Lawes, Sir John Bennet

Lawes, Sir John Bennet, 1814–1900, English agriculturist. He founded the famous experimental farm at Rothamsted, where, with the English chemist Sir J. H. Gilbert, he experimented with plants and animals. He developed the fertilizing material called superphosphate, which marked the beginning of the chemical fertilizer business. In 1889 he established the Lawes Agricultural Trust for the continuation of research at Rothamsted.