Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-10-17
Jhe ft&EmaM
For the Freeman.
Story about Leaves.
nY DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING.


By DR.. HIRAM A. CUTTING,
with the putting forth of leaves we as
sooiate the most delightful and cheerful Of
so,sons. In them we see the REVIVAL oI
hiring, while their full development and
bqrrect verdure speaks of the wealth, the
[ipeness and the joyful fruition of sum
her. Leaves are things of beauty-the
aiAerent colors they assume are the true
aials of the year; pale shades denote its
rornal opening; dark and uniform shades
n green mark the summer, while those Of
rold crimson and russet the autumn
Tbey are associated with our daily life as
fb.pas Of quiet beauty that lend charm
to o,u endowment, in such an unobtrusivC
manner as to seldom excite an emotion
Ind perhaps not often awaken IL thought
of thanks to our Heavenly Father for sucl
b.aory and usefulness. Their usefulnes;
In renovating the atmosphere is not denied
bv anv man of science. The property ol
FOLIAGE that requires carbonic acid gas fol
'its breathing purposes, giving out oxyger
.in exchange, is of vital Importance to the
animal creation. Some even assert thai
our entire atmosphere is result Of veg
etable growth Though we cannot en-
dorse this, we will speak of another func
lion performed by the leaf, that shows it,
part in producing our summer Showers
that is the exhaling Of moisture into the
atmosphere after it has been absorbed by
lthe roots, and passed through the capillary
sap pores,
A simple experiment will show how
RAPIDLY such evaporation takes place
Flake two cups of equal size and fill will
wacr. Insert into one of them cuttings
of plants in leaf, and notice that in few
hours the water has entirely disappeared
from the cup containing the plants, while
the water in the other cup has not sensibly
diminished. From this experiment com
pute in your mind the vast quantity ex
haled into the atmosphere by u single tree
The largest steam boiler in the world, i
kept constantly boiling, would not evapo
rate more water in Il given time than thC
foliage of one large elm. Alta glance yol
will see that the ocean would not evap
crate as much water from square mile u
single maple would do, and we will al
admit that the whole earth would soon be
come 4 desert if it were not for this grea
power of vegetation.
But it was of leaves l promised to tel
you, and will say that there is no seen,
in nature more beautiful than the autumn
woods when they have attained their brill
Ant colors, and no scene more eXhilaratin;
or that inspires the mind with a brighte
happiness. Far and near from the woode
hills is displayed that spectacle of gold
scarlet and purple, rivaling in tints @
beauty any other scene. Many person
believe frost to be the limner of the fores
thinking it, perhaps, sort of dyeinG MA
erial. On the contrary, the slightest lroS
will destroy the tints Of all leaves touche
byit Seasons with early frosts rob the fol
est of its autumnal beauty, Warm sun
shine is also detrimental. as in their me
rdan beauty beat will damage as muc
a. frost. A hot and sunny day the first c
October will make as much havoc wit
the ash and maple as a freezing night
Either will cause them to fade and loos
their hold upon the branches, so that tn
first breeze will sweep them away.
Cool weather without frosts in autum
i, necessary to bring out all the beaut
and tints of coloring in the forest. AS tn
leaves ripen every species has its peculio
color or manner Of variegation. The m;
pie, more than all other trees combined,
the crowning glory of New England fol
est in autumn. The leaves of this TIE
are frequently variegated with yellow, rec
green and purple, sometimes as handson
as buttcrhy's wing, while the oak ma
be crimson and scarlet with only a sma
tint Of purple or yellow. But it is us'
less here to specify what we cannot full
describe. Though some trees show I
rich coloring, their peculiar rusty tint
necessary to the autumnal beauty of o!
frest, that crowns the turret of rock,
borders the crooked lane Or by-way Of Il
country, when all is beautiful, thong
speaking in unmistakable terms of Il
closing scenes of summer, which mu
soon give place to the SHOWS of winter.