Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-09

Nhllc Your work a. merrlIy HCS.
Tho Door sleepy head, who fingers in bed,
Will have more sorrows than joys:
AMT when no grows old, will bc hungry aud cold,
=" keep "wEle awake, my boys.
\ Voice from, tine NNNolln nsls.
BY CLYDE.
Through tho blue aislcs of March,
Across tho brown sides Of the bare old hills,
Ky lakes. rills and silver gliding rills,
Comes April, glad and arch.'
What glad surprise to awake some
Of these bright April mornings, and
find the brown old naples green with
Young leaves. We know now, for Ger
tainty that winter is banlshed that
spring has come, sending such warm
thrill to the hearts of the great trees,
and even down to their very roots, that
they have all burst forth into, "A food
Of waving green," for very gladness.
What surprise to the children, the
singing birds, and the frolicsome
hrrczrs, and even to the old trees them
selves, as the Young leaves drink in the
sunlight, air and dew; and expanding
their soul-like wings" draw the great
trees toward the sky.
There are many useful, rs we'll rs
wonderful and beautiful things about
leaves and perhaps it would be pleas
ant to talk about them now, while they
are fresh and new. Tam sure that Ill
Of the wide-awake boys and girls"
know more about leaves than a little
city girl know Of, who, when her teach
er asked what grew on trees, answered,
" feathers"
\ leaf is made up of two materials,
the green pulp and the woody frame-
work. Besides these, the leaf is pro-
tectcd by 4 transparent skin. The
framework consists of wooden tubes,
such as are bundled together to form
the stem. These tubes curry the sap
to every part of the leaf, and at the
same time support the leaf, and give it
strength and firmness.
The green pulp is the labratory Of the
caf, and it is in this labratory that the
I'm, (who is great chemist prepares
he food of the plant. In fact, every
eat is sugar and starch manuiactory.
These are the principal products, al
though there are manufactures, also.
Ill, acids, jelly, the pulp of fruits, and
many other things besides. Indeed, if
1t were not for these millions of manu-
factories, our gardens would not fur
nish us any of the nutritious vegetables.
or delicious fruits, which now minister
IT, onr nourishment and pleasure
Neither would the flowers bloom. if it
were not for the honey with which the
leaves are constantly feeding the young
buds; Tue bees are always stealing
this honey away from the flowers, and
We steal it from the bees. As we sip
our fragrant white-clover, or delicious
apple blossom honey, we praise the
busy bees. highway robbers. We might
call them,) and never think ofthe April
showers, golden sunlight, and patient,
toiliug leaves.
\ large part of the moisture which ia
brought to the leaf through the stem.
IS constantly being evaporatetl. A sun
flower has been known to exhale be.
tween one or two pints of water in n
day. The greater part Of this vapor
flies on through the breathing pores.
These are little openings or months. in
the skin OF the leaf, which are guarded
bya pair OF cells like the leaves of a
door. THESE cells open when moist to
allow the water to escape, and close
promptly when dry, toprevent the dry
ness from injuring the interior of the
leaf. LII the water lily these mouths
are unusually large and can be seen
easily with simple microscope. They
are confined principally to the under
side of the leaf, where as MANY "A GOO.
GOO have been counted in square inch
No wonder We hear so much whisper
ing, signing and murmuring among tile
leaves, when We consider how many
mouths they bave.
Leaves are very useful in many ways.
They absorb from the air carbonic acid.
which is very poisonous to man, and
give out oxygen, which is life sustain
ing: And the air would be very harsh
and dry, if it were not for the moisture
the leaves are constantly throwing out,
which makes it soft and balmy.
The leaves are very useful III increas-
nS the surfaceiof that part of the tree
exposed to light and air. The actual
amount OF surface presented by tree
II full leaf, is much larger than one
would be apt to suppose. The WASH
lngton Elm, at Cambridge, was esti-
mated to produce seven millions of
leaves in one year, and if they had been
spread over the ground, they would
have covered five acres.
There are some very wonderful leaves.
as those OF the Victoria Regia, which
grow on the Amazon river. They are
sometimes found five feet broad, What
splendid carpets they would make a
little girls play. house Then there
are the leaves of the Venus Flytrap.
which, like bad boys, amuse themselves
catching fies- The Pitcher plant. 40
common in the island of Ceylon. beurs
leaves which expand into a perfect
pitcher: They hold pint or more of
which open on hinges. They are some
times called monkey-caps, because the
monkeys drink from them, when the
streams are dry.
Leaves are beautiful, as we'll as WON
dcrf'sl. Had they all been cut in
squares, they would have served their
purpose just as we'll as the artistic
shapes we see on every tree, shrub an d
plant around us, such as stars, hearts.
hands, spears, fans, arrows, shields, and
Others too numerous to mention. Their
refreshing color glossy finish, and
beautiful shapes, all show forth the
riches and love of the great Creator.
who has spread for us feast of beauty.
When October comes, setting the forest
;.hlaze with purple, crimson and gold
en- leaves, we can almost imagine how
glorious the tree of life must be
that grows On the banks of the ''beau-
tifuI river - whose leaves are for the
inaling of the nations.
Like the singing birds, we love to
build our homes in the grateful shad-
"ws Of the green leaves. We gather
trees around our parks, churches and
the last resting place of our loved ones.
Indeed, such valued companions are
they, that wherever we love to 60 our
8" Ives, there will you find our beautiful
friends, the green tcuvcs.
\ great poet has compared children
10 leaves:
What the leaves are to the forest.
With light and air for food,
Ere their sweet and tender juices
Have been hardened into wood"
"'rhat to the world are children:
Through them 1t feels the glow
Or bright and SUMMER climate
Then reaches the trunks below"
fillmore and the Jubilee.
1t is known at last. The cat has
;s'rttc.ically ended her long imprison-
lncnt, and has made her long expected
and nlccremonious exit from the bag
Il i, announced. on the authority Of
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