The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-11-27
THE FOLIAGE OF AUTUMN.
Autumnal COIOring-Trees Of the
Middle States-Indian summer
Mission of the Leaves.


Middle States-Indian Summer
Mission of the Leaves.
There is more romance than reality
in the popular supposition that the frost,
by some subtle alchemy, transmutes the
emerald beauty of summer into the
golden splendor of autumn; on the con-
trary, its early appearance mars the
lovely processes of dissolution in the
vegetable kingdom, foliage in its severe
visitation never assuming the brilliancy
that characterizes it in seasons of pro-
longed mildness, but dropping of a
withered, rusty brown. Witness the su-
perb coloring of the present season, so
remarkable for its balmy, soft weather.
Never was Nature more royalty apparel
ledl The beech, ash, elm, birch, hick-
ory and tulip trees have become lumi-
nous centers, from which flow streams of
yellow glory lighting up the inmost re-
cesses of the forest which all summer
long have been hidden in twilight gloom.
The naples burn with a rose red glow,
as if sudden flames consumed them; or
flicker in leaves Of gold dappled with
green, and streaked with crimson veins.
Even the sober old apple trees have put
on ruddy dress, and the wild cherry
appears in pale yellow and green. The
horse-chestnuts are pyramids Of russet
gold deepening into vivid orange; the
dogwoods show a rich purple; and the
sturdy old oaks wear bronze coat of
mail glittering in the sunlight like some
mighty, ancient warriors. Vines trail
over the hedges creeping fires, and the
sumachs are regally purple from velvety
cone to root. Here and there streak
of tawny yellow, a strain of russet
brown, darkens the pure gold and scar
let of the foliage that else would dazzle
and weary the eye, giving also that va
riety which is every pleasing. In
addition also, each separate color has its
different shades, SO that one may discov-
er in autumn leaves every tint from the
palest gold to the most vivid orange and
bS0AACh1 AEOLA tll6 ldlALCSk EOSc 70 T1Cn-
est purple, from tawny yellow to choco-
late brown.
At this time of the year the leaves
have almost fulfilled their mission lin
many senses quite), and Death comes to
them, not as to shuddering humanity,
wrapped in icy terrors, but gently and
lovingly, till leaf after leaf futters
softly down, exhaling its spirit in baImy
odors to the air that gave it, and return
ing its substance to it's mother Earth
In soberer words, the leaf has absorbed
carbonic acid from the air; has taken up
its carbon by the aid of heat and light
to cause first its own growth, then the
addition of woody fibre to the twig and
branch, and lastly the production of nu-
triment for flowers, fruit and seed, in
the meantime breathing out pure oxy-
gen, accomplishing a fourfold work.
When the seed of plant or tree ripens,
the leaf has fulfilled its mission, decay
sets IN, the quality of the leaf changes,
and various colors are reflected accord
ing to species, location and weather.
Strangely enough, the leaf in its slow
death presents the very same hues that
characterize its earliest stages when bud
ding in the springtime of the year; YER
nal forest showing the same purples, reds,
yellows and browns, in softened shades,
however, that lend the charm to autumn
scenery. A close observer and lover of
nature readily distinguishes the different
species of trees, even before the leaves
have quite appeared, by the various tints
of their budding and blossoming. Where
a crimson color prevails in the spring
time it will be found to proceed from
woods where naples predominant; where
a solemn purple, from clumps of elm
trees; where a silvery lustre intershad-
ed the lilac and crimson, from forests of
red oak; and so on. Many trees pro-
ducing yellow leaves never show a sin
gle red one; but trees producing red
one; but trees producing red leaves fire.
quently exhibit more or less yellow and
orange-for example, the many varie-
ties of maple Haunting, in one speci-
men, scarlet, crimson, pink, yellow and
orange spotted with brown.
The gradations of color in antumnal
foliage are always in the order of those
of sunrise, being in every case from
dark to lighter hues. Warm days hasten
this gradation by fading the rich tints
to paler, uncertain ones, being in degree
almost as destructive to their beauty as
early frost. Both agencies drying the
leaf cause it to drop from the tree before
the beautiful processes of decay are ac-
complished. By a wise provision of
Nature these leaves, so lovely in life and
death, having performed their mission
on earth-namely, the production of
woody-fbre, flower, fruit and seed, and
the exhalation of moisture and oxygen
now proceed to their last and not
least, uses, the restoration TO the earth of
certain salts drawn from it; and in their
further decay the giving out of carbonic
acid to be taken up by the rain and held
in solution, trickling down to aid in dis
solving many of the constituents of the
soil, preparing them for assimilation by
the roots of the trees during the coming
season. Some years ago the Middle
States, after the fall of the leaves, regu-
larly enjoyed a season of delicious
weather, varying in length, and denomi-
mated the Indian Summer. According
to authentic accounts il did not arrive
until November frosts had stripped the
leaves entirely from the trees, and then
it reigned uninterruptedly from ten to
fifteen days, and sometimes longer, un-
disturbed by wind or rain, & silvery
haze yelling the landscape, and fruity
odors perfuming the air. This lovely