Paul Work

Born in Pennsylvania on June 18, 1886, and educated in Tennessee and at Pennsylvania State College and Cornell, he built his career around vegetable crops and agricultural teaching. He later became Professor of Vegetable Crops at Cornell University, where he was known for combining research, teaching, and clear advice for working growers.

His best-known book, The Tomato, is a compact guide to cultivation, plant care, common disorders, harvesting, and marketing. He also wrote on horticultural marketing and tomato nutrition, showing a strong interest not just in how crops grow, but in how farmers could bring them successfully to market.

He died in Ithaca, New York, on July 8, 1959. Remembered as a practical agricultural writer as well as a university teacher, he left behind books that still appeal to readers interested in classic gardening and food-growing knowledge.