Portrait of Charles Mason Hovey (1810-1887), American horticulturist and author. William Sharp, Photographer / wikimedia / 1851 / Public Domain
The 26th of October is the birthday of Charles Mason Hovey.
It is difficult not to run into his name whenever you are reading anything about the horticultural history of the United States.
He was instrumental in promoting plant-breeding advances in the United States in the first half of the 1800s, and documented much of early American horticultural history.
He helped to develop strawberries into the larger-sized berries that they are today, and introduced the zinfandel grape into California.
He also authored the monumental “Fruits of America” with its beautiful coloured plates, which is now a treasured item amongst rare book collectors.
Read about his life here: Charles Mason Hovey
#Horticulture