Louis Berckmans
Encyclopedia
Louis Mathieu Edouard, Baron Berckmans (19 October 1801-1883) was a Belgian aristocrat and a medical doctor who was famous for his interest in plant biology and specifically in horticulture
.
, Louis was the son of Joannes Berckmans and Carolina van Ravels. He came of a family of great proprietors who had estates in Belgium. In 1829, his first wife Marie Gaudens died when their son Prosper was born, and he subsequently married Marie Rubens in 1834.
After the Belgian Revolution
was fought over the Berckman's family land, there were serious feuds between the family and strong political factions in the country. In 1851, Baron Berckmans came to the United States with his family and settled in Plainfield, New Jersey
. In Plainfield he started a nursery with his son Prosper Berckmans where they grew over a thousand varieties of pears and experimented with a variety of other fruit trees. In 1857, they moved to Augusta, Georgia
, and purchased 365 acres (1.5 km²) of land, where they established Fruitland Nurseries, one of the first large, successful commercial nurseries in the South
. Fruitland Nurseries also operated as an experimental station and botanical garden, growing numerous varieties of fruit trees and ornamentals and disseminating them throughout the United States. They imported many trees and plants from countries all over the world.
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...
.
Biography
Born in Lier, BelgiumLier, Belgium
Lier is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. On January 1, 2010 Lier had a total population of 33,930. The total area is 49.70 km² which gives a population density of 669 inhabitants per...
, Louis was the son of Joannes Berckmans and Carolina van Ravels. He came of a family of great proprietors who had estates in Belgium. In 1829, his first wife Marie Gaudens died when their son Prosper was born, and he subsequently married Marie Rubens in 1834.
After the Belgian Revolution
Belgian Revolution
The Belgian Revolution was the conflict which led to the secession of the Southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and established an independent Kingdom of Belgium....
was fought over the Berckman's family land, there were serious feuds between the family and strong political factions in the country. In 1851, Baron Berckmans came to the United States with his family and settled in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
. In Plainfield he started a nursery with his son Prosper Berckmans where they grew over a thousand varieties of pears and experimented with a variety of other fruit trees. In 1857, they moved to Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, and purchased 365 acres (1.5 km²) of land, where they established Fruitland Nurseries, one of the first large, successful commercial nurseries in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. Fruitland Nurseries also operated as an experimental station and botanical garden, growing numerous varieties of fruit trees and ornamentals and disseminating them throughout the United States. They imported many trees and plants from countries all over the world.
Sources
- http://www.augusta.com/stories/040107/mas_122377.shtml
- http://southernedition.com/DaffodilsinEarlySouthernGardens.html