Frank Leith Skinner
Encyclopedia
Frank Leith Skinner M.B.E., L.L.D. (1892 - August 27, 1967) was a Canadian plant breeder and horticulturalist.
, he immigrated at a young age (1895) to the Dropmore region, Manitoba, Canada. Medical problems (the loss of a lung due to pneumonia
) caused him to turn to gardening rather than agriculture. In 1947 the University of Manitoba
awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Laws. The Skinner Memorial Library at the University of Manitoba is named in his honour.
Life
Born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he immigrated at a young age (1895) to the Dropmore region, Manitoba, Canada. Medical problems (the loss of a lung due to pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
) caused him to turn to gardening rather than agriculture. In 1947 the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Laws. The Skinner Memorial Library at the University of Manitoba is named in his honour.
Plant Breeding
Frank Skinner began plant breeding on the family homestead in Manitoba, which became an experimental station and repository of his stock material. Notable introductions by Skinner include- Rosa 'Isabella Skinner' (rose)
- Ulmus pumila 'Dropmore'Ulmus pumila 'Dropmore'The Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila cultivar Dropmore was grown from seed collected by F. L. Skinner, of Dropmore, Manitoba, in Harbin, China.-Cultivation:The tree remains in commercial cultivation in the USA...
- Lonicera 'Dropmore Scarlet' (honeysuckle)
- Malus 'Rudolph' (flowering crab)
- Pyrus 'Dropmore' (pear)
- Syringa 'Hiawatha' (lilac)
- Clematis 'Rosy O'Grady'