We had heard of witches' broom-sticks, but witches' brooms were clearly something new in the way of Christmas decorations.

But what?
We looked in the dictionary; no help there.

We asked questions of older people, and got no help from them.
Finally we went to the old Squire, who repeated the query absently, "Witches' brooms?
Witches' brooms?
Why, let me see.

Aren't they those great dense masses of twigs you sometimes see in the tops of fir trees?
It is a kind of tree disease, some say tree cancer.

At first they are green, but they turn dead and dry by the second year, and may kill that part of the tree.