The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-12-19
FUNCTION OF LEAVES.

correspondence OF the Progressive Farmer
The leaves Of our forest trees appear
in the spring Of the year, and in the
course Of thirty days have attained
their full growth, and in our field crops
we see them form and, before they are
fully grown, younger ones appear.
What function do the leaves per
tormH And why is it that many of our
trees will die during the summer il the
leaves are stripped off and kept so9
Careful analysis Of wood shows it to
be largely composed of starch, the
greater portion Of which is carbon.
Scientists teach us that the function Of
the leaves and the unripe fruit is to
gather carbon from the atmosphere, in
the form Of carbonic acid gas, and
store it in the bodies of the trees for
the purpose Of furnishing the next
years growth OF leaves, wood and
fruit; that this starch by the presence
OF diastase ia converted into sugar,
then into gum, and then into lignin or
wood, and that any excess remaining
after the leaves and growing fruit have
been thus supplied is discharged
through the leaves and petals of the
blossoms or blooms, in the form Of
honey dew.
The leaves of all our trees are dis
charged on the approach Of frost, and
in warmer climates the leaves are dis
charged, as the trees are supplied with
starch. This starch is one of the most
abundant elements in vegetable life,
and furnishes the first food to all young
plants and animals in form OF sugar,
having undergone the change by the
presence of diastase. The first food of
the newborn babe and the infant corn
or wheat plant is the same (sugar Of
milky.
But as soon as the plant sends out
root, it then begins to imbibe the earthly
matter from the soil, and as the leaves
are put forth, they begin to feed on
carbon from the atmosphere The
structure Of the leaf furnishes an in
teresting field for instruction, it's many
T-.rds. cells. jumps, and star Oh reposi
tories are all 80 adjusted as to show the
highest order Of intelligence in it's me
chanical structure.
In order to have good crops, We
mrs s. see to the health and food Of our
plants so that they may have plenty
of large healthy leaves. Tt is the leaves
that feed the tubers in the soil, such as
potatoes, turnips, carrots, beets, etc.
Now il our plants are weak and sickly
they may make fair crop, but it will
require mu3h more time, so that good
strong seed, next to the land, is of
paramount Importance. It will prove
to our children as we'll as many adults
a source Of much pleasure and interest
to dissect leaf by cutting it apart and
viewing the various parts through
microscope and to see how the Creator
has furnished it with the laboratory to
carry On it's work. It is a very com
mon sight to behold our fields and
clothed in verdure, but how little do
many CT ue know why so many leaves
and SO many shapes are necessary
Yet every shape, and every leaf has
fu notion to perform. The hickory tree
has long leaf, the cell construction of
the wood is long rendering it tough
and durable. Toe sweet gum leaf ia
short lobed, its wood cells warped and
twisted, rendering it brittle; so with
all growing plants, a beautiful analogy
exists between the wood or tuber and
the leaves. Nothing but leaves ,
Yet how little would we have il we
had no leavAa F. sssze,- ma
Wake O.. NO.