The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1863-10-22

~ TTH n EUfVl49 i1id0
Autumnal Colors of Forest Trees
The ordinary belief OF nine in every
ten people who speak of the change Of
color in our forest trees in autumn, is
that it is due to frost alone without
even ipquiring the reason why,i frost
so changes the leaves, their color is
not in each variety Of tree. alikeP As the
change occurs in the season of frosts,
they are unmindful whether it bo pre-.
vious to or after the first frosts have
stricken them, Now thought or two
upon the organic composition of those
leaves would readily convince them
that the changes we're due to their
gradual ripenOss and decay, and that
the frosts have nothing whatever to do
with the high coloring they acquire,
other than to detract, when it prema.
turely strikes them, from the rich, lux.
uriant, and full developement, which in
the absence of frosts, they would in eve
ry successive season. each in it's kind,
acquire alike. ..sra9 iu
The leaves Of every different species
Oftree or shrub are composed of meohan.
zeal elements, intormixed in greater
or less degrees, which when fully ma.
turcd, and in their process Of ripeuing,
act variously upon each other, and de-
velope those beautiful solors 50 gorge.
ously displayed, and never so striking
y as on the wide breast of a hill or
mountain forest in the month Of Octo.
Der, up to the time Of their fall and
decay, and never is this display so
; grand and luxuriant as after fine, gen
ial season of full, warm, and abundant
rains, and Withholding Of the frosts.
giving the leaves abundant opportuui.
ty to perfect their growth and ripcnoss.
In all their thousand varieties, ever.
greens included ,'.1eiu n
"Lcaves have their time to fall'
i. But accidental, or unreasonable in.
fiucnces may cause those times to be
, earlier or later. Thus ansearly drouth,
p blight at the top, canker at the root,
: a violence at the bark on its stem; or
= long flooding of the tree with water
|, will cause a change ofoolor in its leaves
month earlier than is its natural wont.
|, even to the entire shedding of the leaf
before sign of frost ia.visible. When
sharp early frost strikes the leaves Of
, our trees, while they are yet green
they turn pale, dull, lifeless and crisp.
The flow of their sap is chilled and they
die at once. The chemical action OF
the elements composing them is languil,
Yet it does move to degree, in the
mild and sunny days which follow, suf-
" icient TO elaborate their natural col.
: ors, approximating to ripeness. but not
, fully. The leaf stems wilt and become
toughened, holding them to the branch
: es perhaps for weeks. They may wav.
er in Sickly life, even to the end ofthc
It season; but they are "frost work" af-
ter all, There is moral to be, Learned
n in this last fact, when tree planters
, and those who wish to enjoy the fuI
beauties and luxury, of the ,materia
n which embellish their grounds. Thu
l. most luxuriant and well-cultiEated tree
have thicker, heavier, hardieE. leaves
than those Of slow, ,stintedl growth OF
. poor land. They Withstand frosts bet
u ter, and have their autumnal color
- brighter and later than the weaker trees
Perhaps the fact is not generally OBJ
= served, but Investigation will prove it
At first thought, it may appear to b
onyl poetic or fanciful view we hav
. taken of the subject, but we believ
there is something in It'll, F. Aller
- in New York Observer.