Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-01
AUTUMN LEAVES.
The Cause of Their AutumnaI Change
of Color.

begins with the grasses that turn
golden and orange. and red. Then it
affects the low-lying herba ge-the
running vines. Before October has
arrived the woodvine is darkly red
d.Ded and the poison ivy; and early
in that month we enjoy the deep
blooi-color Of the towering raspberry.
the brighter red of the blackberry
leaves. and soon the sumacs are abaze
all along the roadside and by the
edges of the woods. Reds, lakes and
warm brown seem, indeed, the pre-
vailing tints OF October, yet yellow is
abundant. Among the earliest trees
to turn are the scarlet naples. doubly
CONSPICUOUS because still surrounded
by so much green. Equally scarlet
Is the dosu God. and later are certain
oaks: other oaks are deep crimson or
srecnish yellow. Yellow is the color
of the hickorics. the chestnuts, the
poplars. the bceches and some other
trees. while the ashes are noticca Bile
for their curious mulberry or purple
ish-l.bn folidErs at this season, and
the cedars become rusty olive, much
of the beauty of this adorable season
comes before frost and cold have
reached US at all; and in fact, many
kinds of leaves become discolored and
fall in mid-summer-those of the
pincs ana hcmlocks, for example. In
hot climates the process takes place
gradually. throughout the year, new
foliage constantly replacing the old,
one leaf at d time. In tropical orr
sub-tropiral regions, where long.
hot. dry period follows short rainy
one. NEST trees become brown and
presently perfectly bare, reviving and
putting forth fresh verdure when the
next rainy season begins. Here the
donudation of foliage is in preparation
for the heated resting season enforced
by drought IN the north it is in
preparation for cold weather. when
great harm would come to trees were
they filled With the rising sap which
the presence of growing leaves i'll
duceS.
The primary cause of the whitening
Of the leaves i'll autumn, then, is the
chilling Of the soil, and the process
advances far before it is accelerated
or completed by freezing. Roots arr
unable to absorb rs much water i'll
cool soil as in Warm-are stopped
from it altogether in very cold earth.
They ought not to be urged to do it
by the pumping leaves: and so the
leaves, partly To relieve the plant Of
their demand. are cast off. With tn"
first reduction of temperature i'll the
soil and consequent lesscning of water
with its dissolved sustenance) from
the roots. the protoplasm begins to
viii the leaves In ''tUpr-
green leaves. which are fitted by their
compact shape ana other properties to
resist wintry influences. the grains of
green col"rinS matter (chlcrophyD
sink to the cells underlying the
surfaca ana are half hidden, so that
these leaves become dull in color,
yelled under 4 film Of empty surface
cells IN the leaves Of deciduous trees
however such as our ordinary hard
woods. the chlorOrhyl disappears
altogether, retreating with the other
protoplasmic materials into thu
branches stem, and other more shell |
tered parts of the. plants, there IS
present in all plants a varying color |
ing matter called ,anthocynin, which !
may include a conspieX group of pig +,
ments. 1t is usually met with where |
ChlOrGphyl is scant,. or absent, as III |
flowers and fruits (Which owes to 1t |
their gay hues), ami along the stalks |
and skeletons of leaves. 1t is formed |
and accumulated especially in fast |
growing tissues, 50 that buds, young !
leaves and sprouting tWigs are often
rcd. The growth of the top OF SOFT
maple is almost as scarlet as 1t Will !
be again in October. After it the
formation of green (chlorOphyD su- !
pcrceeds it: but one OF the accompani- !
mcnts of the decay of leaves in au- |
tumn is the reformation Of antho- |
syanin. which appears red in the cell
sap. when certain acids are present |
and violet when their quantity is very !
small Thus are formed the scarletS, |
crimsons, and puppies, in endless vari- |
ely Of tint. density, and mass. when |
paint such leaves as those of the Vir-
ginia crceper, sugar maple. barbcrry'
sl.macs. and hundred others that !
lcrd glory to our autumn WOODS.
Mingled with it in some leaves, stand |
ing along i'll others which for time |
seem rlates Of pure gold are inuner-
able crystals of bright yellow oXalate !
of lines, and it is tc this material |
that the yellow of the leaves of pop |
lars. aspcnS, brchcs. and similar trees
is duo. 1t is a mineral deposit of no |
further use to the rlaEt-left there to
he thrown away, and its final service
it this of beauty. soon both these
CRYSTALS and the anthocyanin change
to dull huns. and the leaf becomes a
dead brown or whit" and falls to the
rround.-New York Evening Post.