The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-11-02
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Leaves.
At this season Of the year, after the close
of the harvest, Nature concludes her benef-
cent operations in husbandry by dressing the
earth anew for the growth and development
of another spring. In her system of culti-
walton there is no loss or waste, and so every
leaf is carefully removed from the tree and
deposited upon the ground, reaching out un-
der the sheltering branches as far as the roots
themselves extend, and ordinarily in the for
est the leaves lie where they fall ualess dis
turbed by the wild animals in their wander
ings. 1850
An incidental instruction which we cannot
fail to derive from this lesson is, that the way
to restore the elements CT fertility to the
soil is by the method of top dressing, and
that the proper time for the application is in
the fall.
The jewellers in town and country alike.
and especially farmers, are apt to neglect the
annual crop of leaves and to allow them to
go eddying and whirling about with every
ind that blows, beyond the boundaries of
the farm, or else to accumu late in heaps by
the roadside, or unGer fences and walls and
there become nurseries for weeds and harbors
for depredating insects and unceau things.
1t is not at all pleasant to find yards, or the
side walks in streets, filled up with rustling
windows of leaves, or catching and retain
ing like sponge every rainfall and the first
SHOWS of winter, leaving deposits by the sides
~ fop. f1,ok. iroIv fbar ho or
else retard its usual early spring appearance.
II for no other reason but the simple one of
preventing or removing nuisance, early in
the fall or as soon as they have fallen, these
annual deposits should be collected and
placed where they will do the most good.
Leaves have an appreciaole and positive
value when applied directly to the soil, and
many instances are on record where barren
and desolate tracts of land have been restored
to fertility, by the slow but sure additions
made from forest plantations.
Much of the mineral wealth which the
earth contributes to the growth of the plant,
is finally retained and may be discovered in
the leaf As the sap rises through the stalk
or trunk, and thence through the branches
into the leaves, the superfuous water passes
into the air by exhalation, while the valuable
substances which were held in solution re-
main in the leaf As part of its growth
these deposits gradually fill up the avenues
running through the leaf, checking the evap.
Grafton and bringing the perfecting or rlpen-
ne OF the leaf In our New England for
ests, much Of the beauty of the autumnal
foliage enormously attributed to the
agency of the frost, no doubt results
from the maturing influence of these
earthly agents. Scientific analysis has clearly
demonstrated that the fall leaf contains much
more of slick, lime, phosphates or other
mineral matter, than the early leaf of spring
which has not been long enough in connec-
ton with the earth. The leaves contain
much more of these substances than the
more than eleven per cent. of ashes, while
the wood contains less than two per cent.
those of the willow more than eight, while
the wood has less than one half of one per
cent.-and similar rule holds good in other
varieties. We thus learn from science as
well as the experience Of practical men, that
the best dressing for any plant is found in its
decomposed leaves. For the florist, or the
housekeeper's collection of pot plants, moth
ng can be better than an admixture of
thoroughly decomposed leaves with good
soil. They also serve an admirable purpose
formulching. and placed around fruit trees
in danger from the feverish stimulus OF
shot spelp' in March or April, we know of
no better check to such tendencies-as ice
in the spring may be found under their shell
ter later than elsewhere. It is also well
worth the while of every farmer to part of
some vacant place in his barn or stable, and
there make a winter collection which will be
convenient for himself, and comfortable for
his animals when used for bedding, and also
valuable for its absorbing power and its posi-
tive addition to the manure heap.