Evening star., 1937-01-10
LLNESS|SFATAL
T0DR.E.V.COv|LLE
Botanist of Agriculture De.
partment Dies at His
Home Here.


botanist of the Agriculture Depart
ment since 1893. director Of the Ma
tional Arboretum and life trustee
Of the National Geographic Society.
died yesterday at his home, 1886
California street, after brief illness.
His scientific achievements, includ-
ing development Of the blueberry and
other important new varieties of
fruits, were known throughout the
field Of botany and agricultural re-
search. He was author of numerous
papers on the subjects of his research.
DR.. Coville was a native of Preston,
N. Y. where he was born March %,
1867, the son of Joseph A. and Lydia
Coville. He was married in 1890 to
Miss Elizabeth Harwood Boynton of
Lockport, N. Y, who survives him.
Surviving also are three sons and
one daughter Stanley Coville of New
Lisbon, N. j.; Mrs. Chester c. Wood
burn of Des Moines. Iowa: Cabot CO.
vile, second secretary of the United
States Embassy at Toxic, Japan, and
Frederick Covill of Atkinson, N. c.,
and eight grandchildren, I. Marie and
Stanley B. Coville; William Coville,
Chester and Boynton Woodburn, and
Gilbert Grosvenor Coville and Cabot
Coville, ir.
Funeral Rites Monday.
Funeral services for DR.. Coville will
be held In Explorers Hall of the Ma
tional Geographic Society administra-
t,,,UA q
pm. Monday. Fellow officers and
trustees of the society, scientists and
friends will pay their last tributes.
Services will be in charge of DR.. U. o.
B. Pierce pastor Of All Souls Uni
tartan Church. The remains will be
cremated.
DR.. Coville received his A. B. degree
from Cornell University in 1887. He
was an outstanding athlete at Cornell,
being adjudged the best general ath-
lete at the New York State intercol-
legiate meet of 1887. The degree Of
doctor of science was conferred upon
him by George Washington University
in 1921.
After receiving his degree in 1887,
~ SONllIt SCI Ntd wi llNll dS III
structor in botany until 1888, when he
became assistant botanist of the De-
partment of Agriculture here In 1898
he became botanist. He played an
important part in scientific activities
In Washington
DR.. Covllle was honorary curator of
plants of the national herbarium of
tie National Museum from 1893 until
his death; adviser to the Carnegie
Institution of Washington from 1902
to 1905; vice president of the section
on botanical science of the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science, 1903. and president of the
Botanical Society Of America in 1908.
Member of Societies.
DR.. Coville was member at the
time of his death, of the Geological
Society of America, the Washington
Biological Society, of which he was
president in 1899; the Washington
Society of Sciences president in 1922
and the Association Of American Geog-
raphers. He also was member Of
the Cosmos Club. which he served as
president in 1915, and the Arts Club,
OF which he was president from 1927
70 1929
His scientific investigations in the
field led to an early interest in geog-
raphy. In 1895 he became a life
trustee OF the National Geographic
Society. Since 1920 he had served as
chairman of its Research Committee,
determining and helping arrange many
important expeditions sent to all parts
Of the world.
DR.. Covilles greatest contribution to
science was perhaps the tanning" of
the wild blueberry in the bogs of Gen.
trail New Jersey. Prior to his long and
patient work, the Nations blueberry
crop was picked from native bushes.
DR.. Coville not only cultivated the
blueberry but vastly improved its size
and quality. This paved the way for
an industry that yields much revenue
in New Jersey and other States.
Pursuing an entirely original course,
Or. Coville decided the best way to
tame the blueberry was ito treat it
rough" Instead of enriching the soil,
he chose the harsh, acid soil Of the
pine barrens of New Jersey, composed
OF leaf peat and sand, and exposed
test plants to the rigors of Winter
rather than protecting them in green
houses,
Large Berries Produced.
His labors produced blueberries the
size and color of Concord grapes, re-
suits that answered those who cited
30 years of failures on the part of
eXperimenters
The National Geographic Magazine
carried in February, 1911, DR.. Coville's
first public report on the success of
his biueberry experiments. The inter-
est 1t aroused here and abroad led
to second article, THE Wild Blue
berry Tamed-the New Industry of the
Pine Barrens," in June, 1916.
DR.. Coville predicted in his 1911
article that blueberry seedlings or
cuttings would bear in from to 10
years under proper culture. Additional
experimentation demonstrated COM
mercial crops could oe secured when
the seedlings were only three years
old, and a crop three times as large
when four years old. His second article
described these and other new develop
Enents.
DR.. Coville's BURBERRY experiments
were important not only because of
their practical value in establishing
. new agricultural industry, but also
from the fact that they have given
the world much new knowledge as to
the causes of plant distribution. Pre-
vious to DR.. Coville's work, the acidity
Of soils was not definitely recognized
rs a factor or of primary importance
IN the plant distribution. It has since
been known that large percentage
OF the vegetation of the world is de-
pendent on the acidity Of soil, and
can thrive only in acid soils. This
explains the reason for the ceocra anhi-