72 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Scandinavian myth which narrates that one of their most beautiful, 

 bright, and gcod-natured gods was killed by an arrow of mistletoe which 

 an earth-god had shot at him. The goddess Friga wove a spell whereby 

 mistletoe was prevented from growing cn the earth again ; hence its growth 

 on trees ; and she decreed that it must be suspended from mid-air, and 

 under it the kiss of peace was to be exchanged ; and this is why we have 

 the mistletoe in our houses at Christmas. The old mistletoe should be 

 allowed to hang until the new is put up at the following Yuletide, when 

 the old branch should be burnt. 



The propagation of mistletoe is very simple, and I have seen many 

 fine clumps raised by merely rubbing the berry and pressing it on to the 

 bark of the tree on which it is desired it should grow. Some persons, 

 however, make a V-shaped cut underneath the branch, and then raise the 

 bark and insert the berry under it ; but this is quite unnecessary ; others 

 graft the plant into another tree in the many ways in which grafting is 

 done ; while others tie pieces of cotton, wool, or fine linen over it to keep 

 off the birds. The progress of germination seems to be on this wise. 

 The viscid gum-like substance surrounding the seed dries up and forms a 

 crust, and gradually the radical pierces the bark and throws out rootlets, 

 which draw out the sap of the tree for the nourishment of the plant. At the 

 end of the first year after the berry is attached to the tree a little green 

 curved piece of mistletoe may be observed containing two tiny leaves ; but 

 it grows very slowly, and it is not until the end of the second year that a 

 full leaf appears. The progress of growth is more rapid after this, and 

 eventually a fine clump is the result. April or May is said to be the 

 best month for propagation, bat from March onwards, when the seeds are 

 quite ripe, propagation should be tried, and, I think, would be followed by 

 success. 



Mistletoe, being a true parasitical plant, breaks out in different places 

 near to the original plant, and so gets well established on the host tree. 

 On a thorn bush in the garden here it has broken out in about twenty 

 different places, and I am sure that three or four berries at the most were 

 placed there at first. Mistletoe does not grow readily on the oak, but it 

 has been found there. It may, however, be grown successfully on the 

 apple, mountain ash, thorn, willow, sycamore, white beam, true service 

 tree, and elm. On the poplars (Pojmlus alba and P. niijra) it is also not 

 uncommon, and has been noted on Acer campestre and Bobinia Pseud- 

 acacia, and on the true service tree and sweet chestnut. It does not grow 

 readily on the pear tree in this neighbourhood, (County Down). It may 

 be seen growing on the oak in Hackwood Park, but I have not seen it on 

 this tree in this neighbourhood. It is considered very lucky to find it 

 growing on the oak tree, and should be reported when found. 



There is a species of mistletoe (Viscum minimum) which grows on 

 the Euphorbia, a tree in South Africa, and is possessed of handsome red 

 berries ; and there is another beautiful species which grows in Morocco, 

 and is called Viscum cruciatum. It is at present, I understand, growing 

 on the above tree, Euphorbia, in several greenhouses in England. 



The question, " Does it harm the tree?" is often asked, and has 

 certainly been answered in the affirmative by the French Government, 

 who ordered it to be exterminated in their orchards in the sunny plains 



