December 13, 1890. 
THE GARDENING Vv^ORLD. 
229 
THE LATE MR. SHIRLEY. 
HIBBERD. 
At the meeting of the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on Tuesday last, the chairman, 
Mr. W. Marshall, alluded in feeliDg terms to the death 
of Mr. Shirley Hibberd, and moved the following 
resolution, which was seconded by Mr. H. J. Veitch, 
as chairman of the Orchid Committee, and carried 
unanimously : — That this meeting of the Floral 
Committee, which has so greatly benefited by the 
labours of the late Mr. Shirley Hibberd, desires to 
place on record its deep sense of the loss it has sustained, 
and of the gratitude and respect it feels towards his 
memory. 
At 1 p.m. the Council-room of the society was fairly 
well filled by friends of the late Mr. Hibberd, who bad 
assembled to consider the subject of a memorial to his 
memory. The chair was taken by the president of 
the society, Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. The 
Rev. W. Wilks, M.A., having read letters from Sir 
James Whitehead, Mr. T. B. Haywood, Mr. N. N. 
Sherwood, Mr. S. Courtauld, and Mr. A. Dean, 
regretting their inability to be present, but expressing 
their sympathy with the movement, Dr. M. T. 
Masters, expatiated on the many and invaluable services 
rendered to horticulture by Mr. Hibberd, and after 
paying a graceful tribute to his character and work, 
moved “ That in the opinion of this meeting it is 
desirable to establish a memorial commemorative of 
the disinterested labours of the late Mr. Shirley 
Hibberd, and as affording some expression of our 
gratitude to him and of our respect for his memory.” The 
motion was seconded by the Eev. H. H. D’Ombrain, 
and carried unanimously. Dr. Masters then stated 
the nature of several suggestions that had been made 
as to the form the memorial should take, and it was 
ultimately resolved that a small committee should be 
formed, consisting of the Eev. W. Wilks, Mr. George 
Paul and Mr. James Douglas representing the Council, 
and Dr. Masters, Mr. W. Marshall, Mr. E. Dean, and 
Mr. Collingridge, to consider the whole question and 
report to a future meeting. A cordial vote of thanks 
to the Council for taking such prompt action on receipt 
of the requisition sent in to them was unanimously 
carried, and the meeting adjourned. 
-- 
.THE INCIDENCE OF THE 
SEASON. 
I think all who grew florists’ flowers during the past 
season, would, if they gave their experience in detail, 
make up a record, showing much more of difficult 
than encouraging circumstances. There were times 
when one almost despaired of getting their pets into 
bloom in anything like good form at the right time, 
though, somehow, the flowers were there when wanted. 
When Nature appears to pause, and to be in a with¬ 
holding rather than in a consenting mood, the ingenuity 
of man must and does strike in to force her to conform to 
his wishes. I think Nature displayed that mood 
frequently during the past season, and in relation to its 
incidence as affecting the Carnation Mr. E. S. Dodwell 
has given a graphic account of the difficulties he as 
a grower, and many others also, had to grapple 
with. 
He says: 4 “ What a distressful season we have had ! 
First the loss in very great measure of the fruit crop, 
Plums and Pears especially—so disappointing from the 
great promise of bloom ; then the blighting May and 
the yet more baleful wintry June ! Never in my life 
did I know so much pain amongst my plants as during 
May, June, and much of July ; for never did I note 
so much suffering. Yeritably we florists suffered the 
plagues of Egypt, and the dwarf contorted growth of 
Carnations and Picotees bore witness to the agony 
endured. It was like passing through a pest house 
and noting the delirium of fever, the agony of spasm, 
or passivity of paralysis. This is no fancy of the 
imagination pit was very real to me, and the pity of 
it was the futility of man to help. What might be 
done was done, but until better conditions of weather 
came, effort seemed fruitless. But the evil was not 
without its lesson. Seriously as the plants suffered, 
there was no rebellion against nature. As the main 
shoots were in numerous instances stricken and dis¬ 
abled, the side shoots spreng forward to take their 
place, and fulfilled the great law of reproduction. 
This was interesting and instructive to note, though 
the consequence to the stocks in the perpetuation of 
the variety was so seriously jeopardised. Then the 
storms of August, following the first fine—remarkably 
fine—seven days, destroyed all seed.” 
