Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-11-01
LEAVES AND FLOWERS.
ORIGINAL CoLORS AND AUTUMNAI
CHANGES IN PLANT LIFE.

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ORIGINAL COLORS AND AUTUMNA
CHANGEs IN PLANT LIFE.
The corOlIa of flowers is composed {
delicate leaves which are either color
less (white) or variegated; rarely green
The yellow color is caused by pecul
Jar pigment (coloring matter) calle
anthoxanthine. The pigments pro
dnc,Dg the blue and red colors of flow
ers, mostly dissolved in the aaueou
moisture of the cells, show in thei
multifarIous shades, from the red o
the Papaver Rh0cas to the blue of th
Gentiana. 80 great homOgeneity il
chemical tests that the supposition o
their being of identical composition
appears justified, as against the usua
distinction Of two pigments-ery
throphy and anthocvane. Cross breed
ing increases the number of colol
shades. The influence of light ani
heat upon the formation of colors and
their variations is different species
even through the latter may be closely
related. No fixed laws have as YET
been discovered fer the changes, vari
atioDs and shades in corolla colors, but
SO much is apparently proven. namely
that the colors are intended to attract
insects for the purpose of formulation
Little. however, is known with regard
to the chemical composition and action
of corolla colors or pigments and the
causes of variations, etc.
A leaf Is composed of great mum.
ber of cells, the walls of which are
brown. In the Spring aud Summer
these cells are all filled with fluid, COL
ored with minute grains of red, yellow
and other pigments, which, mixed to-
gether, appear green. In the Autumn,
through the cold. oxidation and other
changes take place in the leaf cells, de
stroying more or less rapidly certain
of the color elements. As soon as one
of these elements is gone the leaf no
longer appears a normal green, but as
sumes the shade of the remainder of
the color elements mixed together
When only the red element is left the
leaf is red; when the yellow alone re
m aims the leaf is yellow, and when all
the coloring matter has gone the leaf
is brown. Frost is not the sole cause
of the changes of the color, but it is
an important cause. The more grad
ual the changes of temperature from
summer heat to winter cold the great
er will be the variety and brilliancy in
the colorings of the Autumn leaves.
It has always been a deep mystery to
the botanist why leaves change color
Ia the autumn. According to the Bos-
ton Sunday Post, Or. Silas Weir
Mitchell, the author, of Philadelphia,
who is one of the trustees of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, has offered
prize of 500. open to the world, for
the best essay on the subject. The
learned botanist who is asked why
leaves change color in autumn will re-
ply that "the chlorophy breaks up and
dec0mpOses when the cold strikes the
leaves, causing the granules to lose
their color" To put the same idea
into plain language it should be ex.
plained that the cblorophy pigment is
the green coloring matter of plants =
Seen under the microscope it takes
the form of minute granules. The
coloring matter may be extracted from
the granules by chemical processes. and
it then appears as green rosin-like
powder. When dissolved this powder
separates into two colors, yellow and
blue or greenish blue. When the au.
tumn comes and the protecting warmth
of the sun is withdrawn the acids in
the tree are able to begin their destruc
tive work on the little granules that
give color to the leaf, and the leaf be.
gins to die gradually. AS the acids eat
deeper and deeper into the little balls
that cause the leaves to be green in
color in the summer time the blue and
the yellow that are IN the green are set
free and assume their own colors.-
Sometimes particular leaf has more
yellow than blue cOloring in it's green.
Then the leaf assumes the former hue
and turns to golden tint. If there is
more blue than yellow then the blue
predominates as the leaf changes its
hue, and Instead of yellow it turns
purple. Vegetable acids turn blue to
red. and in that way nature is able to
add another color to the gorgeous tints
of the autumnal forest. Tne acids do
not change leaf all at once to the col
or it is destined to take. The process
of change is gradua! in all the leaves.
Some will begin to change color at one
end. Others will be touched gently in
spots by natures paint brush. In
either case the effect is beautiful. The
leaf may turn red at the edges. or the
green become spotted with yellow. or
purple blotches appear on the green
background. As the first colors deepen
and others begin to form in their turn
one leaf assumes several hues and be.
comes prettily variegated.
A Hard Debt to Pay.
II owe debt of gratitude that can
never be paid off" writes g. 8. Clark,
of Westield, Iowa, "for my rescue