Matthew Cooke (1829–1887) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrant to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

who pioneered economic

entomology Entomology () is the science, 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 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Born in

Bushmills Bushmills (From Irish ''Muileann na Buaise'') is a village on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Bushmills had a population of 1,295 in the 2011 Census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

, on February 16, 1829, Matthew Cookie immigrated to the United States in 1850. Employed as a youth in the Public Works Department in Bushmills, he was promoted to Superintendent of Works. In California he first took up a post at the Water Works in Scaremento and in 1875 became a fruit box manufacturer. His business suffered badly when the

Codling moth The codling moth (''Cydia pomonella'') is a member of the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. They are major pests to agricultural crops, mainly fruits such as apples and pears. Because the larvae are not able to feed on leaves, they are highly d ...

appeared in the state, devastating the

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

crop. He studied

to solve the problem and by 1879 was able to address the State Fruit Growers on the Codling moth and other serious pests, including those of the important

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

crop. In 1881 he was appointed Chief Executive Horticultural and Health Officer of California and drew up

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

regulations relating to

insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ...

. The cherry fruit sawfly ''Hoplocampa cookei'' was named for him by W. T. Clarcke. He died at

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

on August 25, 1887, California's first

economic entomologist Economic entomology is a field of entomology, which involves the study of insects that benefit or harm humans, domestic animals, and crops. Insects that cause losses are termed as pests. Some species can cause indirect damage by spreading diseases ...

Similarities with others

The Matthew Cooke Entomological Chart shows similarities with those produced by

Robert Patterson Robert Patterson (January 12, 1792 – August 7, 1881) was an Irish-born United States major general during the American Civil War, chiefly remembered for inflicting an early defeat on Stonewall Jackson, but crucially failing to stop Confede ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

. Patterson charts were widely used in the U.S.A.

Works

He wrote numerous pamphlets and articles (mostly published in the ''Pacific Rural Press'' and the'' Sacramento Daily Record-Union''). *''Injurious Insects of the Orchard, Vineyard, Field, Garden, Conservatory, Household, Storehouse, Domestic Animals, etc. with remedies for their extermination'' *''Treatise on the Insects Injurious to Fruit and Fruit Trees of the State of California, and Remedies Recommended for Their Extermination''. Sacramento: State Office: J. D. Young, Supt. State Printing, 1881. *''Insects, Injurious and Beneficial, Their Natural History and Classification; For the Use of Fruit Growers, Vine Growers, Farmers, Gardeners and Schools''. H. S. Crocker & Co. Sacramento. 1883. *Charts on general entomology and pest insects, particularly those of fruit trees for farmers and school

External links

BHL
Scanned ''Injurious Insects of the Orchard, Vineyard, Field, Garden, Conservatory, Household, Storehouse, Domestic Animals, etc. with remedies for their extermination'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Matthew 1829 births 1887 deaths Irish entomologists Irish lepidopterists Scientists from County Antrim 19th-century Irish zoologists Irish emigrants to the United States People from Bushmills, County Antrim