The Republican., 1891-01-16
THE MISTLETOE BOUGH.
L. FIourishes Upon the Black Jack Trees
of Flnrida.

Il FIourishes Upon the Black Jack Trees
of Florida.
Failures to transplant the mistletoe
have led to the belief that the seeds had
to be passed through the stomach of the
birds that feed on them in order to un-
dergo some chemical change prepara-
tory to termination. The seeds of the
plant are deposited by birds on the bark
of the trunks and branches OF trees, and
the rootlets which they send out insinu-
ate themselves through the crevices OF
the bark, and thus become incorporated
with the wood. Thrushes are among
the principal birds that help to dissent
nate the seeds, and they may be seen
gathering the seeds almost any day.
The viscous nature of the seeds causes
them to adhere to the beaks of BIRDS
and, in order to get rid of them, they
| occasionally rub their beaks against
tree, thereby leaving some OF the seeds
fixed to the bark, where they stick fast
and yegetate. They also when ripe
drop from the plant, and, in their de-
scent, sometimes come in contact with
other branches. and the vlscous matter
causes them to adhere in like manner
till they germinate. New forests OF
black lack will thus often be planted
with the mistletoe in this way, and
after tho plants have once got good
start they spread rapidly.
Tho young mistletoe plant seems
readily to imbibe the ascending sap from
the wood of the tree upon which II
grows, and this it converts into proper
Juice adapted to nourish its own struct
ure by the aid Of its leaves. 1t IS some
times grated here on trees for orna
mental purposes, and it has been made
to grow upon the apple, pear, poplar and
willow. After the seed of the parasite
is put on, the bark termination takes
place in about two months. The hrs
appearance of tho plant is two horn-likt
processes resembling the horns OF th'
J common snaiD rising from opposite side
, OF the seed. They first shoot ou
straight, and afterward recurve back til
their extremities touch the bark II
( opposite directions. They remain Il
l this position for the first year, bent lik
r a bow, with one end fastened to tn
t seed and the other to the bark.
Tho second year Ine seeuS AlSo AhOI
t the bark, when the seed leaves belong
a ing to each radicle separate, and eac
!. becomes a separate plant, whether ther
@ be two or three as sometimes occur:
+ The plants are firmly established
r this timo but do not make much growt
o until the third year, Then they gro
:. rapidly and begin covering tho blac
y Jacks with their green boughs. N
:, prettier sight can be imagined than
n forest Of black jacks covered with mi
9 tletoe. hanging in great festoons an
d boughs over the head, while the tret
D themselves are perfectly leatiess. III
ir birds of the north, enjoying their bril-
is summer trip, flock to the trees in nur
10 bers, where they pluck the berries
y great eagerness.
O. Like Florida orange blossoms maj
" of these mistletoe boughs are shippt
Or to the cities about the holidays
is brighten the inside of the homes, al
in not a few of them sell for handson
as prices small spray of mistletoe
III the North is worth 80 cents, but doV
e. here bushels of them may be had f
I'D the plucking N. Y. Times.