This appears to be the fate of all growers—to have 
lost their seed crop for this season. Last year the 
harvest was a very scanty one ; this season it appears 
to be a total failure, or almost entirely so. In 1888 
there wa9 an excellent crop all round, but in 1890 the 
area of seedling raising must of necessity be a restricted 
one. Let us hope 1891 will be favourable to the 
florist, and that he may have abundant reason to 
rejoice when the growing, blooming and seeding 
season comes round once more.— E. IV. 
-- 
THE GARDENERS’ ORPHAN 
FUND. 
A speciat. general meeting of the subscribers to the 
above fund was held at the Cannon Street Hotel, on 
Tuesday evening, Mr. William Marshall presiding, 
when the following resolutions were carried nem. con. :— 
On the motion of Mr. B. Wynne, seconded by Mr. 
John Wills, “ That in the opinion of this meeting it is 
desirable in the best interest of the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund that the date of commencement of the financial 
year should be altered from July 1st to January 1st ; 
and rhat the annual general meeting should be 
held in February instead of July.” On the motion 
of Mr. J. Wright, seconded by Mr. W. Eoupell, 
“That in order to carry the previous resolution into 
effect, the following alterations in the rules be, and are 
hereby made:—In Eule III., last line, substitute 
31st of December for 30 th of June. In Eule IX., 
fourth line, substitute December fox June. In Eule X., 
second line, substitute February for July.” On the 
motion of Mr. E. Dean, seconded of Mr. J. Walker, 
“ The cum of £551 13s , the amount required to 
enable the committee to grant the benefits of the Fund 
to the seven unsuccessful candidates at the last election, 
as a memorial to the late Mr. George Deal, having been 
collected and received by the treasurer, this meeting 
endorses the action of the executive committee in 
placing on the fund A. H. Budd, Winifred Jones, 
S. A. Offer, A. H. Eowland, Mary Grieve, E. E. Kinch, 
and F. J. Pragnell, as and from the 1st of January 
next.” And on the motion of the chairman, seconded 
by Mr. Assbee, “That the hearty thanks of this meeting 
be accorded to the subsc ribers to the George Deal Memorial 
Fund, and especially to Mr. N. N. Sherwood and Mr. H. 
J. Vtitch, through whose generosity a worthy memorial 
of the late chairman of the committee has been raised 
and applied in a manner that he, in life, would have 
most approved of.” The proceedings, which lasted only 
half an hour, concluded with a vote of thanks to 
the chairman. 
-- 
THE CINERARIA. 
When I was recently at the Royal Nursery, Slough, I 
found a few named Cinerarias were still grown. They 
represent the survival of the fittest of the fine named 
varieties that were in request twenty years ago. They 
are useful in furnishing criteria of what quality in 
Cinerarias signify. 
But it was always a dreary business carrying the 
named plants through the winter. In those days 
named varieties were, and still are, propagated by 
means of growths sent up round the base of the flower¬ 
ing stem after the plants had been cut down ; these 
were taken off, inserted in pots of a fine sandy soil, 
rooted in a gentle bottom heat, and shifted and grown 
on, hardening the plants off until they could be placed 
in cold frames in the open. A little fire-heat was put 
on in times of sharp frost, or when the weather was 
damp and foggy, but air given at the same time. The 
young propagated plants were subject to mildew, and 
constant attention was needed, dusting the affected 
parts with sulphur. There were two jobs in those days 
done during the time of hard dry frost and cutting 
winds— i.e., dusting the affected parts of Cinerarias, 
and trimming Carnations affected with spot, that took 
a great deal of the romance and poetry out of the 
avocation of the florist, but which it was very necessary 
should be done. 
In these days we grow strong plants from seed, and 
save a great deal of trouble experienced in growing the 
named varieties. By October, they are generally 
strong plants in their blooming pots, and occupying a 
cold frame. Really, if precautions are taken to cover 
the frames well in frosty weather, very little fire 
heat is necessary. Water and ventilation are two 
most important particulars ; any water that is admi¬ 
nistered should be given in the morning, so that any 
damp can dry up by night. Plenty of air should be 
given on favourable occasions. Should signs of mildew 
show themselves on the under sides of the leaves, a slight 
dressing of flour of sulphur will soon eradicate it. The 
plants should be kept as near the glass as possible, and 
if air is given during frosty weather, owing to there 
being some fire-heat on, great care should be taken 
that the frosty air does not play upon the side leaves, 
as it causes them to curl. Air should always be given 
on the side opposite to that from which the frosty air 
is blowing. Should a sudden and sharp frost affect 
the plants, causing the leaves to flag, cover up the 
frames well, and keep the plants in the dark until they 
recover.— II. D. 
