76 



placed next to tlie Apple aa a Mistletoe-bearing tree, but in 

 this County it is extremely rare to find it. Mixed up together so 

 commonly, as these trees are here, the absence of the Mistletoe 

 upon it is very marked. At the present time, after very extended 

 enquiries— enquiries which must have caused some thousands of 

 trees to be examined — the only instances of its occurrence in this 

 County are on two trees at Graftonbury, one an old tree loaded 

 and almost killed by it, in the orchard by the fold-yard, at 

 Graftonbury farm, and the other a younger tree, in the pleasure 

 ground of Graftonbury House also bears a large bunch of Mistle- 

 toe; and on authority which I have no reason to doubt, it is said to 

 grow on one tree in Mr. Martin's Perry-orchard at Monkhide, 

 near Ledbury — the only example to be heard of in this great 

 perry district of the County — and lastly, it is also said to grow 

 at Wigmore, in five or six places, on one pear tree. 



On all other trees it is certainly rare. Besides the recorded 

 instance of the growth of the Mistletoe on the "Wildrose, it 

 formerly grew spontaneously on a briar, with an engrafted rose, in 

 the garden of Thomas Cam, Esq., one of our members, for many 

 years, but was destroyed in 1860 to make way for improvements ; 

 and I have also heard of another example of its growing wild 

 on the briar in this County at Westhide, which was unfortunately 

 destroyed some time since. 



There is but little doubt that the list of trees which the 

 Mistletoe occasionally inhabits in Herefordshire may, and will 

 be extended by more general and careful observation. The Viscum 

 Album is by no means particular in its selection of a home. I 

 wiU briefly notice all the other trees upon which it has been ob- 

 served to grow in England so far as I have been able to ascertain : 

 31st. — The "White Beam, {Pyrus Aria) "On the rocks near 

 the western portal of Chepstow Castle is a fine tree with much 

 Mistletoe upon it." (Lee's "Botanical Looker Out") and at Cob- 

 ham in Kent. (Jesse.) 



32nd. — The Buck-thoen, (Hhamnus Catharticus) named 

 in a paper of Thomas Willisels in the Philosophical letters of 

 Mr, Ray and friends. (N. & Q,. Vol. iii., p. 396.) 



