I1O 
of thing, — who shirk all trouble, and try to live on the 
work of others; and I fear you know some boys and 
girls who are not altogether unlike the dodder, — boys 
and girls who never take any pains if they can possibly 
help it, who try to have all of the fun and none of the 
work; but did you ever suppose you would come across 
a plant that would conduct itself in such a fashion ? 
Of course, when the dodder 
happens to fasten itself upon 
some wild plant, little harm is 
done. But unfortunately it is 
very partial to plants that are 
useful to men, and then we 
must look upon it as an enemy. 
Linen is made from the flax 
plant, and this flax plant is one 
of the favorite victims of the 
dodder. Sometimes it will at- 
tack and starve to death whole 
fields of flax. 
__ But do not let us forget that 
we “happen to be talking about 
Fic. rI9 
the dodder because it is one of 
the plants which put out roots above ground. 
There is one plant which many of you have seen, that 
never, at any time of its life, is rooted in the earth, but 
which feeds always noo the branches of the trees in 
which it lives. 
This plant (Fig. 119) is one of which perhaps you 
hear and see a good deal at Christmas time. It is an 
old English custom, at this season, to hang somewhere 
