ellis and Miss Edith Bull to illustrate 441 varieties of apples and pears. Herefordshire's favourite cider apple of the era, Foxwhelp, took pride of place on plate one and the watercolour originals are in Hereford Cider Museum.

The great work of Victorian endeavour - the material was taken to Brussels for colour printing - was recently taken to Oxford University for 'CD treatment'.

Dr Julia Craig-McFeely, an expert in manuscript photography, transferred the old tome to the digital age.

The CD includes the vivid colour plates, text by experts such as the Rev Charles Henry Bulmer, of Credenhill, and sectional drawings of fruit by Henry Graves Bull, the general editor and father of Edith. Tragically, Dr Bull, who was assisted by the country's leading pomologist Robert Hogg, did not live to see the book launched.

He signed the first bound copy "to my good wife Elizabeth", celebrating the work of their daughter and himself and post-dated it November 7, 1885. He was taken ill and died on October 31.

Information about a Herefordshire Pomona CD launch offer is available on the Marcher Apple Network website, www.marcherapple.net/pomona.htm

Brochures are available at libraries and tourist information centres.