Ronald Hatton
Encyclopedia
Sir Ronald George Hatton (born in Hampstead
, July 6, 1886 - East Malling, 11 November 1965) was a highly distinguished pomologist
.
, his formal education included Brighton College
, Exeter School
, Oxford University and Wye College
. His father Ernest Hatton and maternal grandfather William Pearson
were lawyers; his mother Amy was the sister of Karl Pearson
).
After leaving Oxford he worked on a farm for a year and then went to Wye College in Kent, where he joined the staff after a period of study. Wye College Fruit Experiment Station later became known as the East Malling Research Station and Hatton became acting director of the station during World War I. He soon became its long-time director.
In 1912, Ronald Hatton initiated the work of classification, testing and standardization of apple tree rootstock
s. With the help of Dr Wellington, Hatton sorted out the incorrect naming and mixtures then widespread in apple rootstocks distributed throughout Europe. These verified and distinct apple rootstocks were then distributed throughout the world as Types, initially Type I through Type IX under the name "Malling series
".
He was responsible for many scientific papers which were always well written. He also was editor of the Journal of Horticultural Science. Even after his retirement and until his death he was an associate editor of this Journal.
The Imperial (later Commonwealth) Bureau of Fruit Production (now part of CAB International
) was established at East Malling with Hatton as the first director and later a consultant director. Its journal, Horticultural Abstracts, has become a standard reference throughout the world.
In the post World War II period he took a prominent part in establishing the National Agricultural Advisory Service (similar to our National Cooperative Extension Service) and the National Fruit Trials, now distinguished because it contains a very large collection of cultivars of various kinds of fruit.
He was honoured by the Queen with a knighthood in 1949. The Royal Horticultural Society
awarded him its most famous honour, the Victoria Medal of Honor in 1930. He was awarded many distinctions by institutions abroad.
Hatton was buried in the East Malling Churchyard overlooking the East Malling Station where he spent so much energy and enthusiasm. The East Malling Research Station today stands as a monument to his resourcefulness, foresight, and competence.
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, July 6, 1886 - East Malling, 11 November 1965) was a highly distinguished pomologist
Pomology
Pomology is a branch of botany that studies and cultivates pome fruit, particularly from the genera Malus, Prunus and Pyrus belonging to the Rosaceae. The term is sometimes applied more broadly, to the cultivation of any type of fruit...
.
Life and career
Born in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, his formal education included Brighton College
Brighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
, Exeter School
Exeter School
Exeter School is a selective independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School...
, Oxford University and Wye College
Wye College
The College of St. Gregory and St. Martin at Wye, more commonly known as Wye College, was an educational institution in Kent, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1447 by John Kempe, the Archbishop of York, as a college for the training of priests. It is located in the small village of Wye, Kent, 60...
. His father Ernest Hatton and maternal grandfather William Pearson
William Pearson
William Pearson may refer to:* William Pearson , English astronomer who helped found the Royal Astronomical Society* Charles William Pearson , pioneer Anglican missionary in Uganda...
were lawyers; his mother Amy was the sister of Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson
Karl Pearson FRS was an influential English mathematician who has been credited for establishing the disciplineof mathematical statistics....
).
After leaving Oxford he worked on a farm for a year and then went to Wye College in Kent, where he joined the staff after a period of study. Wye College Fruit Experiment Station later became known as the East Malling Research Station and Hatton became acting director of the station during World War I. He soon became its long-time director.
In 1912, Ronald Hatton initiated the work of classification, testing and standardization of apple tree rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
s. With the help of Dr Wellington, Hatton sorted out the incorrect naming and mixtures then widespread in apple rootstocks distributed throughout Europe. These verified and distinct apple rootstocks were then distributed throughout the world as Types, initially Type I through Type IX under the name "Malling series
Malling series
-History:Rootstocks used to control tree size have been used in apple for over 2,000 years. Dwarfing rootstocks were probably discovered by chance in Asia. Alexander the Great sent samples of dwarf apple trees back to his teacher, Aristotle in Greece...
".
He was responsible for many scientific papers which were always well written. He also was editor of the Journal of Horticultural Science. Even after his retirement and until his death he was an associate editor of this Journal.
The Imperial (later Commonwealth) Bureau of Fruit Production (now part of CAB International
CAB International
CAB International is a not-for-profit inter-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom....
) was established at East Malling with Hatton as the first director and later a consultant director. Its journal, Horticultural Abstracts, has become a standard reference throughout the world.
In the post World War II period he took a prominent part in establishing the National Agricultural Advisory Service (similar to our National Cooperative Extension Service) and the National Fruit Trials, now distinguished because it contains a very large collection of cultivars of various kinds of fruit.
He was honoured by the Queen with a knighthood in 1949. The Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
awarded him its most famous honour, the Victoria Medal of Honor in 1930. He was awarded many distinctions by institutions abroad.
Hatton was buried in the East Malling Churchyard overlooking the East Malling Station where he spent so much energy and enthusiasm. The East Malling Research Station today stands as a monument to his resourcefulness, foresight, and competence.