Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-22
AUTUMN LEAVES.
why They Turn Red At the Close Of
Warm Weather

This exquisite sunset of the year, begins
with the grasses that turn golden and
orange, and red Then it affects the low
lying herbace-the running vines. Be
fore October has arrived the woodvine Is
darkly redeemed and the poison ivy; and
early in that month We enjoy he deep
blood-Color Of the lowering raspberry. the
brighter red of the bla ckberry leaves, and
soon the sumacs are ablaze all along the
roadside and by the edges OF the woods
Reds lakes and warm brown seem. in
decd, the prevailing tints of october, Yet
yellow IS abundant. Among the earliest
trees to trun are the scarlet naples ;, |
dOubly conspicuous because stlll sur
rounded by SO much green Equally scar
let is the dogwood. and later are certain
oaks; other oaks are deep crimson or .
greenish yellow yellow is the color OF
the hckories. the chestnuts. the poplars.
the bcoches and some other trees while
the ashes are noticeable for their curious
mulberry or purpliSh-ldke fOiages at Thu
sea son. and the ccdars become rusty olive,
much of the beauty of this adorable sea-
son comes before frost and cold have
reached us at all; and in fact, many kinds
of leaves become disColorcd and fall in
mid Summer-those Of the pines and hem
locks, for example, In hot climates the
process takes place gradually, through
out the year, new foliage constantly re-
placing the old, one leaf at time. In
tropical or sub-tropical regions. where a |
ong, hot, dry period follows short rainy
ono most trees become brown and pre-
sently perfectly bare, reviving and put |
ting forth fresh verdue when the next
rainy season begins. Here the lenuja-
ton Of foliage is in preparation for the
heated resting season enforced by
drought. In the north ii is in prepara- |
tion for cold weather when great harm
would come to trees We're they filed with
the rising sap which the presence of
growing leaves induces.
The primary cause of the whitening OF
the leaves in autumn, then. is the chilli
ms Of the soil and the process advances
far before il is accelerated or completed
by freezing, Roots are unable to absorb
a much water in cool soil as in warm
are estopncd from it altogether IN very
cold earth. They ought not to he Urged
to do it by the pumping leaves: and 50
the leaves, partly TO relieve the plant Of
their demand, are cast off With the tir> t
reduction OF temperature in the soil and
consequent leSsening of water with its
dissolved sustenance) from the roots, the
protoplasm begins to withdraw from the
leaves. In evergreen" leaves, which are
nttcd by their compact shape and other
properties to resist Wintry Influences the
grains of green coloring matter tchlo-
rophyD sink to the cells underlying the
surface. and are half hidden, so thar
these leaves become dull in color, yelled
under film of empty surface cells. In
the leaves of dccduous trees however,
such Is our ordinary hard woods. tho
chlorophyl disappears altogether retrcat-
ing with the other protoplaSmic mater
ials into the branches, stem, and other
more sheltered parts of the plants, there
is present in all plants a varying color
ing matter called anthocynin, which may
include Il complex group of pigments. 1t
is usually met with whore Chlorophyl is
scant or absent, as in flowers and fruits
(Which owes to it their gay hues), and
along the stalks and skeletons of leaves
1t is formed and accumulated especially IN
fast growing tissues, so that buds, young
leaves. and sprouting twigs are often
red The growth of the top of a soft
maple is almost as scarlet as it will be
| again in october. After bit the forma-
| ton of green (chlorophyD supersedes il
but one of the Accomplishments of the de-
cay Of leaves in autumn is the reforms-
| tion of anthocyanin. which appers red in
the cell sap, when certain acids are pre-
sent, and violet when their quantity is
very small Thus are formed the scar
lets, crmsons, and puppies, in endless
variety or tint, density. and mass. which
paint such leaves as those of the Virginia
creeper. sugar maple. barherry sumacs.
and hundred others that lend glory to
our autumn woods Mingled with it in
some leaves, standing along in others
which for time seem plates OF pu,N
sold, are Vulnerable crystals of bright
yellow oXalate OF lines. and ii is to this
material that the yellow of the leaves Of
| poplars, aspens hrChes and similar trees
is due. 1t is a mineral deposit OF no
further use to tho plant-left there to be
thrown away, and its anal service is this
Of beauty. soon both these crystals and
the anthocyanin change to duh hues and
the leaf becomes a dead brown or white
and falls to the ground.-New York
Evening Post.