Hugh Ermen 1928 - 2009
8 February 2010
Fruit growing lost one of its most knowledgeable practioners in December when Hugh Ermen passed away.
Born in 1928, Hugh grew up in Northamptonshire and after National Service in the RAF, he embarked on his horticultural training - first at Writtle College, Essex and later at RHS Garden Wisley. He then worked on the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm in Kent where he spent some 29 years working on cultivar trials, pollination and propagation.
Hugh developed an unrivalled knowledge of cultivars and became well known to international research colleagues for his work on the pollination of fruit crops. He was a skilled propagator developing, with colleagues at Brogdale, the runner tip propagation system of strawberries and improved rooting of hardwood cuttings in heated ‘Garner bins’. This led to an interest in own-root trees that remained with him throughout retirement. At Brogdale, Hugh took many students under his wing, sharing his knowledge, guiding and encouraging them.
An accomplished photographer, he collaborated with his friend John Bultitude on Apples: A Guide to the Identification of International Varieties published in 1983, and took many of the images of fruit now in the National Fruit Collection archives. In 1988 the RHS conferred the award of Associate of Honour on him.
In ‘retirement’ Hugh pursued his interest in fruit with the help of his wife Laura, using his knowledge and a highly professional approach to breed new apple cultivars. His programme resulted in the introduction of cultivars including Malus ‘Bright Future’, M. ‘Cobra’, M. ‘Herefordshire Russet’, M. ‘Red Devil, M. ‘Scrumptious’ and M. ‘Sweet Society’ named for the RHS, together with M. ’Laura’ and M. ‘White Star’ which are ornamental cultivars.
David Pennell