WITCH-HAZEL. 135 



oi^en forcibly and throw the four black and 

 shining seeds to a distance of fifteen or 

 twenty feet. In this manner does the plant 

 sow its seeds. The ruptured pod is shown 

 at 6, in Fig. 93. 



Superstitious notions were long associated 

 with the witch-hazel. Its common name is 

 a record of the foremost of these notions 

 combined with the resemblance of the plant 

 to the true hazel. The branches were once 

 used as " divining rods," by means of which 

 deep springs of pure water and veins of pre- 

 cious metals were supposed to be revealed. 

 Even in recent years I have seen forked 

 branches of the peach and linden dexter- 

 ously balanced in the hand and their occult 

 vibrations taken as infallible indications of 

 streams of pure water beneath the surface. 

 Fortunately for the magicians who perform 

 with these mysterious branches, there are 

 few places where any intelligent person 

 would look for water that springs may not 

 be found at a reasonable depth. Astrology 

 was also debtor to the witch-hazel branches, 

 if Token has written aright : — 



" Mysterious plant ! whose golden tresses wave 

 With a sad beauty in the dying year, 

 Blooming amid November's frost severe, 

 Like a pale corpse-light o'er the recent grave. 



