76 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 207. 



people have a right to resort. New Bedford, with 45,000 people, 

 has seven and three-fourtlis acres of common, notliing be- 

 sides, and Gloucester, with 25,000 people, has no public area 

 of any kind. ^ „ rr 



Franklin Falls, N. H. /. B. HarrtSOlt. 



Forests and the Flow of Streams — an Eighteenth 

 Century Opinion. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest ; 



Sir, — Much has been written of the influence of forests and 

 their destruction upon the flow of rivers, but in all the Htera- 

 ture of the subject there is, perhaps, nothing more curious 

 than the following passage from the History of the Three 

 Provinces, South Carolina, Georgia atid East Florida, by Wil- 

 liam Gerard de Braham, Esq., His Majesty's Surveyor-General 

 for the Southern District of JSJorth America, reprinted, so far 

 as relates to Georgia, in 1849, by Mr. George Wymberly Jones, 

 from the manuscript preserved in the Library of Harvard 

 College. The author's investigation of the natural features 

 of the Province of Georgia and the adjacent regions ex- 

 tended from 1751 to 1771. The first settlenient of Georgia 

 had been made by Governor Oglethorp in 1732, and Braham 

 tells us that "the Introduction of Sawing, Stamp and grind- 

 ing Mills was almost as Early as the Settling of the Province ; 

 for which Purpose several Streams, Rivers and Rivulets 

 proved very Convenient, but some Rivulets have disap- 

 peared two or three years after being chosen, and left the Mills 

 dry, for the following reasons : The Rivulets, as well, as all 

 Rivers and Streams are both sides bordered with large For- 

 ests, either low Swamp or high Oak Land, of which the Under- 

 takers of Mills cleared only a small spot of the Trees for the Mill, 

 above which they carried across the Rivulet a Dam, by which 

 the Rivulet overtlowed its Shores, and spread its water all over 

 the adjacent lowest Land of the Forrest ; the Trees of which 

 ( : being Air Plants : ) became Subject to the Destruction pro- 

 ceeding from stagnant Water. In short all the Trees perished, 

 their old Roots shrunk from their Barks, and the young Roots 

 with their Barks shrunk from the Earth, so that either between 

 Bark and Root or between Bark and Earth Openings ap- 

 peared, and the Ground thus perforated became like unto a Sieve, 

 through which the Waters of the Rivulets sunk down to the 

 Quick Sand, where they will continue sinking, until these Pas- 

 sages in course of time are stopt up. This Evil might have 

 been prevented, had they laid out the Land intended to reserve 

 the Mill water into a Field, and planted it for two or three 

 years, and during this time grubbed up all Roots, for which 

 Labour the Crops would have richly rewarded, them ( : when 

 the Field overrun with Grass : ) had run the Dam across the 

 Rivulet, so they would have kept their Mill water on their old 

 Fields without danger of ever losing it." 

 Brunswick, Ga. ^- ^- 



Meetings of Societies. 



The Western New York Horticultural Society. — II. 



WE herewith continue the report of this meeting, 

 which was begun last week. The first paper 

 quoted was by Mr. Wm. McMillan, Superintendent of 

 Parks in the city of Buffalo, and it was entitled 



OUR AUTUMN FOLIAGE. 



It is a well-known fact that the autumn colors of the foliage 

 of American fields and forests are much more brilliant than 

 the tints assumed by the ripening foliage of the woods and way- 

 sides of Europe. This notable difference is usually attributed 

 solely to the difference in climate, and more especially to the 

 relatively larger amount of svinshine in America. This ex- 

 planation may seem i-easonable if the comparison be made 

 with the north-westei-ly half of Europe, where the autumn 

 weather is much cooler and cloudier than here. But the skies 

 of southern Europe are said to be as clear as our own. Near 

 the Mediterranean the autumn days are milder and brighter 

 than in any of our northern and eastern states. Yet the far- 

 famed sunny sky of Spain, of Italy, or of Greece does not color 

 the ripening foliage either on trees or underbrush so strongly 

 or so generally as the American sun does, whether the season 

 here be clear or cloudy. Difference of climate, therefore, can- 

 not be the sole reason, perhaps not the chief one. 



There is a common belief that frost is a principal agent in 

 producing the most striking tints, and hence we often hear the 

 remark made that the most highly colored leaves are tinged 

 by frost. This must seem a strange delusion to any one who 



watches closely the development of the different shades on the 

 earliest species that ripen long before the first touch of frost. 

