Charles Downing (July 9, 1802 – January 18, 1885), was an American pomologist, horticulturist, and author.

Biography

Charles Downing was born in

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, ...

, on July 9, 1802. He began helping his father, Samuel Downing, with his nursery business when he was a teen. In 1822, his father died and Downing took over the business, later partnering with his brother,

Andrew Jackson Downing Andrew Jackson Downing (October 31, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of ''The Horticulturist'' magazine (1846� ...

, in 1835. The partnership lasted until 1839 when Charles sold his interest to start his own business. As a nurseryman, Downing was known for his cultivation skill and trustworthiness. Published in 1845, he worked with his brother to write ''The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America''. After Andrew's death in 1852, Downing edited and added new material and reissued ''The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America''. Each new edition greatly enlarged the book and it was the best publication of the kind in the United States. In 1850, he left his nursery and began to research and experiment with fruit varieties. His test orchard contained 1,800 varieties of apples and 1,000 varieties of pears. He also worked with cultivating a variety of grapes in New York state. He was regarded as one of the foremost pomologists of his day. He also wrote many articles upon horticultural subjects under the initials "C. D." His work throughout was conscientious and accurate, and he was internationally recognized as an authority upon pomology, horticulture, and tree growths. Quiet, modest, and retiring, although an active member of horticultural societies, he would never make a public speech. In 1870, Downing traveled with Marshall P. Wilder, Patrick Barry, and

George Ellwanger George Ellwanger (December 2, 1816 – November 26, 1906) was a German-American horticulture scientist. Early life Ellwanger was born in Großheppach, Kingdom of Württemberg on December 2, 1816, and emigrated to the United States in 1835. H ...

to California and published about their journey in ''Tilton's Journal''. The ''California Farmer and Journal of Useful Sciences'' printed their report in seven articles. Their report transformed the horticultural landscape through the realization of the optimal growing conditions, vast acreage, large fruits, and exotic plants of California.

Death and legacy

While in New York City in 1883, Downing was knocked down and run over by a horsecar. He never completely recovered from the injuries he received and died two years later on January 18, 1885. He was married to Mary Wait, daughter of Samuel Wait of

Montgomery, New York Montgomery is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 23,322 at the 2020 census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 at the Battle of Quebec. The northern town ...

. Downing bequeathed his library of books and manuscripts to the

Iowa Agricultural College Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

Horticulture Department. His drawings and descriptions of apples and other fruits became a major source for the fruit sections of the 1903 ''American Horticultural Manual''. 546 pp.

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Downing, Charles 1803 births 1885 deaths 19th-century American botanists 19th-century American journalists 19th-century American male writers American garden writers American horticulturists American male journalists Journalists from New York (state) Pomologists People from Newburgh, New York Scientists from New York (state)