The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-12-17
Nature Study.
AUTUMN WOODS.


Mrs T. L. Stevens, West Raleigh, N. C.
correspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
Though everyone admires the glory
of the autumn woods, few are aware
how imperfect are the oolors hat
make up tn s gorgeous panorama. We
speak of the scarlet and crimson of
the maple, the oak and of many
shrubs; but there is very little pure
scarlet, crimson or purple among
these tints. If it we're otherwise
they would afford us less pleasure.
Pure color spread over so wide an
extent would be too intense for per
tect enjoyment. All the dyes of
autumn foliage are sobered by the
admlxture of some earthly hue,
something that prevents their rival
ling the tints of heaven. Green and
yellow are often seen in their purity
in the leaves of trees crimson and
scarlet are seldom pure, except in
some parts of the brightest leaves.
The colors of the leaves will not
bear comparison with those of flow
ers either in purity or variety yet
when viewed from d distance and
Illuminated by sunshine they seem
nearly pure. Red leaves of different
shades IN sunshine produce at q dis
lance the effect of crimson or scarlet,
chocolate hues that of purple, and
brown shat of orange.
The hues of autumn are not very
conspicuous before the middle of
September-the season of change,
Of course, varying with climatic CON-
ditions.
Some species are perfectly uniform
in their oolors. The poplar and
birch for example, are invariably
yellow, the sumach chiefly red !;
while the naples display as many
colors as if they were different
species. But each individual tree
shows nearly the same every year.
The first coloration is usually seen
at the veins of the leaf extending
Outwardly until the whole is tinted.
Sometimes it appears in spots like
drops of blood on the green surface.
In the foliage of trees that assume a
variety of ~colors, yellow generally
predominates in the interior of the
mass, red and purple on the outside.
When the season is favorable the
ash is a tree that perhaps attracts
most attention and admiration. Its
development of color is unique. First
there is 4 dark bronze, turning from
this to a chocolate, then to a violet
brown and finally 80 a salmon color
or yellow with a slight shade of lilac.
Ii is rather remarkable that with all
this variety of color never a tint of
scarlet or crimson is seen in the ash
1t is a rule worth remembering that
all the gradations of autumn tints in
all cases are in this order-that is to
say, in the order of those of the SUM-
rise-from dark to lighter hues,
never in the reverse. This of course
does not refer to the scared, brown
leaves.
The oaks are among the later trees
to their autumn dress and
they are seldom brilliant. In their
foliage there is a predominanoe of
''learher colOrs" with Il considerable
mixture of certain reds peculiar TO
the oak. We rarely find yellow or
SCARLET leaves in the foliage of any
species of oak. The white oak turns,
purple or impure violet. The black
and red oaks display varying and
imperfect shades of drab and orange.
AS has been suggested before, the
trees assume very much the same
shades year after year, other things
being equal, of course A rainy or
dry season, sharp frost and anumber
of other Conditions have a marked
effect upon the autumn oOlOFing.
The following lists may be helpful
to the student interested in the sub
jeot: The althea, elder, willow, and
Locust remain unchanged during the
autumn with now and then a o N
siderable mixture of yellow. leaves
before they tall.
A general mixture of rusty green
and yellow, sometimes pure yellow
under favorable circumstances with
the rust only attached to dead leaves
or the dead parts of leaves, appears
among the black walnut, butternut,
oatalpa, chestnut, elm, grape vine,