160 THE MISTLETOE. 



I am, however, more inclined to think that in pulling 

 the berry from the plant the bird's bill sometimes bursts 

 the husk, and the glutinous matter in which it is enveloped 

 causes the seed to adhere to the sides of the beak or 

 head, and the bird naturally wiping off the stickiness upon 

 the branches of the trees on which it alights by striking 

 its beak to and fro (as indeed you may often observe them 

 doing,) deposits the germ of the future mistletoe plant. 

 This, I feel confident, is the true explanation of the natural 

 propagation of the mistletoe. The seed is soft, not hard, and 

 so far from being uninjured in its passage through the 

 bird, would more probably be assimilated. 



But the mistletoe may readily be introduced into fresh 

 localities by the simple process of sowing it, not however 

 in the soil, as in the case of most plants, but upon the 

 branches of those trees which it affects. The modus oper- 

 andi is this : break open the berry, take out the seed, and 

 throw the husk away ; select a branch of the tree on which 

 you wish to have your mistletoe plant ; the cleaner and 

 smoother the bark is, the better ; certainly it should be 

 free from moss or lichen ; and on it, or rather under it, 

 place the seed, which will at once adhere by means of the 

 glutinous matter which envelopes it : on no account make 

 a slit in the bark to receive the seed. No doubt that is 

 the plan usually recommended in botanical works, but 

 experience teaches that it altogether fails in practice, and 

 a moment's thought will shew the reason : the bark being 

 wounded naturally begins at once to direct all its vigour 

 to healing the wound, and in the process of healing throws 

 off the seed, or rather perhaps refuses to admit its germi- 

 nation, and the seed consequently withers away before it 

 can take root. It is advisable also to sow in dry weather, 

 if possible, as wet has a tendency to reduce the consistency 



