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30 years or more. The Mistletoe grows in one bunch of five stems from the trunk 

 of the tree about 50 feet from the ground." It does not bear berries although 

 from the small portion Mr. Smith was good enough to inclose, it is a female plant.* 



No. 3. On a Fine Oak at Badams Court, Sedburv Park, near Chepstow, 

 the Mistletoe is also now growing luxuriantly : — G. Ormerod, Esq., has kindly for- 

 warded the following description of its condition at this time. " The ISIistletoe 

 is still growing on an Oak here, the tree is about 85 years old, and situated on the 

 northern mound of Badams Court, once a moated mansion of the Herberts, or 

 Ap Adams of Beachly and Llanllowel, but now forming part of the Sedbury Park 

 estate. There is only one branch of Mistletoe on the tree, but it has become very 

 luxuriant and has now a diameter of at least three feet. It is more thin and 

 straggling in its growth than it usually is on the apple tree, though it is very healthy 

 and bears berries freely. It grows from the side of a large branch some yards 

 from the main stem of the tree and about 20 feet from the ground. The Oak 

 itself is healthy and vigorous, and does not seem to be injured by the parasite." 

 (April 5th, 1864.) 



No. 4. The Mistletoe is also now growing on an Oak at Burningfold 

 Farm, Dunsfold, Surrey. — ^The Proprietor of the Estate, W. Lavland Woods, 

 Esq., has been good enough to send me the account of its present condition. 

 " The Mistletoe at Burningfold grows on an Oak, not less than 150 years old. The 

 tree is more upright than spreading, and the branch grows on the side of an 

 upright limb at about 50 feet from the ground. There is only one branch on the 

 tree, it has grown there for many years, but in January 1849, it was broken very 

 severely by a high wind. However, it flourished afterwards better than before ; 

 it is nearly three feet long, of a pendulous nature, not growing so rigid as Mistletoe 

 usually does. During the past summer a sparrow built her nest in the midst of 

 the bunch. It does not injure the tree at present, but has in fact been the means 

 of its preservation, for the Mistletoe branch saved the tree from the axe some 

 years ago. The Oak grows alone in a piece of pasture, but another which formerly 

 stood near it has spoilt the beauty of the tree. The soil in the district is the 

 weald clay of Surrey and Sussex where the Oak used to flourish and abound." 

 (April 19th, 1864). 



No. 5. On an Oak in Hackwood Park, near Basingstoke, Mistletoe 

 has long been known to grow. — C. Hooper, Esq., of Eastrop House, Basingstoke, 

 has very kindly obtained for me the following account of this tree. " The first 

 Lord Bolton, [grandfather of the present Lord] sent a specimen of the Mistletoe 

 from this tree to Sir Joseph Banks, who gave an account of it in the Philosophical 

 Transactions. The Oak is still a fine large tree, but evidently very old and reduced 

 in size from what it formerly was, but whether this is from the presence of the 

 Mistletoe, or from storms, it is difiicult to say. The Mistletoe grows near the 

 middle of the tree al a considerable height from the ground and in several places 

 among the branches." [April 28th, 1864]. — Mr. Hooper had not seen the tree 



* I have since learnt that there is but little Mistletoe in the neighljourhood of the tree. The 

 nearest Mistletoe-bearing tree is a Pear tree, .iboiit lOO yards from the Oak ; and this in itself, 

 as we have seen, is an example of rare occurrence. 



