442 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 20, 1890. 
At this time Mr. Shirley Hibberd was a man of great versatility 
of character, taking part m meetings and lecturing on social and 
moral topics in many parts of the metropolis. It is said that 
he once went to Newcastle-on-Tyne and delivered a series of 
lectures in the room of a friend announced to deliver the same, 
but who was laid aside by illness. Having married, and taken up 
his residence at Pentonville, he commenced a series of experiments 
bearing upon urban gardening, seeking the truest principles upon 
which it could be successfully carried out, his wife sympathising 
with him in his work and assisting him in many ways. The ex¬ 
perience so gained and his recorded observations on plant culture 
in the midst of houses formed a book on town gardening, the first 
edition of which appeared in 1855. Probably at this time he 
expei ienced something like a struggle for existence, for he appeared 
for a time as delivering descriptive lectures on the Crimean war in 
what was originally Wyld’s Globe in Leicester Square, illustrating 
his narrative by references to pictures, and proving a most able 
and successful expositor. 
From Pentonville he went to reside at Stoke Newington, and 
while there closely identified himself with practical horticulture, 
and entered upon a series of experiments, which led to advan¬ 
tageous results. He developed and warmly advocated the plunging 
system in garden decoration while resident for some twelve years 
in Lordship Terrace. This system provides for a display all the 
year round by cultivating in pots certain plants and plunging them 
in the soil in their pots, arranging them in groups or otherwise, 
according to the fancy of the operator, but removing some and 
replacing them by others, according to the season of the year or 
the effect sought to be produced. Ivies, Hollies, many evergreens, 
&c., were cultivated in pots for this purpose—dndeed, anything 
likely to be useful was turned to account for pot culture. At that 
time there existed in the City of London a Central Horticultural 
Association, of which Mr. George Gordon, Mr. George Glenny, 
and others were active members, and at one of the meetings Mr. 
S. Hibberd produced a group of berry-bearing plants all grown in 
pots, and all prepared for grouping, which proved extremely 
interesting and instructive. While at Stoke Newington he started 
several gardens for experimental purposes, but had to relinquish 
them one by one as they were required for building purposes. 
Trials of Potatoes, Peas, and other vegetables were carried out by 
him, and the results of these appeared in various gardening publica¬ 
tions. It was while at Stoke Newington that, with the help of 
systematic fertilisation and persistent selection, he succeeded in 
obtaining ILibberd’s Prolific Vegetable Marrow. 
Experiments in fruit culture also engaged his attention, and one 
of his chief fruit gardens afterwards became Oubridge’s nursery. 
Here he pursued various systems of training, grafting, pruning, &c., 
and it was while there he obtained those practical results which 
became the substance of the fruit lecture he delivered before the 
Society of Arts in 1876. One result was that the excessive pruning 
of fruit trees was curtailed to a considerable extent. It was while 
at Stoke Newington that he commenced the raising of Zonal 
Pelargoniums, which was eventually succeeded to and carried cn 
with so much success by the late Dr. Denny. He also took up 
Rose growing, and made many experiments ; the results of his 
culture were afterwards published in his “ Amateurs’ Rose Book,” 
and in the course of his practice he was led to discover the immense 
value of plants on their own roots. 
He afterwards removed to a rural spot situate between Muswell 
Hill and Tottenham, and having a large sized garden at his com¬ 
mand he developed his taste for Potato culture, and in the course 
of a series of trials discovered the value of the Magnum Bonurn 
Potato which had been sent to him for trial by the late Mr. James 
Clark of Christchurch. He also originated the method of growing 
Watercresses in pans, and exhibited a number of them on one 
occasion at one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
Meanwhile he had issued various small works on several aspects of 
gardening intended principally for amateurs, which were after¬ 
wards gathered up into one complete work—-the “ Amateur’s 
Flower Garden. ’ About 1870 he published his book on “ Beauti¬ 
ful Leaved Plants,” and also on “Rustic Adornments for Homes 
of Taste and in 1872 appeared his valuable work on “ The Ivy, 
its History and Uses.” In order to obtain the material for this 
book he cultivated a large number of Ivies and made himself 
acquainted with collections grown by others, placing them in 
appropriate groups and carefully describing them. 
