270 NATURAL APPEARANCES 



he seeks the cheerful fire-side, and even gloomy 

 November has its charms. 



The Fall of tlit Leaf . 



We now perceive the effects of approaching win- 

 ter in the woods and gardens. Almost all the plants 

 are losing their leaves, their chief ornament. The 

 most natural way this can be accounted for is from 

 the cold ; for the leaves are no sooner covered with 

 frost than they begin to fall in abundance, and all 

 the vegetables are stripped of their clothing. It can- 

 not be otherwise, as the cold causes the sap to stag- 

 nate in the plants. But the cold is not the only cause 

 of the leaves falling ; for they fall when it does not 

 freeze the whole winter, and when the trees are even 

 put into green-houses to preserve them from cold. 

 It is therefore probable that other causes also contri- 

 bute to strip the trees. But we must not suppose, 

 that these fallen leaves are entirely lost, and of no 

 use Reason and experience teach the contrary. 

 These leaves, which grow rotten when they are fall- 

 en, make manure for the ground. The snow and 

 vain wash the salts out of them, and convey them to 

 the roots of the trees. These strewed leaves, heaped 

 together upon the young plants, preserve their roots. 

 They cover also the seeds, and keep them warm 

 and moist. This is more particularly observed in 

 respect to the oak leaves. They afford excellent 

 manure, not only to the tree itself, but also to its 

 shoots; and are also very useful for forest-pasture, 



