Background
Howard was born 1 June 1838 on a farm in Belchertown, Massachusetts to Silas Howard and Naomi S. Town Howard.
Howard was born 1 June 1838 on a farm in Belchertown, Massachusetts to Silas Howard and Naomi S. Town Howard.
Howard was America"s foremost strawberry breeder of his time. His Howard 17 (Premier) variety is the ancestor of most American strawberries today. Howard was one of the few breeders before 1900 to use systematic methods.
He wrote many horticultural articles for the New England Homestead, the leading agricultural paper of that time.
Howard"s son, Everett, joined the effort to develop a variety of plants. The Howard 17 was selected from about 800 seedlings from a cross made in 1904.
Unfortunately Howard died before his strawberry was named and introduced. Other plants that were named and introduced were the Howard apple, Howard Star Petunia, Royal Splendor Verbena, Lilliput Zinnia, and the Bay State tomato.
Howard died on 11 June or 20 December 1907 in Belchertown, Massachusetts.