 In fact, it may be noted that, as a rule, the brightest tints, 

 whether of red or yellow, and the most extensive display of 

 either, appear during the first half of the season ; and the trees 

 . and shrubs which turn later show their best hues when the 

 advent of frost is longest delayed. When frost finally comes 

 all foliage susceptible to its touch shows that its action is al- 

 ways to tarnish and never to varnish. Yet it is so easy and 

 natural to reason that autumn leaves are bright-colored be- 

 cause they are frost-bitten, that it is quite probable .this will 

 always remain the common belief. 



If, then, the influence of frost is always to blur rather than 

 to brighten the foliage, and if also, as is generally conceded, 

 our northern states are subject to the first killing frost at an 

 earlier date than in Europe, the more gorgeous coloring of 

 our autumn woods must seem strangely anomalous if it occur 

 in spite of these disadvantages. I can account for this ap- 

 parent anomaly only by assuming that it is due to the inherent 

 quality of the plants rather than to the outward acdon of the 

 elements ; in other words, that it is due to the difference in the 

 species most prevalent in each country rather than to differ- 

 ence in climate. Of the species most showy or abundant here, 

 none are indigenous in Europe. Conversely, this explanation 

 is confirmed by observing that most, if not all, of the European 

 trees and shrubs cultivated here show even a less body of 

 color than in their native country. As a general rule, Euro- 

 pean trees and shrubs grown here retain their foliage much 

 later than American plants of related genera. Consequently, 

 our first frosts come on foliage still partially green, and the 

 effect is to stain or wither rather than to color. 



If, then, the high color of our autumn foliage is due to the 

 difference in the species of our trees and shrubs, it may be 

 interesting to note some of the kinds that are brightest or most 

 abundant. It will be seen that the number of species is com- 

 paratively few, and that the gorgeous appearance of our forests 

 and fields in autumn is owing rather to the general or exten- 

 sive distribution of these few kinds. The earliest tree to herald 

 the approach of autumn is the Red Maple. It is closely followed 

 by the Virginia Creeper, the Sour Gum, and the several species 

 of Sumach. All of these assume intense shades of red, and 

 their great abundance makes them everywhere conspicuous. 

 Later, the various shades of yellow appear on the Sugar Maple, 

 the Swamp Ashes, the Small-nut Hickories, Butternut, Tulip- 

 tree, Poplar, Birch, Larch, Spice Bush, Witch-hazel and Yel- 

 low Root. 



If the season be favorable a considerable body of darker or 

 duller shades of yellow is furnished by the Elm, Beech, Walnut, 

 Chestnut, Basswood, Mountain Ash and Grape-vine. Mean- 

 while, as the earlier species with reddish leaves drop their 

 foliage, the various shades of red and reddish purple are con- 

 tinued by the Red and the Scarlet Oaks, Sweet Gum, Horn- 

 beam, Shadbush, Hazel, and the several species of Dogwood, 

 Viburnum, Whortleberry and Blackberry. This list is not 

 large, but each species is very widely represented in all our 

 northern woods and by-ways. There are a few other species 

 not so widely distributed that may show on close inspection 

 remarkably bright tints and variegations, such as the Buckeye, 

 Sassafras and Honey Locust, but at a distance these contribute 

 very little to the general display. 



We are wont to speak of autumn leaves as being golden, 

 orange, scarlet, crimson, purple, etc., but these terms are 

 rarely accurate on close inspection. When illuminated by 

 sunshine and seen at a favorable distance and angle with the 

 sunbeam, these terms may be appropriate. But on crifical 

 examination at close quarters the leaves that showed so clear 

 and pure a tint as the light shone through them or glanced 

 from them, reveal usually a more or less stained mixture of 

 impure shades. In purity or delicacy of tint they will not bear 

 comparison with flowers, nor even with the fresh hues of the 

 opening leaves on some species in the spring. 



It must be remembered that the whole display is but a fleet- 

 ing show — a kind of dissolving view. The duration of the 

 brightest tints is very brief, and to be seen to the best advan- 

 tage they must be sought and found at exactly the right nick 

 of time. On the most tempting plants a long hunt through the 

 branches may be required before a single leaf is found that is 

 pure or uniform in color, or perfect in form and texture. The 

 outer foliage is usually too much browned or torn by sun and 

 wind, and so the clearest colors and best preserved specimens 

 are more common toward the interior of the tree or bush. 

 This is more noticeable in foliage of any yellow shade than of 

 either red or purple. To develop the latter hues more sunlight 

 is necessary. It is sometimes curious to observe the sharp 

 contrast on the same leaf, when one part of it has been fully 



