George M. Darrow
Encyclopedia
George McMillan Darrow was known as the foremost American authority on strawberries
. He worked for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) for forty-six years (1911-1957) as a pomologist
and small fruits breeder.
Darrow was born on a dairy farm in Springfield, Vermont
on February 2, 1889. He graduated from Middlebury College
with a BA in 1910 and from Cornell University
with an MA in horticulture
in 1911. In his career with the USDA-ARS from 1911-1957 he authored over 230 published works. While the bulk of his career was spent in Maryland (Glenn Dale and later Beltsville), in the late 1920s-early 1930s he initiated the small fruit breeding programs in Oregon for the USDA. While he is predominantly known for his strawberry breeding, he had an impact on all small fruit crops including, blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry as well as with his personal passion for daylilies. In 1956-1957 he surveyed the native strawberries of Chile and collected germplasm in Andean South America. After he retired in 1957 he wrote his classic book "The Strawberry: History, Breeding and Physiology" which was published in 1966 and later placed online by the National Agricultural Library. He died in 1983 in Maryland.
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
. He worked for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) for forty-six years (1911-1957) as a pomologist
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
and small fruits breeder.
Darrow was born on a dairy farm in Springfield, Vermont
Springfield, Vermont
Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 9,373 at the 2010 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, the township was chartered on August 20, 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth and awarded to Gideon Lyman and 61 others...
on February 2, 1889. He graduated from Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
with a BA in 1910 and from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
with an MA in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
in 1911. In his career with the USDA-ARS from 1911-1957 he authored over 230 published works. While the bulk of his career was spent in Maryland (Glenn Dale and later Beltsville), in the late 1920s-early 1930s he initiated the small fruit breeding programs in Oregon for the USDA. While he is predominantly known for his strawberry breeding, he had an impact on all small fruit crops including, blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry as well as with his personal passion for daylilies. In 1956-1957 he surveyed the native strawberries of Chile and collected germplasm in Andean South America. After he retired in 1957 he wrote his classic book "The Strawberry: History, Breeding and Physiology" which was published in 1966 and later placed online by the National Agricultural Library. He died in 1983 in Maryland.