New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-03
AUTUMN LEAF GATHERING.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS AND SOME
SCIENTIFIC FACTS.
ANY FORCE WHICH PREVENTS THE LEAF Full
FILLING ITS FUNCTIONS Will CAUSE
1T To CHANGE COLOR.

1T To CHANGE COLOR.
| The DAYS have come for the changing and the
falling Of the leaf and the wonderful beauty Of the
autumnal foliage Is In perfection. Now Is the time
| to arrange winter bouquets rs memcntos of pleas
ant rambles Dried grasses are graceful. and add
much TO the beauty of n group Of leaves and
flowers: they blend well with all colors, their
tints neutral
Sea lavender will dry just 1t grows on the
marshes. making ethereal effect Of delicate
lavender flowers Dried leaves and flowers, Ike
| the fresh ones. generally more effective ar
ranged separately. though some combinations are
beautiful and when grasses are added arrange
ment could be preter
Do not however. attempt put any other
growth with the sea lavender. for in combination
! With other effects its exquisite mistlke charm
Is at destroyed Milkweed pods just bursting
into silky puffs Of down lovely for tho winter
| bunch of flowers. They must be gathered befors
! they fully ripe. just when IT'S pods begin 10
| open: If left until ripe the down which contains
| the seed vessels fulhs its object and floats far
and wide scattering It's seed
The white everlastng-a desirable addition to the
| winter bouquet Il remains intact and un-
changed. according its name-needs some bright
| companion TO add TO It's effectiveness A brilliant
cluster Of leaves. sprays Of bttersweet berries or
the brilliant red berries Of the mountain ash are
| harmonious.
To arrange effectively the beautiful berries Of
the bittersweet gather lorg sprays. such grow
the fences and wreathe about bushes graceful
weavngs Of scarlet and orange; remove all leaves
and place the sprays in their natural forms
| wild clematis gathered the blossoms
fall In September. or late In August will soon de-
| velop into soft gray. feathery puffs. whose long
| branching sprays mingled with the interlacing
bittersweet make exquisite drcora zion for win
| ter
| FAILING OF THE LEAVES
The poetical falling of the lear is produced by
the formation of thir layer Of vegetable tissue
at the point where the leaf stem joins the branch.
After the leaf stem ceaaes to make sugar ano
starch for the tree this tissue begins 10 grow and
actually cuts the leaf of The leaves do not drift
down merely because the wind sweeps through
the branches and bends the dry stems; trees cast
| Off those members that are no longer useful to
| their growth and vigor. When the leaf falls the
scar left It's branch IL quickly healed over that
| none of the sap needed by the tree may escape.
The scientists say that its change of color is NOT
entirely due TO FROST force which prevents IN"
leaf fulfilling its functions will cause II TO change
| color: these differences caused by changes N
the grains Of the color pigments" The green color
which s Characteristic OF the greater part OF Vege
able life Is really complex In it's composition 1t
| is not produced in plant life excepting when the
| sun shines II Is the result Of combination or
| colors which. when mixed, appear green
A leaf colored otherwise than green is not In its
| natural condition but In some process OF decay
Red is color element or leaves TeuuISn coiViS
are usually in a liquid form in the sap contained
in the leaf cells Yellow is another principal color
| element: this combined with green Is the natural
shade Of the grains Of pigment within each cell
Brown is the natural color OF the walls or the
cells and the wonderful combination OF all these
colors is the green tint Of plant life. When any
one Of these colors disappears the effect OF It's re-
naming colors clustered in that particular place IL
changed.
II an autumn leaf is red the color is due TO the
fact that only the red pigment is left. II yellow
all the pigments are destroyed excepting tho
minute yellow grains. II the leaf Is brown II
is dead all living color has disappeared leaving
only the walls OF tho cell Tho leaves begin TO
turn or lose their color pigments before the frost
comes but frost hastens the destructive action
already beginning TO take place.
ANY climatic condition that causes the gradual
death of the leaves produces high variety or
color A long autumn, when the days gradually
cool from summer heat winters codness. makes
the most foliage. When the frosts come sharp
and early. and the days change from hot 10 cold;
the leaves turn brown and the exqu'8i'e beauty oi
the fading year is lost 1900 ..,,,,
Crimson and scarlet leaves. the most beau, dIu
parts of this country Eulopcans nave ave, vainy en-
sntng our 20 Forest trees but they refuse give
the lovely tints that beauiify our landscape; ros
than thew do in the West on account of the damp
Of soil This s1gn may so of o
NAPLES and the IN sSwns
colors Of crimson. scarlet, yellow ana rlch prohhe'
POISONOUS EFFECTS
The autumn leaf gatherer should beware OF this
,eunt,ne plant that offers such dazzling combina-
lions OF color for the winter bouquet. TOT lts
poisonous effects worse than those OF the
poison-ivy
OF the many ways suggested for preserving
| autumn leaves. pressing them between two sheets
~ h,o,inp naper until all moisture Is absorbed IS
the best and most enduring method. They should
| he held down by heavy weights. II all the MOST
| ure is pressed out within three or four hours the
leaves will retain their brilliancy for an indelniie
| neriod provided the does not shine dlrecuy
| upon them II the leaves are not Thoroughly orleu
they will turn brown -, . ,,,,. and
| Now that they are going 10 their brilliant ana
lovely death. that the trees are strewlng men
beauty broadcast. they should be gathered TIL w
messed In order to arrest the deadly decay. mus
their loneliness can he made to last until announcer
fall shall bring again colorings as exquisite