Evening Star Newspaper, January 10, 1937, Page 6

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A—6 LINESSISFATAL | TODRF V.COVLLE Botanist of Agriculture De- partment Dies at His Home Here. Dr. Frederick Vernon Coville, 69, botanist of the Agriculture Depart- ment since 1893, director of the Na- tional Arboretum and life trustee of the National Geographic Society, died yesterday at his home, 1836 California street, after a brief illness. His scientific achievements, includ- ing development of the blueberry and other impostant new varieties of fruits, were known throughout the fleld of botany and agricultural re- search. He was author of numerous Ppapers on the subjects of his research. Dr. Coville was a native of Preston, N. Y. where he was born March 23, 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- ville, second secretary of the United States Embassy at Tokio, 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, jr. Funeral Rites Monday. Funeral services for Dr. Coville will be held in Explorers’ Hall of the Na= tional Geographic Society administra= tion building on Sixteenth street at 3 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- tarian 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 athe | 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, | Dr. Coville served at Cornell as in= | structor in botany until 1888, when he became assistant botanist of the De- partment of Agriculture here. In 1893 he became botanist. He played an important part in scientific activities in Washington. | Dr. Coville was honorary curator of plants of the national herbarium of | t' e 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 1903. Member of Societies. | Dr. Coville was a member, at ri'mJ time of his death, of the_ Ecological Society of America, the Washington | Biological Society, of which he was | president in 1899; the Washington | Society of Sciences (president in 1912) and the Association of American Geog- raphers. He also was a member of | the Cosmos Club, which he served as president in 1915, and the Arts Club, | of which he was president from 1927 to 1929. | His scientific investigations in the fleld led to an early interest in geog- | raphy. In 1895 he became a life | trustee of the National Geographic | Bociety. Since 1920 he had served as | ehairman of its Research Committee, | determining and helping arrange many important expeditions sent to all parts of the world. Dr. Coville's greatest contribution to science was perhaps the “taming” of the wild blueberry in the bogs of Cen- tral New Jersey. Prior to his long and patient work, the Nation's 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, Dr. Coville decided the best way to tame the blueberry was “to 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- | bouses, | Large Berries Produced. His labors produced blueberries the | size and color of Concord grapes, re- sults that answered those who cited B0 years of failures on the part of | experimenters. The National Geographic Magazine | earried in February, 1911, Dr. Coville's | first public report on the success of his blueberry experiments. The inter- 1 est it aroused here and abroad led | to a second article, “The Wild Blue- | berry Tamed—thé 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 5 to 10 years under proper culture. Additional experimentation demonstrated com- mercial crops could be 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- ments. Dr. Coville's blueberry 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 as a factor or of primary importance in the plant distribution. It has since been known that a large percentage of the vegetation of the world is de- pendent on the acidity ef soil, and can thrive only in acid soils. This explains the reason for the geographi- cal distribution of a vast body of plants ‘whose extent and limMations of growth Ppreviously were not understood. Wrote Other Articles. Dr. Coville also wrote a number of other articles for the National Geo- graphic Magazine, showing such diversity of interest and ‘subject mat- ters as “The Quills of the Porcupine” and the “Cultivation of the May- flower.” In 1917 he wrote an article, “War, Patriotism and Food Supply,” for the National Geographical Maga- #ine in which he pointed out means and methods of increasthg and con- serving the natural food supply of the United States, and urged all who could to produce some food. He was one of the first to advocate war gar- dens for city dwellers. Among Dr. Coville’s more important technical papers, printed by the Gov- mmment end by various solentific \ | ernment service as a scientist in July, |given in America was bestowed upon This air view showing seat of operations of the Federal Government, especially new buildings erected in the past five years on both sides of the Mall, for many different agen- cies, indicates in the fore- ground, how the site for the new War Department occupies an_important part in the so- called “Northwest Rectangle.” On this site, outlined in white, recommended by Presi- THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D i Sé& dent Roosevelt to Congress in his budget, will be erected a building to “balance” with, and probably look something like the new Interior Depart- ment Building (No. 5 in the picture). The tiny triangles marked “X” on either side of the new War Department site are not to be used for the actual construction of build- ings, but will be rearranged by realignment of New York ave- Scientist Dies | ters of ceremony. _DR. FREDERICK V. COVILLE._ societies, are: “Botany of the Death Valley Expedition,” “Forest Growth | and Sheep Grazing,” “The Willows of Alaska,” “Desert Botanical Labora- tory of the Carnegie Institution” (which laboratory Dr. Coville was in- strumental in fourding) and “The Influence of Cold in Stimulating the Growth of Plants.” In a letter to Dr. Coville last De- cember, Secretary Wallace compli- | mented Dr. Coville on his most recent report of blueberry breeding work, adding, “The paper is unusually in- teresting from the standpoint of sci- ence, and you have managed to fill it with a human quality that is rare in scientific writing.” | Dr. Coville was the dean of the| scientific staff of the Department of | Agriculture, having entered the Gov- | 1888. The highest horticultural honor | him in 1931 when the Massachusetts | Horticultural Society awarded to him the George Robert White Goid Medal of Honor “for eminent service in hor ticulture.” Dr. Coville was a director of the| Washington Loan & Trust Co., a di- rector of the Equitable Building and Loan Association and a member of the Advisory Board of the American Automobile Association. Many Paris Bomb Cellars. PARIS (#).—Half the population of Paris could find shelter in bombproof cellars, in the event of a bomb attack, the police say. Cellars equipped to resist bombard- ments would accommodate a million and a half. Two subway stations have been made bomb and gas proof, and other underground stations are deep enough to afford protection for 500,- RIGAT OVER THE OLD Shingles SHINGLES Gnaran- teed Ten Years. Ertimates Free. ENTERPRISE ROOFING- CO. R. I Ave. NE. Pot. 0200 /ANNUAL FOOD SHOW | OPENS TOMORROW Prizes of Merchandise to Be Awarded Twice Daily Dur- ing Week. The Sixth Annual Food Show of the United Food Stores will open at Cal- vert Hall tomorrow night. * Several public officials, including District Commissioners, have been invited to attend as special guests. Morris Kraft, president of the United Stores, and Alfred L. Stern, managing director of the show. will be joint mas- They will introduce the guests and award prizes of mer- chandise and food products each aft- ernoon and evening during the week. Music will be furnished by the Chest- nut Farms Band of more than 50 pieces. Other entertainment will be presented along with the prize awards. Among special features planned for the week are a baby show to be held every afternoon starting Tuesday, an amateur contest, a contest to select the man most like President Roosevelt in general appearance and radio voice, imitations of movie and radio stars nue southward so as to be of similar size. In the picture are seen the new War Department site, No. 1; the present location of the Secretary of War and his im- mediate staff, in the old State, War and Navy Building, No. 2; the old Interior Building, No. 3: the huge development known as the Federal Build- ing Triangle, No. 4; the new and entertainment by members of the Washington Boys' Club. In addition to 50 food distributors and manufacturers, booths have been assigned to the Columbia Polytechnic Institute for the Blind and the Wash- ington Boys' Club. Members of the FPood Show Com- mittee are Kraft and Stern, Meyer Sody, vice president; David Abraham, treasurer; David Hornstein, counsel, and Samuel Goldstein, manager of the United Stores. . Heads Entertainment Miss Ellen Woodward, assistant works progress administrator, was named yesterday chairman of a Com- mittee on Entertainment for Mis= sissippians coming here for the in- auguration of the President Group. INAUGURAL DAY pARKING $7-00 ANl Day ROOM FOR 1,000 CARS MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW 2 Blocks From Capito! Along_Constitution Ave. at Pa. Ave. Municipal Center Parking Lot Phone Met. 6386 Accurately Predict Weather in 8 to 24 Advance e Weather Glasses regularly $1.25 $1 THIS WEEK ONLY Thousands of Cape Cod's are acting as “weather men” in ‘Washington homes and offices. A colorful addition . .. decorative hand-blown antique reproductions of the glasses used on the Yankee Clippers of 1850. Fun to own .