Note 224 — Chapter III · LEADING VARIETIES OF PLUMS. (continued 7)

Emmett Stull Goff was born at Elmira, New York, Sept. 3, 1852. He was educated in the public schools and in the Elmira Free Academy, graduating from the last named place in 1869. The following years were spent on his father’s farm until in 1880 he became Associate Editor of an agricultural paper, but finding the work uncongenial he returned to the farm for a short time leaving again to accept in 1882 a position at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station which had just been established. Here for seven years Professor Goff gave his attention to vegetables. His classification of a number of vegetables, the pea, tomato, cabbage and onion in particular, are still standard in American vegetable culture. During his work at this Station he did much pioneer work in spraying plants and invented a device for mixing kerosene and water. In 1889 Professor Goff moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he became professor of horticulture in the University of Wisconsin and horticulturist of the Wisconsin Experiment Station. Here for fourteen years he gave his attention to various phases of fruit-growing and vegetable-growing. His bulletin 87 on “Native Plums” is the outcome of several years’ experiments in testing and breeding plums of such of our native species as will grow in Wisconsin. His work with plums is particularly valuable, as he was able, in his location, to do much to ascertain the degree of hardiness of many varieties of the species of cultivated plums. From his work with sterility and fertility of varieties came valuable recommendations regarding the cross-pollination of such varieties as are self-sterile. He is the author of Principles of Plant Culture and Lessons on Fruit-growing, text books much used in high schools and agricultural colleges. Professor Goff was a modest and retiring man but singularly independent of view in all things regarding his work and all things that concerned men—a serene, lofty-minded, unselfish man. His death occurred at Madison, June 6th, 1903.