Hon. James H. Stark

James Hart Stark (July 30, 1792 – May 22, 1873) was an American businessman, horticulturalist, judge, politician, surveyor, and founder of Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards Company, the marketers of the Red Delicious and the Golden Delicious apple.

Stark was born in Hutchison, Kentucky, to Susanna (née Hart) and Capt. James Stark of Virginia, who served under General George Washington in the Revolutionary War. The Starks are said to be originally from Glasgow, Scotland.

After serving in the War of 1812, Stark moved from Kentucky to Louisiana, Missouri in 1816. With him, he brought a bundle of apple cutting from his father's orchard and grafted them on local crab-apple trees. From this he began his nursery business. He bought the rights to the Red Delicious apple in 1893.

In 1914, the Stark Golden Delicious apple was discovered and developed. The original tree was found on the Mullins' family farm in Clay County, West Virginia and was locally known as Mullin's Yellow Seedling and Annit apple. Anderson Mullins sold the tree and propagation rights to Stark Brothers Nurseries, which first marketed it as a companion to their Red Delicious in 1914.

Sources

1. http://www.starkbros.com/our-company/our-story
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_Brothers_Nurseries_and_Orchards
3. http://www.sil.si.edu/SILPublications/seeds/starkjames-h.html