Pioneers


Karlis Lapins: Success followed early adversity


Developer of the cherry variety that bears his name has hadmemoirs translated fromhis first language, Latvian.


By Susan McIver M


any readers of B.C. Fruit Grower will recognize Karlis Lapins (1909-2004) as the fruit breeder who laid the foundation for the global success of cherry varieties developed at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Few, however, may know of the formidable obstacles Lapins had to overcome in order to achieve such significant scientific success and, in fact, to ensure the very survival of his family and himself.


“From a small farm in Latvia, to a refugee camp in Germany, to an orchard in Western Canada, to having his name known to cherry farmers the world over, these are the memories of a dedicated scientist, a fervent nationalist and a devoted family man,” Ruta Lapins-Soste wrote in the foreword to her translation of her father’s memoirs.


Late in life, Lapins recorded his memories in the Latvian language in 410 handwritten pages.


What follows are some insights into Lapins’ scientific life and the man himself, based on Lapins-Soste’s translation.


An excellent student, Lapins finished primary school at age 14 with no specific plans and little prospect of higher education.


By chance, he came across some brochures about greenhouses and plant propagation techniques.


“I read this literature with great interest and then a vague notion came to me that these subjects could provide me with interesting work in the future.” He enrolled in the Bulduri school of agriculture in 1925.


“We (students) tried to enter the plant’s very heart and soul and to


British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Summer 2016 11


understand what it feels like during hibernation, or on awakening in the spring, or in closing down in the autumn. We learned how to see plants as sentient, alive beings.”


Lapins’ formal education spanned decades and continents. He graduated from high school in Latvia in 1937 and university in 1941 amidst bombing raids. He completed a masters degree at UBC in 1954 and in 1968 received a PhD from Rutgers University in New Jersey.


In 1933, while working as an agricultural


inspector/adviser, Lapins met his future wife, Ella.


CONTRIBUTED


Karlis Lapins worked for 20 years at what is now known as the Summerland Research and Development Centre.


After a harrowing escape from their home country in the face of Russian invasion, Lapins, Ella and their daughter spent from 1944 to 1949 in a refugee camp in Germany run by the British military.


In spite of inadequate food rations and poor living conditions, Lapins


helped provide educational opportunities to other refugees. “In October, 1945, we organized a Latvian agricultural school which operated until April 1947. The purpose of the school was to familiarize refugees from different professions and backgrounds with the principles and techniques of agriculture. The idea was


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