James Fletcher (March 28, 1852 – November 8, 1908) was a Canadian

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, and writer. He was born near

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, Kent, England, in 1852. He began work as a clerk at the

Bank of British North America The Bank of British North America was founded by Royal Charter issued in 1836 in London, England with offices in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Saint John, New Brunswick, Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland. It was the first bank operating in B ...

in London, and was transferred to the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

branch in 1874 and the

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

branch in 1875. In 1876, he began work as an assistant in the

Library of Parliament The Library of Parliament (french: Bibliothèque du Parlement) is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada. The main branch of the library sits at the rear of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa ...

and discovered an interest in botany and entomology. He was one of the founding members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club and a president of the Ottawa Horticultural Society. He was elected to the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

in 1885. Fletcher established a national reporting system to help identify and control the spread of insects and weeds harmful to agriculture. In 1887, he became the first Dominion Entomologist and Botanist attached to the

Central Experimental Farm The Central Experimental Farm (CEF), commonly known as the Experimental Farm, is an agricultural facility, working farm, and research centre of the Science and Technology Branch, formerly the Research Branch, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. ...

. He helped set up measures to control the spread of plant diseases and harmful insects from both within and outside Canada. He was a founder of the American Association of Economic Entomologists, now the

Entomological Society of America The Entomological Society of America (ESA) was founded in 1889 and today has more than 7,000 members, including educators, extension personnel, consultants, students, researchers, and scientists from agricultural departments, health agencies, ...

, and a fellow of the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

. Fletcher also initiated the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes (CNC). Besides his contributions to scientific journals and bulletins published by the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, he published with George H. Clark, ''The Farm Weeds of Canada'' in 1906. He died in Montreal in 1908. The Fletcher Wildlife Garden at the

, Ottawa, was named after him. On February 15, 2016, Fletcher was designated a National Historic Person. A federal historical marker reflecting that status was unveiled on November 9, 2017, at the Experimental Farm.The Government of Canada recognizes the national historic significance of James Fletcher
Parks Canada news release, November 9, 2017 Fletcher2 by Wilder.JPG, Fletcher Wildlife Garden at the

Fletcher1 by Wilder.JPG, One of the many trails at Fletcher Wildlife Garden Statue_to_James_Fletcher.jpg, Monument to Fletcher at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, James 1852 births 1908 deaths Canadian entomologists Canadian phytopathologists Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Fellows of the Linnean Society of London People from Rochester, Kent Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) 19th-century Canadian botanists