300 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OBITUARY OF CHARLES GIBB, ABBOTSFORD, QUEBEC. 



The late Mr. Charles Gibb, of Abbotsford, Quebec, died at Cairo, 

 Egypt, on his way from Ceylon, March 8th, 1890, at the early age of 45, 

 from pneumonia, which had developed from la grippe contracted 

 at Aden, and his remains were interred in the British protestant ceme- 

 tery on March 11th, his funeral being attended by several friends. Mr. 

 Charles Gibb was born at Montreal on the 30th day of June, 1846. He re- 

 ceived his early education at Bishops College, Lenoxville. and went from 

 there to McGill College, Montreal, where he graduated B. A. at the age 

 of nineteen. Close application to study had injured his eyesight and un- 

 dermined his health and he was advised by physicians to seek recupera- 

 tion in foreign travel. 



His first trip was of two or three years duration and embraced visits to 

 Egypt, the Holy Land and afterward Switzerland and Europe generally. 

 On his return he engaged in the cultivation of fruit in the State of Penn- 

 sylvania, but the climate not agreeing with him he returned to Canada 

 and purchased a farm at Abbotsford, a place that has become well known 

 of late years on account of the interesting experiments he has carried on 

 there with Russian and other fruits. In 1873 he made repeated trips 

 to the United States, studying our pomology and gathering up and tak- 

 ing to his farm everything he thought worthv of trial, stocking his own 

 farm and making free distribution of trees and plants to his neighbors. 

 In 1882, in company with Prof. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, 

 he went to Russia in quest of the most hardy fruits that might be ex- 

 pected to endure the extremes of temperature to which the northern 

 parts of Canada and the United States are subject. The result of his 

 trip was the importing of trees and seeds that have been very generally 

 distributed among the experimental stations of Canada and northern 

 United States and has created hopes of final successful fruit culture in 

 those regions. In 1887 he went alone over the same grounds and visited 

 in addition Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Other trips he made in the 

 interest of horticulture, among them visiting our own state and Wiscon- 

 sin and other portions of the far northwest. In July, 1889, he left for 

 this last trip around the world, taking in Japan, China, India, and 

 freighted with much valuable information he was on his way home when 

 his death occurred. 



Although cut off in the prime of life he has left many works which will 

 be a lasting monument to his memory. Among them notes on the trees 

 and shrubs of Europe, Russian fruit, hardy fruits for the cold north, 

 nomenclature of Russian fruits, etc. No man of the period will be so 

 deeply mourned by those who are trying to solve the problem of fruit 

 growing in the north as is Charles Gibb. There is perhaps no man living 

 that has so generously and unselfishly devoted his life and wealth and 

 talents to the advancement of horticulture in his own country and indi- 

 rectly ours. 



No man has done more for his country and ours than he. May the 

 memory of his works endure forever and generations yet unborn enjoy 

 the blessed fruits of his devoted labor of love. Who will catch up the 

 fallen banners and keep unfurled to the breeze until success has 

 crowned all labors and Canada and Minnesota are recognized by the 

 whole world as the best fruit regions on the American continent. 



