DECEMBER 115 



Its white flowers come in May. Its brilliant red ber- 

 ries donbtless serve to attract animals and lead them to 

 distribute its seed, while its thorny leaves must certainly 

 protect the little tree from unwelcome visitors. Its use 

 at Christmas is doubtless due to its beauty and the ever- 

 green character of its leaves. It has been said, however, 

 to keep off witches by reason of its holiness, a quality to 

 Avhich its name is popularly supposed to be due. 



Mistletoe : 



Like the holly, the English mistletoe is much more 

 beautiful than its American cousin. Both mistletoes are 

 partial parasites, taking from the wood of the host crude 

 sap. This is made into elaborated food in the green 

 leaves of the plant. Each of the numerous white pulpy 

 berries contains a single seed, which, perhaps, is distributed 

 by birds in their excreta, or rubbed off against the tree 

 by the bill of birds, who care only for the flesh of the 

 fruit. The use of the mistletoe at Christmas is doubtless 

 due to the high esteem in which it was held by the 

 Druids, whose priests, dressed in white, cut it from the oak 

 or apple Avith a golden sickle, and distributed it to the 

 people with great ceremony. Once thus obtained, it was 

 supposed to be a heal-all and a charm against disaster. 



It has been suggested that the frequent occurrence of 

 its berries, in groups of three, — a sacred number, — may 

 have had something to do Avith the high regard in which 

 it Avas held. ]\Iore likely this was due rather to its 

 peculiar method of growth and the appearance of life 

 Avhich it gave to the apparently dead trees of Avinter. 



Methods : 



Sufficient suggestions were given under the Pine. 



