f P The) tStafgnan. golem. Orecjon. Sunday, Dnmbr 21, 1932
wttn last season's
Answer If the bushes are so
tall that they whip about, head
them back, but do not do your
real pruning until late February
or early March.
,
Question What to do with wal
nut leaves? Have been told they
are not good in the compost heap.
Have quite a few from one tree on
our back lawn. Seems they should
be good for something. M. R.
Answer They compost so much
more slowly than the usual leaf
that it is unwise to compost, the
two together. A compost heap of
walnut leaves alone is frequently
useful. When the foliage is thor
oughly composted, use a thin layer
of it on the grass beneath the wal
nut tree but do not let that layer
become so thick that it chokes out
the grass. Some of it, too, is very
fine in the rhododendron "bed
but, here, too.
sparingly.
It should be. used
bloom still on them. E. A.
Answer Cut off the blooms and
throw on the compost heap, but do
your main pruning in'earlV spring.
Question Have an apple tree
which- bore a lot of fruit this year,
but we didn't have it sprayed. The
apples are rotting on the ground
as most of them were too imper
fect for us to keep. Will these harm
the compost heap? R. N.
Answer It is never wise to put
potential insects or diseases on
the compost heap. The maturing
larvae will come out and repeat
the cycle again next year. Either
destroy by burning or bury two or
three feet deep so that the larvae
is covered up for good.
Question Is Is too early to
prune rose bushes? D. S.
- f- r" '.-
Fill son box! wUh mixture for
spring seed sowing. -
me
FOR SALE
Cufejt Jittle BRAND
NEW home In Kelzer
Never been occupied, 2
B. R living room, fireplace,
hardwood floors throughout,
forced air heat, kitchen very
modern, bath. Possession be
fore Christinas.
Sacrifice price for
quick sale.
Phone 43181, Evenings
By ,lJUIe XIilaiicn
-'I- -
Holiday Season
Recalls History
Of Mistletoe
Scene at Labish Christmas Show
Gard
en
Calendar
If, - . 11-'; , II . f
By LILLIE L. M ADS EN
Garden Editor, The Statesman
It must be the season! Requests
In the past two weeks for informa
tion on mistletoe have been piling
up. Requests have been varied,
but mostly they have been for
legendary material,
Charles A. Cole, formerly with
the state department of agricul
ture, very nicely supplied me with
the following information:
In Europe the legend of mistle
toe dates back to mythology. For
centuries it has had a vague re
ligious or sentimental significance.
It seems that Aeneas, by plucking
a branch of mistletoe was able to
go to the lower regions and return
without harm.
Virgi! and Pliny used the bo
tanical name "viscum" in describ
ing the plant. The European specia
is known as viscum album and the
American botanists call the east
coast specia Phoradendrum haves
cens, and that of the Pacific coast
Phoradendrum villosum.
Birds Scatter Seeds
The word viscum describes the
gticky substance that surrounds
the seed. This substance is very
important in distributing the seed.
The birds, in eating the berries,
get the-seeds on their feet and
beaks, fly to other trees and wipe
the sticky substance off on the
bark, thus starting a new infesta
tion. "Infestation" is Mr. Cole's name
for the mistletoe, not mine. But he
goes on to say that mistletoe is a
parasite which feeds on the sap of i Horta. of South Germany. This
the nost plant, and heavy mxesta- i goddess was a Questionable vounc
miss who always kept a branch of
mistletoe hanging in the center of
her reception hall. The kiss under
the mistletoe was then considered
a sign of fickle love rather than
true love, and eary churches of
Mrs. Joe Henny of Brooks, chair
man of the recent Labish Mea
dows Garden Club Christmas
Show, displays the candle ar
rangement that won a blue rib
bon for Mrs. Alvin VanCleave
i . -
v - .
t
4
V .
'
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' I
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The entry pictured above won sweepstakes honors for Mrs. AI WrUht
at the Labish Meadows Garden Clnb Christmas Show. Looklnr at
the entry Is Barbara Charlene Henny. (Statesman Garden Photos).
tions will 'kill an oak tree. He
quotes Shakespeare to prove his
point in using "infestation": "The
trees forlorne o'er run with moss
and balefulLmistletoe."
