102 



Herefordshire may be considered the centre of the Mistletoe 

 district of England ; with Shropshire to the North, and "Worcester- 

 shire, Gloucestershire, and Monmouthshire, to the East, South, 

 and West : and when, moreover, it is considered, how compara- 

 tively isolated its situation was before the introduction of Eail- 

 ways, here we might expect to find remaining, if anywhere, 

 the existence of a' belief in its special Druidical repute, and 

 here — though authors for centuries have ceased to mention it — it 

 still does exist. It is somewhat altered in character as might be 

 expected. I have asked the question of many old agriculturists 

 and people learned in country customs, 'Is the Mistletoe ever used 

 for any purpose now" ? and it is a fact that the one answer I 

 have had from every single person has been "Yes it is an excel- 

 lent thing to give sheep after lambing," and some add, "and for 

 cows too after calving." •■' I have several times been told that it 

 must not on any account be given to them before, and know that 

 accidents in the families of our domestic Animals are sometimes 

 attributed to its having been eaten prematurely. I may say 

 indeed, with truth, that it is a common practice in this county 

 now to give it to sheep at this particular time. It is true that 

 the Mistletoe is a gentle tonic, that the animals like it, and 

 will often eat something fresh and green when they will not take 

 anything else, but it is very remarkable that it should only be 

 given to them on this occasion, and never for weakness produced 

 from any other cause. Tradition has somewhat altered its origi- 

 nal Druidical repute if it be so, but the common practice still 



* For giving to Cows, the popular belief is that it should be gathered 

 from the Hawthorn or Maple. — It was from a woodman near I,edbury 

 that I first heard of the continued existence of this use for Mistletoe; 

 " Mistletoe aint of much use now Sir, as I knows on," said he, "except for 

 one thing and then it do beat everything. A piece of Mistletoe from the 

 Haw, — from the Haw Sir," he repeated, " chopped in pieces and given to 

 a Cow after calving, will do her more good nor any drench you can give 

 her," and this has been confirmed from other parts of the County. Sir 

 Thomas Browne (" Vulgar Errors," Book ii. c 6._) also states that it is a 

 common country practise to give Mistletoe to Cows at this particular time. 



"A Worcestershire Farmer" says Cuthbert Bade, "was accustomed te 

 take down his bou;;h of Mistletoe, and give it to the Cow that calved first 

 after New-year's day, which was supposed tc ensure luck throughout the 

 jear to tho" whole dairy." (N. & Q. Vol. iii. \: 313.) 



