114
—Uncaster Farming, Saturday, December 16,1971
WASHINGTON, D.C. - To
most people, mistletoe
means an excuse to steal a
kiss at Christmas time. But
that’s just one of many tradi
tions that have been
associated with this curious,
parasitic plant, according to
the current issue of National
Wildlife magazine.
“For centimes, people all
over the world have con
sidered mistletoe to be a
charm against diesease,
witchcraft, and infertility,”
says the bi-monthly publica
tion of the National Wildlife
Federation. Mistletoe
superstitions probably
came about because of the
unusual and rather eerie
way in which the plant
grows.
Mistletoe flourishes in
dumps on the trunks and
Home garden fruit
course offered
UNIVERSITY PARK -
Many young nut and fruit
trees planted each year do
not live because they were
not planted properly, says
Dr. C. Marshall Ritter,
Extension pomologist at the
Pennsylvania State
University.
While there are no
guarantee they will live,
there are some planting
practices that will increase
the chances of successful
tree growth.
Here are some guidelines
to follow at planting time,
offered by Ritter.
Inspect new trees for in
sect and disease damage as
well as heat injury and
mechanical damage. Return
damaged trees to the nur
sery.
Plant trees during early
Spring - mid-March to first
of May.
Plant trees soon after
arrival from the nursery, so
their roots will not dry out.
When weather does not
permit immediate planting,
cover the tree s roots with
soil and water thoroughly.
The planting holes should
be large and ceep enough to
set trees without crowding,
bending or breaking then
roots. Set the tree at about
the same height as it stood m
the nursery row That point
may be determined by
finding the “soil line” on the
trunk.
After placing plants in
holes, begin r■'-ruling with
good top soil :>"xt to the
roots. Pack the ‘mil with your
feet as it is being
careful not to leave air
pockets arour l -oots. When
the hole is .jcut three
fourths filled tilth soil, pour
in 2 to 3 gal l ';' of water
After this wr.er soaks a,
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Mistletoe isn’t just for Christmas kissing
Branches of various hard
wood trees, where it robs its
host tree of water and
nutrients. Often, the host
tree is so weakened that it
dies. But since mistletoe can
produce its own food when
necessary, the parasite re
mains green and moist.
Because they were unable
to explain how mistletoe
grew, ancient civilizations
believed the plant had super
natural powers, says Na
tional Wildlife. Peasants in
both England and Japan
believed that barren women
would be able to conceive
after eating mistletoe. The
Walos of Africa attached
mistletoe leaves to their
bodies, confident that they
would "then be protected
from injury. The Swedes
finish filling with soil. Leave
a slight depression around
each tree to catch rainfall.
Cut off one-fourth of the tree
top and branches right after
setting.
Do not muf dry fertilizer
materials with th, soil in
refilling the hole. This may
cause new feeder roots to be
burnt as they develop. Wait
until just before growth
starts in the Spring, then
apply one-half pound of 10-
10-10 fertilizer evenly around
each tree at least 12 inches
away from the trunk, ex
plains Ritter.
For a complete guide to
Horae Garden Fruits, send
$4, plus 25 cents postage, to
Garden Fruits, Box 5000,
University Park, Pa. 16802.
This complete correspon
dence course, authored by
Dr. Ritter will be sentto you.
Make checks payable to
Penn State.
have a
nice weekend..
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carved sword handles from
mistletoe branches to ward
off witches, while other
Europeans wore mistletoe
corsages to guarantee a suc
cessful hunt.
Mistletoe is not a very tas
ty plant. In fact, although
there are more than a thou
sand varieties throughout
the world, only one animal -
the tiny Australian
mistletoe bird - relies solely
on mistletoe for food. But
medical history reveals that
despite its taste, mistletoe
was often fed to ailing pa
tients by physicians who
thought it had curative
powers.
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French physicians used
mistletoe as an antidote for
poisons. And one 17th cen
tury British physician
observed that the plant is
“good for the grief of itch,
sores, toothache, and the
biting of mad dogs and
venemous beasts.”
Even as late as the mid
1700’s, National Wildlife
reports, many European
medical authorities thought
mistletoe would cure epilep
sy. Since mistletoe attaches
itself so firmly to a tree that
it cannot be blown down,
they reasoned, an epileptic
could not fall down if he con
sumed the plant regularly.
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As it was thought that
mistletoe possessed magical
powers, it’s not surprising
that the plant was long for
bidden in Christian chur
ches. It was thought to be
tainted with heathenism. But
the Druids - the woodsy
priests of the ancient Celts -
considered mistletoe to be a
warm refuge for the
woodland spirits during the
cold weather. They gathered
and hung the plant
throughout their dwellings.
This primeval practice may
be the origin of the western
tradition of decorating
homes with greenery at
Christmas time.
>/ *** * «*■ '»»*** *
I Name
I Address
I Telephone No.
Centuries ago, on the sixth
day of a new moon, a white
robed priest armed with a
golden sickle could be seen
harvesting mistletoe. The
Druids believed the plant
was too sacred to be col
lected by just anyone. Tradi
tions change, of course, and
today anyone willing to ven
ture out into the woods can
gather mistletoe with a pair
of pruning shears.
But some traditions
change very little. A kiss
under the mistletoe dates all
the way back to Norse
mythology, which dedicated
mistletoe to the Goddess of
Love.
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