OF FOREST-TREES.
9
tion how that inveterate dispute, which has exercised so many Natu- introixralists and Philosophers (about Milleto) has lately been decided by anevident experiment, and the testimony of the most curious and learnedBotanists , by the seeds of that excrescence ; which being inserted intoan hole made in the bark of the White Poplar, produces the plant whichhas hitherto raised so many years controversy 5 . ( See Mr. Ray's Hist.
f The mistletoe, instead of rooting and growing in the earth, like other plants, fixes itself.and takes root on the branches of trees. It spreads out with many branches and forms alarge bush. It is commonly found upon the white thorn, the apple, the crab, the ash, andmaple, but is rarely seen upon the oak; which last kind, as Mr. Ray well observes, waschiefly esteemed in medicine, owing to the superstitious honours which the antient Druidsof this island paid to that plant when gathered there. This is a parasitical plant, and isalways produced from seed. Some of the antients called it an excrescence on the tree,growing without seed; which opinion is now fully confuted by a number of experiments.It is the opinion of some, that it is propagated by the mistletoe thrush, which, feeding uponthe berries, leaves the seeds with its dung upon the branches of the respective trees wherethe plant is commonly found. Others say, that as the berries are extremely glutinous, theseeds frequently stick to the beaks of those birds, which being rubbed off up on thebranches of trees, they become inoculated, as it were, and take root. In the samemanner the mistletoe maybe propagated by art; for if the berries, when full ripe, berubbed upon the smooth part of the bark of some trees, they will adhere closely, andproduce plants the following winter. In the garden belonging, to the late Mr. JamesCollins of Knaresbrough, there were many large plants of the mistletoe, produced in thismanner upon the dwarf apple-tree: And there is at this time in my garden in York, a fineplant of mistletoe, growing upon a dwarf apple-tree, which I produced by inoculation afew years ago. Of mistletoe we have only one species growing in Europe , viz. Viseum(album) foliis lanceolatis obtusis, caule dichotomo, spicis axillaribus, Lin. Sp. Plant. 1451.Mistletoe with blunt fjiear-shajied leaves, forked stalks , and spikes of flowers rising from the wings of thestalks. Viseum baccis albis, C. B. P. 4123. Mistletoe with white berries.
The gathering of the mistletoe made a part of the religious worship of the Druids .When the end of the year approached, they marched with great solemnity to gather it, inorder to present it to Jupiter, inviting all the world to afsist at the ceremony in thesewords: “ The new year is at hand, gather the mistletoe.” The sacrifices being ready, thepriest ascended the oak, and with'a golden hook cut off the mistletoe, which was receivedin a white garment spread for that purpose. This part of the ceremony being ended,the victims, two white bulls that never had been yoked, were brought forth and offeredup to the Deity, with prayers that he would prosper those to whom he bad given soprecious a boon. Of the mistletoe, thus gathered, they made a potion which they admini-stered as an antidote to all poisons, and used as a remedy to prevent sterility. Besides themistletoe, the Druids ritually gathered the Selago, or Firr Chb-tnofs , and the Samolus, orRound-leaved IFater Pimpernel, both which they applied to medicinal purposes. It may here be
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