In 1858 he became a contributor to, and subsequently the 
Editor of the “ Floral World,” an illustrated monthly publication, 
published by Groombridge & Son, and retired from it in 1875, 
and some little time after it ceased to exist. He became the 
Editor of the “ Gardener’s Weekly Magazine and Floricnltural 
Cabinet.’’ In 1865 this was enlarged, and became known as the 
“ Gardener’s Magazine,” of which he remained Editor till the day 
of his death. On the completion of the twenty-first year of his 
editorship in 1879 the proprietors invited the principal contributors 
to a dinner at the Albion in Aldersgate, and a suitable presentation 
was made to Mr. Hibberd by them. 
He closely identified himself with many suburban horticultural 
societies, and was one of the principal promoters of the great Fruit 
and Flower Show held by the United Horticultural Society (which 
appears to have been formed a year or so previously) in the Guild¬ 
hall of the City of London, on November 14th and 15th, 1865. 
‘Out of this grew the United Horticultural Provident and Benefit 
Society. From the first he was an energetic supporter of the 
various international Potato exhibitions held at the Alexandra 
Palace, and subsequently at the Crystal Palace. At the time of his 
death he was President of the National Auricula Society, and one 
of the Vice-Presidents of the National Carnation and Picotee 
Society, and his support was always forthcoming for any move¬ 
ment having for its object the promotion of the cultivation of 
florists’ flowei’3. Mr. Hibberd invariably took part in the Con¬ 
ferences arranged by the Royal Horticultural Society ; also in that 
promoted by the National Dublin Society, and he read a paper on 
the “ Origin of the Florists’ Chrysanthemum ” at the Conference, 
held on August 11th, in connection with the Centenary festival of 
the National Chrysanthemum Society, of which he was a member. 
He was a member of the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society, and was seldom absent from its meetings. Mr. 
Hibberd was one of the Vice-Presidents of the British Fruit- 
Growers’ Association, and in June of the present year delivered an 
exhaustive address on the history of Strawberries at the West¬ 
minster Conference. As a Judge at flower shows his services were 
in much request ; and occasionally he would deliver a lecture in 
connection w'ith some provincial exhibition. As an after dinner 
speaker at festive gatherings of horticulturists he was perhaps 
without a rival. 
It is practically impossible to fill in all the details of his horti¬ 
cultural life, for they are voluminous. He wall be greatly missed. 
We are informed that the funeral will take place at Abney 
Park Cemetery on Saturday next, about three o'clock. The 
cortege will leave Priory Road, Kew, about noon, and the first 
part of the service will be read in All Saints’ Church, Aden Grove, 
Stoke Newington. 
IMPORTED ORCHIDS. 
( Continued f rom page 39S .} 
Ansellia. — Provided Ansellias are collected at the proper 
season and are packed safely there will be no difficulty in establish¬ 
ing them. They may be potted as soon as convenient after they 
have arrived in crocks, peat, and sphagnum. They will require to 
be watered rather cautiously till they begin to make fresh roots, 
after which time they may be watered more liberally and removed 
to the warmest end of the stove. 
Calanthe. —Calanthes of the vestita type are so well known 
that nothing need be said here with regard to imported pseudo¬ 
bulbs, for they are propagated so readily in this country that they 
are not frequently imported now-a-days. This section of Calanthes 
is the most useful of any Orchids, Dendrobiums excepted ; they are 
easily grown, and what makes them more valuable is that they 
flower at a time when choice flowers are scarce. Many gardeners 
imagine that they are difficult to cultivate and require some special 
treatment, but they grow well in any ordinary stove temperature 
provided they are favoured with a good light position during the 
season of growth. 
Cattleya. —These are often received in poor, and in some 
cases almost worthless condition. It sometimes happens that the 
collectors cannot always find them at the proper time, and are 
sometimes delayed in transit ; the consequence is that the young 
growths are too far advanced. When this is the case they seldom 
do much good the first year ; owing to the growths being made in 
total darkness they are very weak. After a short time it will soon 
be visible if they intend to grow or damp off. When the growths 
are in such a stage they may be greatly assisted by placing them in 
a very shady place for a few days, gradually introducing them to 
more light. The young growths will then gain strength provided 
there is not too much heat and moisture in the house, after which 
time they may be pott§d in a very light compost, using crocks or 
charcoal freely. Yery little water will be required till they have 
fresh roots. When Cattleyas are received in good condition they 
are by no means difficult to establish. 
Ccelogyne. —There are many species in this genus that are of 
no real value to the horticulturist. C. cristata may be regarded as 
the most handsome and useful ; indeed, it is a plant that ought to 
be more extensively grown. This is not difficult to import, owing 
to the fact that it has large pseudo-bulbs. Even if they lose their 
leading growth they invariably break back from the second pseudo- 
