FOLK-LORE REMINISCENCES. 63 



in this way all his men had to turn out and walk the farm 

 until the foetus had been discovered and duly placed in the 

 ash tree. 



This is extremely interesting, as it shows that the agricul- 

 turists of old had from natural observation forestalled 

 science by many centuries, as it is only in comparatively 

 recent years that scientists have come to the conclusion that 

 this disease in cattle is contagious ; on the Continent and in 

 America they have for many years been endeavouring to 

 find a serum that would protect cows from this complaint, 

 and I believe that our Board of Agriculture has had the 

 honour of carrying off the laurels. 



Now, our forebears had found that by leaving a foetus on 

 the pasture land to be consumed by dogs and ferce natures 

 it resulted in further trouble with their stock, and they 

 resorted to the very natural expedient of putting it up into 

 a tree out of the way. But note the tree and the position, 

 which affords us some idea of the age and origin of the custom. 

 The ash was a sacred tree of the Druids, especially the rowan 

 tree or mountain ash, known also as the quicken tree, and 

 was used as a specific against witchcraft.* Placing the head 

 of the foetus to the East points to sun worship, also a Druidical 

 rite. Thus it may reasonably be assumed that this old custom 

 has come down to us from Druidical times, and it appears that 

 these old folk proved by practica^l experience that by follow- 

 ing a very simple act of hygiene their stock was saved from 

 further trouble ; but apparently their sun god had the credit 

 for the cure. 



Thus it will be seen that we have traced with some measure 

 of certainty, first a legend, secondly a beverage, and thirdly 

 a custom, which have clung to our countryside and have 

 been handed down to us by tradition from father to son for 



* Ash was especially sacred in Scandinavia. The first man was 

 Ask (Ash) and the first woman was Embla (Elm). The court of the 

 gods in Edda was held under an ash tree (Ygydrasil). 



Gilbert White relates that in Selborne children with rupture were 

 passed naked through a cleft ash to cure them. 



