Evening star., 1915-12-19

Of the green-leaved, white-berried
clusters that hang in tens of thou
sands of homes throughout the coun-
try during the winter holiday season,
tion to look on the plant as it grows
on trees in forest and wood lot as a
pest.
The governments scientists of the
forest service are not sentimental
however. and recognize the parasite to
be one of the worst and most destruc-
tive of the many tree enemies with
which they have to deal. If they have
their way the day will no doubt come
when mistletoe will no longer be found
in the wild state, but will be grown
for the Christmas market in more or
less "quarantined" orchids on trees set
aside for sacrifice much as animals are
set aside for the production of virus
To find Just how destructive mistle-
toe is the government foresters are
making careful intensive survey in
some Of the national forests of the
southwest. where the plant thrives
best, and expect to have this project
completed in the spring The further
their study progresses the more they
are convinced that what Americans are
paying to the parasite is in the truest
sense a tribute tribute of dollars
that runs. in the value of the lost and
mark each year. With their rootlets
once established in the sap bearing
wood of a tree the clusters of mistletoe
continue to flourish at the expense of
their victim. 1T has been found. until
the latter dies. Though the period Of
destruction extends often over many
years the tree is injured for timber
purposes in a short while, being COW
cred with great knots, having its
growth checked and its vitality low
cred and being made an easier prey to
insect and wind injury
The rapid spread of njstietoe wher-
ever 1t gains a foothold is due en-
tirely to the agency of BIRDS one of
the principal culprits in the south and
southwest being the mocking bird. The
feathered sewers OF the parasite eat the
berries with avidity and in the proc
ess the sticky pulp adheres to their
bills: In this gluelike substance are
scores Of minute seeds. and when. the
birds following a natural impulse wipe
their bills on the bark these are lodged
in crevices and on the drying of the
jelly are cemented into place with a
protective covering. The seed in time
sends its rootlet through the bark and
one more tree is on the road to
destruction.
The specialists of the forest service
who are studying the mistletoe and
the damage it works realize that In
order to wage an effective war against
IT they not only will have to bring
about something OF change in the at
titude of-people toward the pest. but
will also have to work out improved
methods for eradicatine 1t and check
ing it's spread. Rough treatment OF
the plants does not harm them. Tons
of the clusters. broken and scraped
from trees of the south are even now
on their way to markets for the Christ
mas sale, but by the coming of another
Christmas the roots from which they
crew will have put out other tons of
foliage to replace them.
At present 1t is very expensive.
the forest service finds. even to save a
favorite shade tree that has been at
tackled by mistletoe However closely
the infected bark is scraped new
crop of shoots is sure to spring up II
no other steps are taken. The only
success has come when such prepara-
tions as creosote or carbolfnlum are
applied to the scraped bark and the
limb is wrapped with burlap or canvas:
That the possibility of the coming or
day when orchard-grown mistle-
not wholly a dream is shown by the
discovery of government investigators
that there are already numerous such
plantations in the south where pulp
sneared metal instruments take the
place of birds bills in the propaeation
of the parasite. While thousands of
pounds of wild mistletoe. it Is found.
are gathered each December from
south Atlantic and gulf states and
shipped north practically all OF the
fancy clusters that bring high prices
from florists shops in eastern cities
each year are products of carefully
tended "mistIetoe orchards" of the
same section of the country.