884 THE MISTLETOE IN HEREFORDSHIRE. 
track? One of these productions it behoves me to notice for the very 
name it bears, and the popularity it has gained, albeit the song of 
‘The Mistletoe Bough’ does injustice to the plant itself, is a modern- 
antique of a mild order, and, worse than all, owes its renown and its 
interest to an unacknowledged plagiarism :— 
‘The Mistletoe hung in the Castle hall, 
The holly branch shone on the old oak wall, 
The Baron’s retainers were blithe and gay, 
Keeping their Christmas holiday.” 
The burden of the song—which has made most of us tremble with 
horror—is the tale of Genevra, the bride, shut up in the old oak chest, 
from Rogers's * Italy.’ 
In the midland and northern counties the Mistletoe is very rare, 
and it could not be expected that its traditions should be known. 
Nevertheless the interest in this plant is so universal, that this defi- 
ciency has been met by the improved means of transit. The Mistletoe 
-has now actually become an established export from this county, and 
there perhaps never was a year when so many people rejoiced in its 
presence at their Christmas festivities as during that which has just 
passed. Through tlie politeness of the traffic managers for the Great 
Western and London and North-Western Railways at Hereford, I am 
enabled to give an approximation tewards the correct return of the 
quantity of Mistletoe actually sent out of this county last December. 
A total of eighty-nine tons, three hundredweight, and three quarters, 
wete actually sent off by invoice. But the guards and engine-drivers 
had the privilege of exporting Mistletoe on their own account, and did 
so by almost every train that left the county during the early part of 
December. An immense quantity went off in this way, and I am told 
that I greatly under-estimate it, when I put it down at twenty-five tons 
in addition,—thus. making a grand totai of more than one hundred and 
fourteen tons. 
The places to which it was chiefly sent were Manchester and Liver- 
pool, for their supply and that of towns further north, London and 
Birmingham. The established price paid, when delivered at the stations, 
was from 4s. to 5s. per ewt., according to its condition; and the aver- 
age rate of charge for the transit was about £1. 10s. per ton; so that 
the eue expense of delivery may be said to be from £5 to £6. 10s. 
per ton 
