The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1849-08-09
ON THE PRACTICAL USE OF LEAVES.

ON THE PRACTICAL USE OF LEAVES.
There are two facts in the functions of the leaf
which are worth consideration en- account Of their
practical bearings. The food OF plants is, for the
most part, taken in solution through its ROOTS
Various minerals slick, lime, alumina, inagues
ia, potash-are passed into the tree in a dissolved
state. The sap passes to the Leaf, the superf1u-
Gus water is given off, but not the substances
which 1t held in solution. These, III part, are
distributed through the plant, and, in part, re-
main as deposite in the cells of the leaf. Grad
ually the leaf chokes up, its functions impe
ded, and finally entirely stopped When the
leat drops it contains large per cent. oil mineral
matter. An autumnal or old leaf yields, upon
analJ sis, very much larger proportion of earth
| ly matter than vernal leaf, which, being yet
young, has not received within its cells any con-
siderable deposite. 1t will be found, also, that
the leaves contain very much higher per cent.
oil mineral matter than the wood OF the trunk. -
! lie dried leaves OF the elm contain more than
eleven per cent. OF ashes, (earhy matter0 while
the wood contains less than two per cent those
OF the willow more than eight per cent, while
the wood was only 045; those of the beech SO,
the wood only 0 So; those of the (European) oak
%, the wood only 81 per cents
1t is very plain, from these facts, that, in for
ests, the mineral ingredients OF the soil perform
posted in the leaf; then, with its fall to the
earth, and by its decay, they restored to the
SOIL, again to travel their circuit. Forest soils,
therefore, instead of being impoverished by the
growth OF Il ees, receive back annually the great
est proportion OF those mineral elements neces-
sary 10 the tree, and, besides, much organized
matter received into the plant from the atmos-
phere; soils therefore gaining instead of los
ing III the owner of parks or groves, for neat
IN Iaau tor tbor
gathers the annual harvest OF leaves, he will
In time take away great quantities Of mineral
matter, by which the soil ultimately will be i'm
poVerlshed, unless it is restored by manures.
Leaf manure has always been held in high es-
TEEN by gardeners. But many regard it as
purely vegetable substance; whereas, it is the
pest mineral manure that be applied to the
soil What are called vegetable loans, mot pc lat
SOILS made up principally OF decomposed roots,)
contain large quantities OF earthly matter, being
mineral vegetable rather than vegetable SOILS
Every gardner should know that the best ma.
nure for any plant is the decomposed leaves and
substance OF its own species This fact will sug-
gest the proper course with reference to the
leaves, tops, vines, haulm, and other vegetable
refuse OF the garden.
The other fact connected with the leaf, is its
junction of exhaaton. The greatest proportion
OF crude sap which ascends the trunk, upon reach
ing the leai, is given forth again to the atmos-
phere by means OF particularly beautiful econ
omy. The quantity OF moisture produced by a
plant is hardly dreamed OF by those who have not
specially informed themselves The experiments
oil Hales have been often quoted. A sunf1ower,
three and half feet high, presenting surface
OF o.oIo square inches exposed to the sun, was
louAd TO perspire at the rate of twenty 10 thirty
ounces avoirdupois every twelve hours, or seven
times more than a man. A vine, with twelve
square feet, exhaled at the rate of FIVE or six
ounces day. A seeding appe-tree, with
WE'VE square feet of foliage, lost nine ounces a
day t
These are experiments upon very small plants
Inc vast amount oil surface presented by large
tree must give offimmeLse quantities OF moisture.
l ne practical bearings OF this fact of vegetable
exnalatlon are not a few. Wet forest lands bv
being cleared OF timber, become dry and streams
led from such sources become almost extinct as
civilization encroaches on wild woods The ex-
cesslve dampness OF crowded gardens is not sing.
ular' and still less is it strange that dwellings
covered With vines, whose windows are choke
win shrubs, and whose root is oVerhung with
branches OF trees, should be intolerably damp:
and when the good housewife is scrubbiog,
securing, and brushing, and, nevertheless, mar
VeHlng mat Der house is so infested with mould
she hardly suspects that her troubles would be
more easily removed by the axe or saw than bv
all her cloths aud brushes. A house should new
er be closely surrounded with shrubs. A free
circulation of air should be maintained all about
1t, and shade trees so disposed as to leave large
openings Tor the light and sun to enter. The
unusual rans OF the current season have produc
ed SO great dampness in our residences that no
one can tail to have noticed its effect both on the
neaith oil the occupants and upou the beauty and
good condition OF their household substance.
HENRY w. BEEcHER
Western Farmer and Gardener.
See DR.. Gray's Botanic Text Book-an admirable
W0k Which I'm stcb,