Edward Lewis Sturtevant
Encyclopedia
Edward Lewis Sturtevant (born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 23, 1842; died July 30, 1898) was an American agronomist
and botanist who wrote Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
E. Lewis Sturtevant was born in Massachusetts in 1842 to a family of Puritan
ancestry. While still a youth his parents died, and Lewis was raised by an aunt. From 1859 to 1861 he attended Bowdoin College
(from which he later received a B.A. and M.A.) and then served in Army during the American Civil War
from 1861 to 1863. In 1866 Sturtevant graduated from Harvard Medical School
.
In 1867, with his two brothers, Sturtevant founded "Waushakum Farm" in South Framingham, Massachusetts. The farm was used for various agricultural experiments, and Sturtevant wrote extensively for various publications, often using the nom de plume of Zelco. In 1887, he was elected President of the Society for Promoting Agriculture Science. He also studied the history of beans
, and is known for building the first lysimeter
in America.
Sturtevant assembled voluminous notes on the various species of edible plants of the world, which were posthumously edited and published as Notes on Edible Plants (1919), reissued in 1972 as Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Agronomist
An agronomist is a scientist who specializes in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. An agronomist is an expert in agricultural and allied sciences, with the exception veterinary sciences.Agronomists deal with interactions between plants, soils, and...
and botanist who wrote Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
E. Lewis Sturtevant was born in Massachusetts in 1842 to a family of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
ancestry. While still a youth his parents died, and Lewis was raised by an aunt. From 1859 to 1861 he attended Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
(from which he later received a B.A. and M.A.) and then served in Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
from 1861 to 1863. In 1866 Sturtevant graduated from Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
.
In 1867, with his two brothers, Sturtevant founded "Waushakum Farm" in South Framingham, Massachusetts. The farm was used for various agricultural experiments, and Sturtevant wrote extensively for various publications, often using the nom de plume of Zelco. In 1887, he was elected President of the Society for Promoting Agriculture Science. He also studied the history of beans
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
, and is known for building the first lysimeter
Lysimeter
A lysimeter is a measuring device which can be used to measure the amount of actual evapotranspiration which is released by plants, usually crops or trees...
in America.
Sturtevant assembled voluminous notes on the various species of edible plants of the world, which were posthumously edited and published as Notes on Edible Plants (1919), reissued in 1972 as Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Literature
. 1875. The Dairy Cow: A Monograph on the Ayrshire Breed of Cattle. Ed. A. Williams & Co. 252 pp. Reprint BiblioLife, 2010. 274 pp. ISBN 1175502545- 1899. Varieties of corn. Bulletin Nº 57. Ed. Government Printing Office. 108 pp.
- 1919. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Ed. J. B. Lyon Co. 696 pp. Reprint General Books LLC, 2010. 620 pp. ISBN 1154861643