The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-10-21
IOWA FIELDS AND WOODS.
coIors Mature

tree begins to prepare for the win
ter. All summer long the leaves have
! been filed with a green substance
which the scientists call chlorophyl-
word which comes from two Greek
words meaning light green and leaf.
The Office Of chlorophyl Is to manu-
facture plant food from the sunshine
and the soil water, converting them
growth of the tree. The leaves are
the chemical laboratories where the
food for the tree Is manufactured. In
natures wise and wondrous economy
nothing is wasted. When the tree be-
| gins to prepare for the winter these
through the leaf stalks into the tree
so that they shall not be lost While
these albuminoid matters are passing
| from the leaves to the twigs it is ne
cessary that they be protected from
the strong light and sore scientists
are OF the opinion that the coloring in
the leaves serves this purpose. But
here seems a clearer and better sea-
son than this for the coloring itself
All leaves contain yellow matter
called Xanthophyl and when the
green chloraphyl breaks up this yell
low xanthophyl is exposed. In some
trees this is the only change. The
leaves turn from green to yellow,
sometime turn rusty brown and fall.
But in other cases the breaking up
of the chlorophyl starts chemical
charges in coloring substance in the
leaf called anthocyanin. When such
ferments are only slightly acid the
coloring of the leaves is almost as blue
as in the beginning of the coloring OF
the ash. AS the acids are developed
reds of varying brilhancy are pro-
duced, depending 1t would seem. very
largely upon the amount of acidity.
| The scientists are frank to say that
the problem has not yet been CON.
pletely worked out; but these are its
main results. 1t may easily be under
stood that the mixtures of the various
substances in chemical changes may
result in an unlimited number OF
shades and tints of red, violet, purple,
orange, salmon and yellow as we see
them this week on the hillsides. And
thus both observation and science
seem to prove that the frost has very
little to do with the autumn coloring,
except as 1t stops the growth of the
leaf and starts these processe of de-
cay. They would not come so soon II
there were no frost. but they would
certainly come.
There is almost limitless material
for study in these autumn colora.
tons. The careful observer will soon
note that al the changes are from
dark to brighter tints, like the tints
of sunrise not like those OF sun
set. There may be here and there ar
exception but this is the genral rule
For example: The poison ivy begins
with a rose red and lightens to a cop
perry red and a golden yellow. Its
color depends somewhat upon its 10.
cation; it would seem the moister the
place the deeper the color. Along the
old river road southeast of the city
there is a gorgeous display OF it; al
most every leaf rich red. In Beaver
park, just at the left of the Grand
avenue entrance small tree is en-
circled with it; in this dryer place al
most every leaf is a golden yellow.
The ash trees have been more bauti
full this fall than they have been for
many years. The exquisite gradations
o. coloring have been unmarried by
frost. The coloring of this tree is one
OF the most interesting. 1t begins
with the faintest tinge of purple up
on the topmost leaves, as If a gossa-
mer veil of purple had been spread
over the upper part OF the tree. In d
day or two the purple tone on the
topmost leaves Is more decided and is
reaching down to touch the leaves
on the lower twigs. Then the leaves
begin to show chocolate tones, then
a coppery yellow, then salmon vel
low and sometimes almost a pure vel
low, just as the leaves are about to
| fall. AS the afternoon sun lights up
these gradations of color, there Is OF.
ten just a suggestion of lilac tinge,
giving peculiar beauty to the tree.
Panicled dogwood shows subtle shades
OF green and purple, it is one of the
most interesting of the shrubs in
October. The older wi'd cherry trees
ripen their leaves into a beautiful
wine color and often they begin to
tighten the hillsides in September
while most Of the other trees are
green. Among the most beautiful of
a.. the autumn leaves are those on the
young shoots of the wild cherry and
the choke cherry. They grade from
an exquisite rose red to a yellow. The
sycamore tree on the bonks of the
cIeek-there is one at Indian creek
across from the golf grounds-shows
fine contrasts of green and sepia; one
leaf may be perfect green while the
next is beautiful sepia with yellow
lines showing where the veins run.
Even the common blackberry adds its
crimson and chestnut hues to the
glory of the hedge rows. Often the
hawthorne shows leaves almost as
brilliantly scarlet as its fruit. The
wahoo. or burning bush, begins with
crimson liphtans IN n rose rod and a