Mistletoe is found along the
South Atlantic seaboard and in r.prmanv forhada haneinff mlstle
the southern states. In the list oftoe on doors or near toe places
state i towers, mistletoe is given , 0 vv-orship
Grows on Juniper
In Oregon, mistletoe is most
abundant from the Columbia Riv
er up the Willamette Valley and
on to the California line. The
heaviest "infestation" 'again to
quote Mr. Cole) is between Rose
burg and Grants Pass. A few
plants are found in Central Ore
gon growing on juniper, but one
would hardly recognize this as
mistletoe.
In early Christian England,
mistletoe was not used in the re
ligious part of the yuletide fes
tivals. The aversion to using the
plant in early Christian festivals
dated to the legend of tre Druids
of early England. This group con
sidered MistletM a most sacred
plant and used it in their annual
celebration, held at about the time
of the Christian English Yuletide."
The Druid priests cut the mistle
toe with a golden sickle from
trees growing in their groves of
worship. Branches of this sacred
mistletoe were distributed by
young men to homes where It was
hung on the doorways to ward off
the evil spirits. Other religious
sects looked on the custom as
black art and therefore barred
mistletoe from their religious fes
tivals. In the early legends of the
Norsemen, mistletoe held a part
as an agent of destruction. Beldier,
the son of Odin and Frigga,
dreamed that his life was threat
ened. His mother made all animal
and plant life promise not to harm
her son, but she forgot to include
mistletoe. Beldler's young friends.
knowing that he was immune to
til things, amused themselves by
throwing various kinds of objects
at him, only to watch them bounce
off, leaving him completely un
harmed. Lokl, Beldier's secret ene
say, found that mistletoe was not
Included in the list of objects
pledged not to harm him, so he
made a dart of mistletoe wood and
gave it to Hothar, Beldier's blind
brother. Hothar threw the dart,
piercing Beldier's heart.
Kiss Traced
The kiss under the mistletoe
may be traced back to the goddess.
But not in every locale was mis
tletoe one of dishonor. In Perth
shire. In Scotland, the Hays of
Eroll used mistletoe as a badge of
honor. By wearing a sprig in bat
i tie, victory was assured. To ac
complish this, the spray had to be
taken from a special large oak
growing on the Hays estate at
Perthshire.
Wllamette Valley has no special
legend associated with mistletoe
other than its part of Christmas
season to go mistletoeing and
bring back a few sprigs or
bunches.
Mrs Maine Reichert, Dallas, re
ports that holly, too, is legendary.
She tells that the crown of thorns,
placed upon the head of Christ at
the crucifixion was made of holly.
and that the name "holly" Is a
corrupt spelling of "holy."
As with mistletoe, holly played a
part in the life of the Druids, who
wore It in their hair wnen tney
went to pick the mistletoe. Early
Romans are said to have used
holly as decoration in their homes
and as a speciaL decking for their
idols.
Mrs. Reichert tells of other folk
tales, in which holly was believed
to repel lightning and thunder
and, therefore, was planted close
to houses ... a stick cut from a
holly tree was believed to subdue
the most stubborn animal, and
holly had a power against witches.
But in England it was consid
ered unlucky to bring the holly
into the house before Christmas
Eve, and even more unlucky to
leave it there after Twelfth-night,
January 6, 12 nights after the
birth of Christ.
Probably there are many other
legendary tales connected with
both of these "Christmas greens,"
but I believe most of the questions
concerning them are answered
here ... if not, let us hear again
. . and Merry Christmas!
Mulch rhubarb with compost
and manure. Mulch asparagus bed
likewise. Spread manure now on
garden area that does not have
cover crop.
Gigantic Wallpaper
SALE!
500 stock patterns sacrificed below costl
V
Patterns up to
$1.00
.NOW
35
Patterns
$1X0 to $2.00
Patterns
$2.00 to S&00
.NOW
NOW
S5
Cloeeout patterns From .15 up
THE FRIENDLY SCOTSMAN
SALE ENDS DEC. 23
t x I.,,,,, , nty- mniwj uiiuhw.ii
",SW"Y
Mrs. Walter Brutka of Brooks, who teaches In Salem, Is shown pour
ing refreshments at the Labish Meadows Show.
