Central Texas Herb Society met March 20 at the home of Ervin and Gitta Kuhlman on County Road 111 with 19 members present, including five from Copperas Cove’s Organic Gardening Group.

Refreshments were served, and plants and seeds exchanged. Shirley Beyer, president, presided, and Connie Madison, secretary, read the minutes.

Mrs. Beyer read excerpts from March’s “Texas Agriculture,” a newspaper published by the Texas Farm Bureau. An article by publisher Gene Hall and quoting Fa- ther Samuel Heitkamp read: “Water restrictions are a fact of life in many parts of Texas. So are the symptoms of allergies that can be blamed on the prolific cedar trees that mess with Texas sinuses. More correctly named a juniper, this plant is not native to Texas.”

Heitkamp said Davy Crockett would not have seen cedars when he came to Texas. “Where cedars thrive, water tables decline, stream flows into our bays and estuaries decrease.”

Josie Overton made announcements about recent events such as the Hill Country Lawn and Garden Show in Burnet, sponsored by Highland Lakes Master Gardeners’ Association and AgriLife Extension.

Ervin Kuhlman, a master gardener, gave the program on double spading in the herb and vegetable garden. Purpose of double spading is to dig deep trenches and add good, fertile soil.

Next meeting is April 17 at the home of Robin Noel. Rowena Fengel, a master gardener from Temple, will give the program on edible flowers.