The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-02
THE MISTLET0E.
How che Popular Christmas. Ever
q .. green: Is Prepared. E.. :.

III: Failures to transplant the mistletoe have
lied Is the belief that the seeds bad to be
pas ed through The stemaehef the birds that
:. feed IN tie N in order 10 undergo some chemi-
!: cal change preparatory to termination. The
seed j. of thr plant are deposited by birds on
:.tlfe bark OF the trunks and branches of trees
:, and the Footiets which they send out insinu-
E Rte&themselves through the crevices OF the
:<.bark, aud thus become incorporated with the
wood, Slhrushes are among the principal
=-"btTds that help 10 disseminate the seeds, and
:e1hey maybe seen gathering the seeds almost
:: any day. The viscous nature OF the seeds
= causes them to adhere to the beak OF birds,
= and, in order to get rid OF them, they coca
: 5onally rub their beakS against a tree,
:: Thereby leaving some of the seeds fixed TO
1.-The bark, where they stick fast aud Ysgetate.
: They also when ripe drop from the plant
:, and lin their descent, sometimes come in
:cOntact with other branches, and the viscOus
matter causes them TO adhere in like manner
Il III they terminate. New forests of black
mlstlr{Oe in this way, and after the plants
have once got a good start they spread rap
: idly. =
Tie young mistletOe plant seems readily
:" to inbibe the ascending sap from the wood
: OF the tree upon which 1t grows, and this 1t
- converts into proper juice adapted to nour-
= lsh itsoWn structure by the aid Of its leaves.
:; I IS sometimes grated here on trees for or
Itdllttftdi puF poses, ana IL mas Deen maze 10
grow upon the apple, pear, poplar and will
= +lOH."< After the seed Of the parasite is put
.. on;:the bark termination takes place in
a6dut two months. The first appearance of
= Elephant is two hGrn-like processes (resenl-
, *.b.ing the horns of the common snalD rising
Iron opposite sides of the seed. They first
=. shoot cut straight and afterwaId recurye
a back till their extremitieS touch the bark In
=: opposite directions. They remain in this
: position for the first year, bent like bow,
:! with one end fastened to the seed and the
*otheT to the bark.
:: - The second year the seeds rise from the
I. bark, when the seed leaves belonging to
each Tadicle separate, and each becomes a
:. Separate plant, whether there be two or
three, as sometimes occurs. The plants are
firmly established at this time but they do
not make much growth until the third year.
Then they grow rapidly and begin covering
:. the black jacks with their green bOughs. No
: prettler sight can be imagined than forest
: OF black jack covered with the bright mistle-
. %toc, hanging in great festoons and bOughs
-. over the head, while the trees themselves
= are perfectly leafiess. The birds of the
North, enjoying their brief summer trip,
flock to the trees in numbers, where they
- pluck the berries in great eagerness
.*'-:::lAke Florica orange blossoms many of
=, these mistletoe bUughs are shipped to the
: cities about the holidays to brighten the in-
:. side Of the homes, and not few of them
= sell for handsome prices. A small spray of
= mistletoe in the North is worth 30 cents, but
: down here bushels Of them may be had for
the pluckng.-Florida Correspondent of the
New York Times.