-- 
AROMATIC CULINARY HERBS. 
At one of the recent weekly meetings of the Ealing 
Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society, Mr. Richard 
Dean read a paper on “Aromatic Culinary Herbs : 
their history, uses, and culture.” 
Mr. Dean, at the outset, remarked that he had 
chosen this particular subject because the herbary was 
a somewhat neglected part of the kitchen garden, and 
was considered of far less importance than it was a 
quarter of a century ago. He proposed to deal with 
Angelica, Balm, Sweet Basil, Bush Basil, (Borage, 
Burnet, Dill, Fennel, Hyssop, Horehound, Pot Mar¬ 
joram, Sweet Marjoram, Mint, Pennyroyal, Sage, 
Summer and Winter Savory, Tarragon, Rosemary, 
Common Thyme and Lemon Thyme. Angelica, a 
native of the Alps, and a perennia 1 , was sometimes 
called the Root of the Holy Ghost, and was popularly 
believed to remove the effects of intoxication. It was 
an excellent tonic. Balm was a native of Southern 
Europe, a perennial, deriving its name from a Hebrew 
word, signifying sweet smell. Pliny referred to the 
magical virtue it was supposed to possess, in the words, 
“ Though it be tied to a sword that hath given a 
wound, it stauncheth the blood.” It was described by 
Dr. Hogg as having the smell of bugs. From it was 
made a cordial, very comforting to the stomach, and 
Balm tea was very useful in cases of fever. Of Basil, 
the bush variety was the hardiest and easiest to grow, 
while the Sweet was the largest leaved. It had an 
agreeable perfume and flavour, and was in much use 
among French cooks. Borage was a native of Europe 
and South Africa. So important was it deemed by 
our forefathers, that it ranked among the four cordial 
flowers, with Roses, Violets, and Alkanet, the latter, 
a native of the Levant, was said to be used for colouring 
some mixtures, called by courtesy port wine. Its 
pretty flowers were sometimes found in the garden, 
where it was chiefly grown for its beauty. Burnet, 
called in France Pimpernelle, derived its name from 
its brown flowers, and was employed in soups and 
salads. Dill, a native of Southern Europe, an annual 
or biennial plant, very much resembled the common 
Fennel. Its fruits were used as a condiment, and its 
leaves to flavour soups, &c., while the oil made a car¬ 
minative, and from it was made dill-water, used to 
ease the griping pains of infants and lull them to 
sleep. 
Fennel, a biennial or perennial, a native, it was said, 
of Southern Europe, derived its name from its fine leaves. 
The gladiators of old mixed it with their food to 
increase their strength. It was formerly strewn across 
the path of newly-married couples. In some parts of 
the country it was supposed to be connected with the 
weal or woe of the people, hence the saying, “Sowing 
Fennel, sowing sorrow.” In the south its flowers 
were called “Devil in the bush.” Horehound was a 
native of Europe, a perennial, growing wild in many 
parts of this country on slopes with a southern aspect. 
It had a strong, disagreeable and even foetid perfume. 
An infusion of the leaves had the reputation of being 
valuable in coughs and colds. Hyssop was a native of 
Southern Europe, and a perennial, the common name 
of which was given in the authorised version of the 
Bible to some plant not identified. Parts of the plant 
were very aromatic, and the leaves and young shoots 
were occasionally used for medicinal purposes. It was 
first brought into England in 1596. Marjoram, a 
name full of poetry, derived from two Greek words— 
morus, mountain ; and ganos, joy—was a native of 
Southern Europe. The sweet variety had been an 
inhabitant of English gardens since 1570. As soon as 
it blossomed the leaves were cut and dried for winter 
use. Pot Marjoram was introduced in the middle of 
the last century. 
Mint, a native plant and a perennial, was one of the 
most popular of aromatic herbs. It was of two kinds— 
the Spear or Green Mint, generally employed for boiling 
with peas, and the Peppermint, used for making 
distilled peppermint water. Spearmint was regarded 
as one of the plants sacred to the Virgin, and was 