« . and reliable. | Mail and Phone Orders Call Dlistrict 9400 | THE HECHT CO,, Washington, D. C. (Optlcal Shop. Main Floor) THE HECHT CO F Street at Seventh soon to be occupied, No. 5; the Navy Department Building, No. 6; the Munitions Building, housing 3,063 officers and clerks of the War Department, No. 7; the Naval Hospital, No. &8: and National Institute of Health, which some day may be used as part of the new Navel Hospital, No. 9, and the site of the “proposed” new building for the Headquarters Company, U. S. Army, No. 10. The so-called “Northwest Rectangle,” contrasting with the distant “Federal Triangle,” can be seen definitely outlined in the foreground bounded by Constitution avenue on the south, Seventeenth street on the east, F street on the north, and running westward toward the Potomac River. Event- ually it is believed the Govern- The latest in plano styles...fits in a very small space and yet it has a full keyboard. Very handsomely de- signed and well-built throughout. Pay 52 Weekly With piano prices ris- ing fast this value is one we don't think you'll be able to dupli- cate at this price. It has a nice mahogany case and is well-toned. Pay 32 Weekly . C., JANUARY .10, 1937—PART ONE. mately 500 college presidents, deans ment will fill all this area in with public buildings and parks. On the site of the new War Department are seen four large apartments: The Poto- mac, at Twenty-first and C streets; Mayfair, 2115 C; both of which are now owned by, the Government; the River- side, 2145 C street, and Boule- vard, 2121 New York avenue. —Star Staff Photo by Wilkin- son. Psychic Message Council 1100 Twelfth St. N.W. Corner of 12th end “L" GROUP MEETINGS DAILY Grace Gray De Long, Reader Personal interviews for spiritusl help and guidance may be arranged by a visit 1o the Council House or Teiephone Metropolitan 5234. A splendid little full keyboard piano that's just the right size for | a very small apart-| ment and an unusual | value at this extreme- ly low price. Pay $1.50 Weekly 500 COLLEGE OFFICIALS TO ATTEND CONVENTION “Contributions to Liberal Educa- tion” Theme of Program Opening Thursday. The Association of American Col- leges will hold its twenty-third an- nual convention Thursday and Fri- day at the Mayflower Hotel. Approxi- ber institutions are expected to ate tend. “Contributions to Liberal Education in the College” is the theme of the program which will be discussed ‘Thursday morning by Prof. William E. Hocking of Harvard University :nd President Meta Glass of Sweet Biiar College. The same session will hear reports of the president of the associa= tion, James R. McCain: Dr. Robert L. Kelly, executive secretary, and Le Roy E. Kimball, treasurer. The meeting will close with & round table luncheon Friday. many mem- FUR COATS, CLOTH COATS SUITS, ENSEMBLES | I : EVENING WRAPS /4 to 1/ OFF FTH ST. N.W. SAKS, 610 TW W. W, Moses & Co. to beat rising prices ”‘and to Ofier Yyou an Unu5ufll buy we ha\'e purcha*ed a“ the available stock of this popular suite from the manu- facturer: $ Beautiful swirl walnut with a soft lustrous finish. Striking e matched veneers on fronts of all pieces. Large mirrors. Ample drawer space; dresser and chest drawers carry divis- ions and compartments. éqoo Unlike most modern furniture, this suite is conservative—en- thusiastic acceptance of its quiet beauty has convinced us that you too, will like it. We advise your early inspection. Vanity Bench--$10.95 Night Table___$13.50 Bedroom Chair_$10.75 i Two Outstanding Bedding Values Selected From Our Stocks E W. B. Moses' tuftless Innerspring Mattress & Box Spring to Match . Ech $27.75 Covered in blue domask; made especially to conform with our standard of quality. Matching Pieces: Avon Box Spring and Mattress toch $18.95 . Covered in woven stripe tickings. Pillows: Curled Chicken Feather Eoch, $1.59 Live Goose Feather Eoch, $2.99 All-Goose Down Eoch, $4.39 W. B. Moses & Co. FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1861 804 Rhode Island A\(e.’ N.E. No Parking Worries Open Until 9 P.M. Our bedding depart- ment carries a com- plete line of nation- ally advertised prod- ucts. J

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