The mistletoe harvest – both in Europe and North America should be well underway now. Already had some circulars from growers in Texas announcing their new season is underway. (Texas is, of course, a centre for mistletoe growing in the States – but you knew that already) .
Methods have changed over the years – the pic below is a Thomas Nast drawing from about 1880 – “Cutting mistletoe in the South”. Nast was an illustrator of popular magazines and is credited by some with popularisation of the English mistletoe custom in the States. This pic shows a young black boy up a tree – cutting the American Phoradendron mistletoe.
More below on old pics of European harvests…
Cutting Mistletoe in the South – Thomas Nast c 1880 