HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-12-18, Page 26OODFRICki SIGIIAL-STAR, THUIPDAY, DECENTER 18, 1969
Plants of the Holy Land
'Madonna lily' one of the true plants of the Christmas season,
BY A. R. BUCKLEY
Although poinsettias, holly,
cyclamen, azaleas and mistletoe -
have become symbolic of the
Christmas season, they do not
represent the plants that grew
around Jerusalem and°
Bethlehem at the time of the
Nativity.
The road from Jerusalem to
Bethlehem taken by Joseph and
Mary on the last lap of their
journey from Galilee, which was
less than 15 miles, would have
been" interesting botanically. To
the west lay the almost barren
hills or steppe country and to
the east were the evergreeh
forests.
The plants of the, hills would
have been made up mostly of
wormwood (Artemisia), a plant
mentioned- several times in the
Bible because of its bitter taste
and its inebriating qualities when
brewed.
The white broom (Retama)
also grew on these barren hills. It
is quite similar to the Scottish
broom but has more flexible
branches and white, instead of
yellow, flowers. It is referred to
in the Bible as the juniper or
rithmar.
Today it still grows in the
desert and hilly regions and is
certainly the most beautiful
shrub of the country. In the
desert it is the only bush of any
size that offers. shade.
In 1884, H. B. Tristram, in a
survey of Palestine, described it
as "unsurpassed even by the
apple blossoms of an English
orchard." One legend says that
the crackling of the broom
plants among which Mary and
the Infant Jesus were hiding
almost revealed their
whereabouts to the soldiers of
Herod.
On the more. fertile side of the
With a greenhouse
you can grow
tNng$ . all the 'time
Growing fresh- flowers and pesty, and fuel bills are much
.4, .
vegetables, in season and out, all
year tong, can be done better
and easier than ever before, says
the. Canadian Hydronics Council,
if your home" has a "Fluid
Comfort" (modern hot water)
heating system.
For a modest amount of
money, the amateur gardener
can build a greenhouse close to
"his house, and it canbe heated
by extending his present heating
system. It would be just like
heating another room, and
maybe a lot simpler.
A• greenhouse is not a "hot
house", reminds the Council,
'and many of the finest flowers
thrive with night temperatures
under 50 deg. In a cooler
atmosphere, blooms are of
better quality, insects are not so
lower.
,
Since • the demands of the
greenhouse and the home
dovetail each other, the Council
recommends that each. have its
own thermostatic , controls.
During the day, the greenhouse
will receive all the heat it needs
from the sun and will not "ask"
for heat from . the system. At
night, when it, does call for heat,
the needs of home are cut down.
Most people, lower their
thermostats from five to eight
degrees before going to bed.
• Being a sealed heating system
without fumes, "Fluid Comfort"
is completely safe for plants, and
since the home gardener controls
the climate and all other growing
conditions, he'll have better
results all, year long.
road- to Bethlehem several
interesting plants would be
growing. One of these, the carob
tree (Ceratonia siliqua), also
known as the locust tree, has
pods that are quite edible,
although in those. days they were
eaten mostly by poor people and
swine. These pods, and not
insect locusts are believed to
-have been consumed by John
the BaPtist.
Seeds of the carob tree were
used Itn, ancient •- times ' as
measures of weight and from
these we get the, word "carat."
The terebinth (Pistacia
terebinthus), that also grows in
this region, is a large deciduous
tree with straggly houghs and
pinnate foliage. It is very much
like an oak in its winter
condition, but in summer it
bears inconspicuous flowers and
red fruits. This is the turpentine
tree or telm of the Bible. It was
.probably the most common tree
of the area, for not far away is
the valley of Elan where David
slew Goliath, and which was
named after the elan or
tprebinth tree.
Sugared table centre
The frosty glitter of a snowy
fairy -castle, • or igloo, or
snowman, or Christmas tree can
be sculptured for a table centre
or other decoration from sugar
cubes, icing sugar mortar, and
food coloring.
Add a candle here and there;
insert a sprig of fir or holly,
employ a bit of child -like
imagination; and anything "can
arise__ from the sculpturers'
fingers!"
On a large sheet of newspaper,
lay out • sugar cubes, food
coloring, icing sugar, a small
paint brush and a small bowl of
water.
Make a rough design of what
you want to build, paste the
sugar cubes together with a
mortar of icing sugar (made
from 1/2 cup of icing sugar and a
little water), color with brush
and food coloring, and you've
made your first creation!
For added interest and final
good ,eating, let the children
decorate the sugar castle or igloo
With gum drops, -nuts, licorice or
candy canes, and add glitter with
candlelight.
.Good luCk...we hope it's built
before it's eaten!
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C'OLUNMKt.BIENR
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1 Yard an Office W
Closed
to:
12 Noon Wed., Dec 24
and will
REOPEN
8 A.M. Mon., Dec. 29
In Order That
Our Stuff- May Have
Longer airlstmas With Family &Friends
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Allied to the terebinth t$e,
and growing with it, was the
lentisk tree (Pistacia lentiscus),
the balm mentioned in Genesis
43:11, and the pistacio (Pistacia
vera), well known even today for
its nuts. Several oaks, includipg
the somewhat stunted kerns
oak (Quercus coccifera), would
also have been seen in this area.
This, oak is usually infested with
an insect fr9m which a dye. used
extensively for dyeing wool in
- Biblical times was obtained.
On open spaces along the road
nearing Bethlehem would also be
seen the spectacular windflower
' (Anemone coronaria). It is
considered by most writers to be
the true lily of the field
mentioned in the Sermon on the
Mount. Since it flowers from
mid-December until March, the
chances are that it would be just
starting to show its colors Of
white, purple, mauve and red —
in beauty surpassing Solomon in
all his glory.
Plants associated with the
° Nativity itself are few and
simple. The forage plant ' that
' formed the bed for the Infant
Jesus in the manger at
Bethlehem was most likely
miliet, for since time
immemorial this plant has been
grown for forage and grain.
Perhaps other cereal plants such
as barley, Oats and spelt (an old
form ofwheat still grown in
Germany), were mixed with it;
as they were also cultivated in
those days.
Frankincense and myrrh
brought by the Wise Men were
from exotic trees. Frankincense
obtained from a species of
Boswellia from Arabia,
Abyssinia, India and the East
Indies, was .procured by the
Hebrews in trade. A gum exudes
from the tree in round or oblong
drops and is white, yellow or
pale red. It has a bitter taste and,
when warmed or bunied, gives
off a strong balsam -like odor in
the form Of a volatile oil.
Myrrh is obtained from a
species of Commiphora. The tree
also yields a gummy exudation
that constitutes most of the
myrrh of commerce. The species
of myrrh used in Biblical days
were low, scrubby, thick and
stiff -branched small trees
growing in rocky places. The
gum exudes 'naturally from the
stem or branches or was
obtained by artificial incision. It
is oily at first but solidifies when
exposed to the air. The ancient
Egyptians burned it in their
temples and embalmed their
dead with it. It is bitter and
slightly pungent to the taste and
is used. even today as an
astringent tonic and externally
as a cleansing agent. -
One very beautiful and
' well-known plant associated
with the Nativity is Lilium
candidum, the Madonna lily,
now the floral emblem of the
province of Quebec. This was
the lily carried An the hands of
the angel Gabriel when he told
Mary that she would be the
mother of Jesus. This lily was
symbolic of innocence, virginity
and purity. Some doubt has
been east on the authenticity of
this lily as a Biblical plant, but in
fairly recent years it has been
found growing wild in Upper
Galilee and is now believed to be
native to this region.
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•
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