Rash's Surname Index
Notes for David BURPEE
David Burpee was born in 1893 and when his father, W. Atlee Burpee died, David dropped out of Cornell University at the age of 22 and took over the family business.
While his father's main area of interest was vegetables, David was interested in flowers. World War I cut off overseas seed supplies and caused food shortages in the United States. David began a "WarGardens" campaign, that formed the basis for the "Victory Gardens" campaign during World War II. These programs were generally aimed at city and suburban people and taught them how to grow food during shortages caused by wartime.
In the 1930's the company began cross-breeding to produce hybrids that were healthier and more resistant to disease. The Big Boy tomato was developed during this time, along with the Ambrosia cantaloupe, as well as new kinds of petunias, nasturtiums, and red and gold marigolds. In the 1940s the company created new forms of flowers by altering their chromosome structure with a chemical called colchicine.This led to varieties Bright Scarlet and Rosabel snapdragons and Ruffled Jumbo Scarlet zinnia.
In 1970, David Burpee sold his company to General Foods. In 1979 the company passed to ITT. David Burpee remained as a consultant until his death in 1981. In 1991 the Burpee company was acquired by George J. Ball, Inc., a diversified horticultural family business. Jonathan Burpee, the founder's grandson, was the last family member to work for the company. He was fired in 1993.
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