Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/874

* HERBERT. 804 HERBST. burg Orchestra. Meanwhile he had been equally busy Avith his pen, and had published several coin])ositions, chiclly instrumental. Among his comic operas are: Prince Anunius (1894); The ^yizard of the Nile (1895); The Serenade (1897) ; and The Idol's Eye (1897). He is also the composer of an oratorio, The Captive, written for the Worcester (Mass.) festival. HER'BICIDE (from Lat. herla, herb + cwilere, to kill). A name applied to any sub- stance used to destroy weeds. Of the various chemicals that have been successfully and inex- pensively employed in weed destruction, dilute solution of carbolic acid, strong brine, copper- sulphate solulions, arsenic, sal soda, arsenate of soda, kerosene, etc.. have been most extensively used upon walks, drives, courts, etc., in the destruction of dandelions, plantain, knotweed, ragweed, and various grasses. For best results, .■^alt should be applied diy. At the rate of 3000 pounds of crude salt per acre, meadows can be freed from the orange hawkweed, a plant that resists all other methods of destruction. The interesting discovery has been made that some weeds, such as charlock, penny cress, wild radish, shepherd's purse, etc., may be destroyed without permanently injuring the crops among which they grow, by spraying the fields with a solu- tion of copper sulphate (blue stone) at the rate of 40 gallons per acre. The most satisfactory strength of solution to use has been found to be one pound of copper sulphate to four gallons of water. The spraying should be made on a calm bright day, when the Aveeds have attained only three or four leaves. If the solution be well applied the weeds will be killed. Iron sulphate (copperas) may be substituted for the blue stone, but then a stronger solution is rcqiired. viz. one pound of the salt to a gallon of water. This treatment has been repeatedly tried in England. France. Germany, and the United States with great success. If rain falls soon after the spraying is done, or if the plants have been al- lowed to become too old, a second application should follow the first within a week or ten days. Young clover growing in the cereals will not be injured by the treatment. HERBrV'ORA (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from Lat. herba, herb -|- vorarc, to eat). A term in the old classifications, variously defined and limited, which designated herbivorous as contrasted w-ith carnivorous animals, but ordinarily referred to such as grazed. The term long ago ceased to have any exact significance in science. HER'BORT VON" FRITZTLAR. A German poet of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, so called from his residence at Fritzlar in Hesse. He. was somewhat read in the classics, and was Jirobably in orders. He wrote the Liet von Trriie, a poetic version of the Trojan War, and the oldest extant German work on that subject, based closely on the Roman de Troie of Benoit de Sainte More, The work is in the four-stressed rhyming distich, The language is decidedly Mid- dle German, and mistranslations of the orig- inal are not infrequent. There are some worthy passages, such as the address of Achilles to the dead Hector, Perhaps Herbort von Fritzlar is to be identified with a Herbort who appears as the author of a drama . now lost, on Saint Otto. HERB ROBERT. A common weed. See Geranilm. HERBS, Culinary. Aromatic plants used in the [ueparation of viands. The plants popularly < inphived owe their tlavoring properties to vola- tile oils which in most instances are derived from the leaves, either fresh or cured ; in other cases, for example, dill and caraway, the seed is iiti- lized. In Europe these plants are essential ad- juncts of the cuisinCj especially of France, where the ethereal Havors of such plants as fennel, basil, and balm are sought, and of Germany and England, where preference is given to more pro- ♦ nounced flavors, such as dill, sage, and mint. In America, few herbs are known beyond the confines of the larger cities, where the foreigners are slowly educating their neighbors in the uses of these plants. Uses they certainly have, in rendering certain inert salads and the too often tasteless "made-over' dishes not merely palatable, but delicious. The kinds most commonly employed in Ameri- ca are parsley, sage, thyme, marjoram, and savory ( qq.v. ) . Each of these may be grov-n trom seed, either in the garden or in boxes of good soil on a sunny window-sill. Xo special care is necessary, except to remove weeds and to keep the surface of the soil loose. When well established, the leaves may be gathered without injury to the plants; indeed, the yield may be increased by judicious removal of the tips of the shoots, or, in the case of parsley, of the indi- vidual leaves wlien they have attained the very dark green stage. The leaves should be gathered just when the flower-buds appear, and preferably immediately after the dew has disappeared in the morning, because the plants then contain the most oil. By spreading the leaves thinly upon trays in a heat not exceeding 120°, and occa- sionally turning them, they will soon be dry enough to pulverize, an operation generally per- formed by rubbing between the hands. The powder will keep best in air-tight jars, poorest in paper or pasteboard packages, because the paper absorbs the oil and permits its escape into the air. Herbs may also be preserved in alcohol or vinegar. When this method is employed a jar is filled with leaves and liquid enough poured over to cover them completely. After standing a few days the liquor will be ready for use. Dried herbs are generally used where the pres- ence of specks is not objectionable, as in dress- ings, stews, soups, etc. : infusions in clear sauces, and the fresh herbs in salads. In general, sage is regarded .as the proper flavoring ingredient in dressings with goose, duck, pork, and other rich meats: parsley, savory, fennel, balm, and mar- joram, either singly or mixed, in dressings with turkey, chicken, veal, and similar delicate meats. Tarragon is perhaps most used in sauces with boiled fish, spearmint with spring lamb, dill with cucumber pickles. Individual taste, how- ever, has much to do with the kind and quantity used and with Avhat kinds of food. HERBST, herpst. Eduard (1820-92). An Austrian politician, born in Vienna. He was elected a Deputy to the Bohemian Diet, and then, in accordance with the February patent of ISO), was elected by the Diet to the Lower House in the Austrian Reichsrat. where he became one of the most conspicuous leaders of the German Lib- eral or Constitutional Party. In 1867 he was appointed Minister of .Justice in the Liberal Cabi- net (Biirgerministerium) of Prince Carlos Auers- perg. As such he introduced a number of im-