Question Can you tell me how
long Poinsettias have been asso
ciated with Christmas in America?
Where is the plant native? We've
noted it in Southern California
growing outdoors and blooming in
gardens. Is it a native there? . R
Answer Poinsettias are native
of tropical America. They grow
nicely outdoors In Southern Call
fornia, usually blooming there
from early November until late
February or early March. The
plant is named after Joel Poinsett,
a botanist who brought the plant
to the States more than a century
ago I believe, garden encyclope
dias give about 1830-33.
Question I recall last year you
mentioned several "does" and
"don'ts" for the Christmas poin
settia. Would you mind repeating
the most important? We don't care
about holding the plant over until
next season just making it last
as long as possible this one O. T.
Answer Keep the plant away
from draft. A chill draft even for
a brief time may start leaves and
bracts falling. Keep the plant from
drying out. Set the plant where it
will have good light and a tem
perature between 65 and 70 de
grees. The location should be so
that drafts from opening doors
will not reach the poinsettia
which makes the hall table out. If
the foliage begins to drop normally
and slowly, the same cultural con
ditions should be maintained until
half have fallen, then cut the sup
ply of water gradually until the
soil is dry in the pot. That's the
end of your plant for the season
If you wish to hold them over, and
have no greenhouse, store them in
a cool dry place, out of light.
Mrs. L. S. T. wants to hold her
poinsettia over, and asked for
further information to the above,
so this is included here: In late
April take up the poinsettia, cut
oil the stem to about four inches,
repot the plant in rich soil, using
garden loam with sand and well
decayed cow manure and a little
leafmold. Grow the plant in a sun
ny indoor place until all danger of
frost is past usually late May,
then sink the pot to the rim in a
sunny spot in the garden. Keep it
well watered and a mulch of leaf-
mold over the top of the soil in
the pot.
During the first few days of Sep
tember, take the plant indoors,
getting it used to the indoor air
before the winter heat Is turned
on.
Question When may I cut my
hydrangeas back? They look aw
December Month
To Spray Peach
Trees for Curl
Dormant spray for control of
peach leaf curl must be applied
this month. This means both for
the commercial tree and the lone
tree which may ornament a city
lot . . . and further, it means both
the fruiting and flowering varie
ties.
Use fresh bordeaux, phygon.
puratized agricultude sprav or cal
cium polysulphide. Dormant oil in
combination with bordeaux or
lime sulphur used in winter will
kill insect eggs, some over-winter
ing larvae and insects. Keep in-
secis on or nouse plants.
Fruiting House
Plants Termed
Easy to Raise
Nothing is less trouble than
some of the fruiting house plants.
Orange globes may hang on the
Otaheite orange- from December
until June. The clusters of red
berries deck an ardisia just as
long, and a Ponderosa lemon.
which will have large fruit, is a
long-lived acquisition. There are
also dwarf forms of pyracantha
and pomegranate.
Just about all these take are
regular watering, an infrequent
feeding, trimming in the spring
and a brief vacation outdoors in
summer sun.
Everything for Your Window
ELMER THE BLIND MAN
Venetian Blinds, Drapes and Shade
Traverse Rods Bamboo Drapes and Shades Columbia
Matic Screens Cloth and Aluminum Awnings Fireplace
Screens and Accessories Chapman Home Freezers Verti
Vertical Blinds Folding Doors Transparent Plastic Store
Shades.
We Wash, Faint. Slat and Retape Venetian Blinds
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S870 Center St (formerly West Salem)
Phone 3-732S
Que Sifts That Eswj
Living Shrubs and Trees are permanent gifts.
You can shop by phone or by mail, by using
our Nursery Gift Certificates. He (or she)
can select the exact variety desired at his
own leisure. Azaleas, rhododendrons, rose
bushes and trees of all kinds.
KNIGHT PEARCY NURSERY
2 Salesyerds Open 7 Days a Week '
Town Yard S. Liberty 3 Blocks South of State Ph. 3-3212
Country Salesyard on 99E 1 Mile South of Brooks
flneaBaE03Bg3:sa2OWara
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AND STAFF OF
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located In the
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432 State
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ii