The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-11-03

ties.
The lover of nature will first glance
at the flowers and their beautiful col
ors, but his eye fingers longest upon
the trees and their quivering leaves;
their arrangement and soft musical
flutterings not only attract the eye but
gives one a sense of companionship.
Looking upon plants and trees and the
great variety of shrubs of beautiful In
summer time, the soul must be dark In
deed that finds no avenue of commun-
ion between itself and natures God, the
Creator of All,
The star-shaped leaf of the maple and
the birch, with their artistic shaped
forms and finely notched edges, have
sound when stirred by the west winds
like harps long way off.
The bright firm leaf of the oak tree
so wavey- edged, and the wrinkled sur
face Of the elm, the still more artistic
form of the willow leaf, so perfect.
Place them beside the peach tree leaf,
the leaves of the apple and pear tree,
and let the brain or soul in search OF
Divine mysteries tell If they can dis
cover the secret why the leaves of trees
are fashioned in form and beauty If the
creator ulu uul uSSlSI W iiis--AS' l't1Atethi-
ity happy or possibly the trees them
selves, since their own attraction and
sounds made by their quivering leaves
may be voices eloquent with soft and
soul-thinking music, heard and under
stood by the invisible minister of inf
mite love and mercy by which we are
surrounded.
The clouds of unseen witnesses may
hear anthems in the air when the winds
touch the different leaves, and each Pc
culiar leaf may be made to strike new
er and sweeter notes in natures an
thems of praise. Vino shall say?
The sap in the leaves Of trees is an
ether mystery requiring the aid of acri-
cultural science to reveal to common
minds. Take, for instance the grape
leaf and break it off from the parent
Vine 1t has after a few moments a
dead wilted appearance. Hold it in the
hand a minute or two longer and 1t
falnts like human being who has been
fatally wounded, and no longer seems
to feel the vital currents running
through it. You have by breaking ii
from the stem cut off the flow Of sap
which goes to all parts Of the leaf, Just
as the blood goes to the heart Of the
human organism. Cut the hand from a
human body and it will become useless
and dead in few hours The vital sap
is to leaf what the blood is to the
hand Stop the flow of sap and the leaf
withers and dies; there are other char
acteristics of the leaves that resemble
the human body. Look at a leaf
through a microscope and the most
simple leaf possesses ribs that spread
out in all directions running from the
main rib or backbone to the extreme
edge. Those are the framework; they
are to the leaf what the keel is to a
ship, or backbone and ribs of an animal
or human being; they give support to
the leaf, without which it would droof
and wither; with this support it be
comes strong and lovely, capable OF
withstanding wind and rain. The
framework of the large leaves like
grape leaves or rhubard, dock and 9TH
er broad leaves are firm and solid, hold
ing the large surface firmly supported;
the sap running through them is like
strong currents and it requires longer
time for such leaves to wither.
There are stiff leaves that require
only small ribs, among which are the
pear and orange, which have one strong
rib and smaller veins. The orange lea1
is so firm that it does not require such
support or firm ribs like the rhubar6
plant. The sap seems to permeate ev-
cry portion Of the orange and Tenor
leaf, but the upper side is deeper greer
in color than the under surface. In the
grape leaves the under surface is GOV.
cred with a fine white down or furzt
which is very peculiar, and no one car
tell what use this furze can have unless
nature thus provides shelter for small
insects which generally take up theil
abode on those leaves in midsummer
If the leaf is torn asunder, or take any
portion of it off, you can tell the nature
of the down, for there will appear soft
delicate fibres across the wounded
parts.
The silver leaf is one Of the mos
beautiful studies in the botanical sci
ence. There is silvery substance o
brilliant Wilderness on the upper surfac,
which makes the whole leaf beautiful
and when the tree is in full foliage tn,
silver leaf poplar is one of the mos
beautiful trees in the forest, the fines
seen In park or garden where orna
fueHldl LEttS are III
branches move gracefully in the wind
and the leaves radiate with glowing
light.
There are some leaves of singula,
shape, among them leaves of corn ant
some of the broad bladed grasses Th'
leaf of the saddle flower which Il
shaped like a boot and holds waite
enough TO moisten the plant for days
This leaf Is very peculiar. The oil
fashioned name was side Saddle flow
err" II liz one of the odd characters Ii
the floral Kingdom and may be termed
an exile The flower is extremely odd
OF rich purple In color and has stiff
stalk standing UP surrounded general,
by six leaves all standing out lIk
small butter boats half filled with wat
or. At midday they catch more tina!
their share Of rain.
There are other peculiar leaves natu
raj to New England forests. whose his
tory and characteristics would All vol
uInes.
There is one plant called the 'Pl:che
Plant or "Chinesc Pedlar" yer!
queer II has a main rib or backbon
which extends out like tendrll am
ends like a small pitcher, having - wei
shaped cover which closes In the sun
shiEc and opens at eve The rain doc
sf%it. s.tf.h.r sa nfkXa fylt a