The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-11
FLOWER LORE

followed the direction indicated and
found a large thistle with an arrow
fastened In its branches. lie fol-
lowed the instructions he had re-
ceivej with most successful results
CALL "WIND-wITCH" IN TARTARY
In Tartary there is species of thistle
which grows so large that the Tartars.
build their huts in the shade or IT, AS
autumn approaches the stem decays
and the blossom dries into large
feather ball, which is driven over the
plains by the wind. 1t is called the
wind witch, and no one has ever been
known to catch one.
Still another variety is Our Lady's
thistle which is called so on account
Of the white spots on the leaves. one
day the Blessed Virgin sat down In the
field to nurse the child Jesus and some
of the milk fell upon thistle growing
nearby, causing the leaves to assume
their peculiar coloring. Mary, queen of
Scots, wished to make this particular
thistle the thistle OF Scotland, and
caused it to be planted on the cliffs
surrounding the castle Of Dunbarton.
MANY USES FOR THE THISTLE
The plant is recorded as having sew
eral medicinal properties If gathered
before it blossoms and the leaves and
stem bruised, the juice applied to the
with vinegar it was used to heal lep-
rous sores. 1t was said to be a remedy
for disorders of the stomach. The roots
were boiled and used for food. Pliny
comments upon this, saying, No four
footed animal save the ass will eat
it."
ONE OF THE MYSTIC PLANTS
1t has a place among the mystical
plants. A thistle blossom carried about
the person was said to protect the
bearer from all evil. In some places
thistles were placed on the first corn
that ripened to drive away evil spirits
from the fields
In England there was an old super
stition that if a maiden wished to find
out which of several suitors loved her
the best she must take the heads of
thistles, cut off their points, give each
flower the name of a person, and put
them under her pillow The one that
put forth a new sprout loved her the
best.
1t was q lucky o1nen to dream of be-
ing surrounded by thistles. The dream
er in short time was sure to hear
some good news.
DREADED MECkLENBURG THISTLE
In a wild, barren spot near Mecklen-
burg, where a murder was once COM
mitted, grows a strangely formed this
what looks like human arms, hands and
head. Each day new head grows, I'M
til IL different ones have appeared
when the plant mysteriously dsap-
pears and new one comes in it's place
Every one avoids the spot.
But one day shepherd declared that
he was not afraid, and, taking his staff,
started to pass the weird plant. The
staff Immediately turned to finder and
both Of the mans arms were paralyzed.
This story is told by Mannhardt, the
German mythologist, who died in 1880.
The thistle is not a popular plant
outside of Scotland, and farmers all
over the world hold it in great disfavor
on account of the rapidity with which
it spreads and the difficulty in up
roofing.
WRITTEN ABOUT 1T
The earliest mention of it in litera-
ture is in Genesis Hills, where it is made
a part Of the primal curse. There are
eight succeeding references to it in the
scriptures, each mentioning it as some
thing to be deplored.
Later references to the flower, aside
from agricultural works, emphasize its
more admirable qualities The first al
fusion to it as the Scottish emblem is
by Dunbar in his poem, THE Thistle
and the Rois," written in 1903 on the
of James Nv to Margaret Tu
dor. Since then the poets Of Scotland
have always been ready to pay it hon.
age and those of other countries have
not ventured to do otherwise.
up wi the flowers o. Scotland
Their guardians for thousand years,
Their guardians still We'll be.
foe had better brave the dell
Within his reeky cell
Than our thistle's purple bonnet
Or no