SECT. I. SOILS. 427 



winter, from the green and bushy appearance of 

 its leaves, or from the white appearance of its 

 ripened berries. 



It seems to have been thought by some botanists 

 that the roots of the Missletoe penetrate even into 

 the wood, as well as through the bark.* But the 

 observations of Du Hamel show that this opinion 

 is not well founded. The roots are indeed often 

 found within the wood, which they thus seem to 

 have penetrated by their own vegetating power. 

 But the fact is, that they are merely covered by the 

 additional layers of wood that have been formed 

 since the fibres first insinuated themselves into the 

 bark.-}- 



Among the Druids, the Missletoe of the Oak-tree 

 was revered as sacred ; and its medical virtues were 

 held in the highest estimation. But it forms no 

 prominent article in the Materia Medica of present 

 times ; except that it is still regarded by farmers 

 and cow doctors as being of peculiar efficacy in 

 some diseases incident to cattle; and by the lower 

 orders of people in general as possessing some pe- 

 culiar medical properties, in which they seem to 

 think it operates as a sort of charm, but particu- 

 larly in its capacity of affording a preventative to 

 sterility ; which accounts for the institution of the 

 ancient and still prevailing custom with the inha- 

 bitants of the cottage of gathering boughs of it 



* With. Arrang. vol. ii. p. 203. 

 f Phys. des Arb. liv. v. chap. i. 



