Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-23
/ STUDY OF The
KISSING BERRY.
IA Nistletoc Has Been Regarded
With veneration for Ages and
GencrStions Gone Have Kissed
Under its Bough.

,sans hest left undescribcd. but the
Ians,fng account. rs given by Pliny.
is'.s,griently minute and not uninter-
sting ~, .o,.,,o ,,,ro an
ii Than tho mistletoc and the tree
40 bears Il. supposing always that
,sss 10 be tho robur according TO
Nm. "Thc mistletoc. however. IL put
l,.siv found upon the robur. and when
Ind is gathered with rites replctc
I'M religious awe. linNlng
-sSe ali due preparation for the sac
,se, and banquet beneath the trees,
~ bring hlthcr two white bulls. the
sss,s of which nrc bound then for the
~, dime. clad In a white robe. tho
-, asconds the tree and cuts the
s,i,,le,oe with golden sickle. which
I. ,eeeiyod by others In n white cloak.
Thsy then immediate the victims, oncr-
'ss no their prayers that God VIII rem
~ thls gift OF his propitious 10 those
!, whom lie has 80 granted II.
I, was also supposed to be the cm-
,'Slment OF lightning. probably be-
,,ase The branches are forlscd, and was
,s,auentiy, In times far later than those
Tine Drulds, planted near homesteads
!. nrotect them from fire. 70 precious.
lsdsed sacred, were the oak and the
,sl.,letoe considered to be, that dire
M ealamitles are described by several
vrters as overtnking those who fcck-
l,sly destroyed them.
In that quaint old book. Evelyn'a
sylvia" dated 1879. there IL n charm
lss tale which deserves TO be quoted
Al full length. lie writes that ! am
M OF the disasters which hnpcn'd TO
n, two Men who mot long sincc) felrd
, .oodly Oak near Croydon. upon which
branch OF Missclto grew. which they
nd, The one losing soon after his Eye,
NJ other breaking his Leg, MS n the
Hamadryads had roveng'd the indig-
fliy,"
Then. again, another authority, "Au-
lftys Natural History and Antiquities
Il Surrey" Informs US that TO cut
atwood IN unfortunate. There was at
Norwood one oak that had mlstletoe.
1 timber tree. which was felled about
lEi. Some persons cut this mistletoe
% some apothecarios In London. and
I'D them q quantity for ten shillings
ash time. and left only one branch re-
raining for more TO sprout out. one
m lame shortly after: soon after each
4 The others lost an eye, and he that
flied the tree, though warned OF these
ElsiortunoH Of the other men. would.
fs,withstanding, adventure to do II.
Nd shortly aftcrward broke his leg: aa
The Hamadryads had resolved 10 take
"a ample revenge for the injury done
70 their venerable and sacred oak"
This Is n DEPRESSION. Lot us on TO
Ne woods again. and study our mistle-
TO- We ind that there are different
ufleiles OF II. some pendent, some
dsct In habit: some with narrow, 9TH
m with wider leaves. An Instance has
htn known OF two varieties. one up
A a la. hA
ltg found on the same part OF the same
haneh. and the effect was most pc
tllar.
There Is tragic legend about our
liant. Teutonic myth which tells how
'balder. demi-god, was almost per-
ut, In learning and all virtues. being
lsteed 30 pure that no unclcan thing
sn allowed to come into his presence.
Hls mother, Frcya, hearing that II was
ffuphesled that he should die, made all
hngs on earth. such rs fire. water
tsas,s, metals. trees and sickness. vow
"a, they would not injure her son.
Booming thus apparently invulnerable,
Il was the object OF envy with all his
unenporarlcs, one OF whom. the
wicked Lote. grudging him his excmp-
tea. hscertalncd by subtlety that no
lpw had been taken from the mistle-
", since that plant grew on other
uees and not upon the earth. and was.
hereover. too slender and young to
AXE an oath. Therefore the wicked
ne Aimed at Baldcr n dart made Of
rsletoe wood and slew him. to the
rtat grief OF Frcyn, who In her de-
var requested his delivery from Ha-
~ Her petition was granted on con-
Nnon that everything on earth would
tsseht to II. Everything on earth did
anen,. with the exception OF one old
,smah, Who was supposed to have been
nle In Disguise"
IRON Balder to Pliny seems n start
ts transition. but the latter author
.~something to tell IN about our plant
oeeeidedly tingod with fable that his
--sns the proper place to recount II.
.an writer has been dlscoursing about
hs eox.tree. and declares that ION the
I'm side II produces mistletoe; on the
nah hyphear." Hyphcar, be IL under
ssoi Is TO be considered as u some
'.s' similar parasite.
- regards the mistletoe, PlIny has
s yet more astonishing statements
, make In the course OF his obserya-
NJ. upon II he remarks that "thnt
Lssi s,owa upon trees which lose their
"a ~ uses IT'S leaves as well: while,
~ me other hand, that which grows
w evefgrecns always retains its
eI, IN whatever way the seed NAV
nv, peeh sown. II win never come 10
NJ unless II has been first swat
n,,la, py birds, the wood-pigeon more
M netly, ana the thrush: such being
ss nature OF the plant that Il will moi
m, hnything unless the seed ID
lpened In the crop OF tho bird"
fra .v nuer notion. that birds are often
hs Inv OF dispersing and propagat-
tno,ahe seed, In no doubt correct
tlon Dut' or course, their interyen-
tnsah,p ny no means absolutely indls-
lars us anyone whose garden CON
ieli. "'p'u tree Gun prove for him
i,r,seems rather hard on these "smnle
nese 10 read the next instant that
are "a 'he berries on which they feed
9,o most Mt matter to make lime
pli,.h,iap ana catch birds withall."
uas - veheNed In the medicinal yir-
IN slhe fruits, which, he said, were
G,,ssnuoie against all poison: while
Ions ~, hough mentioning the gluti-
Nat .ni ~. or the preparation. adds
lortea ~, nath been most credible re-
he, y, u,to me. that n fewe OF the ber-
itlo I'll. mlsseitoe bruised and strained
TAD fn"v,unu drunken, hath presently
Nch." "''" ''u u grievous and sore
tyaSs IN fable, projected by Hama
VA esteemed by ohirurgeons, used
sno, ssecoration--the mistletoe bougli
ua ha unimportant us II might seem
IN, f"s y glance, Its history stretches
liz" pack, and IL lost In obscurity
andla grunge, quaint plant. and as we
tAanss To-day. hanging 1t up per-
~ an, IN similar manner. but with
Which nn Significance to that with
uo' uo not wonder that curious iegends
nave gathered around II.