The Silver Birch (Betula alba) is effective in garden and woodland equally because of its foliage and bark. It is specially valuable for ending narrow vistas 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 



By E. H. Wilson, 



(See colored cover illustration) 



Arnold 

 Arboretum 



(Editors' Note: — This is the sixth article in Mr. Wilson's series which commenced in the June issue, and succeeding articles will be 

 ■published regularly until further notice.) 



WHEN the beauty of the Aster dis- 

 places that of the Goldenrod in 

 September; when blue and purple trans- 

 cend the yellow in field and border; the 

 deep green mantle of foliage draping 

 hill and dale, mountain and ravine, stream- 

 side and roadside, commences to show 

 signs of portentous change. The Pines, 

 Hemlocks, and their kin look even darker 

 as the contrast with their deciduous- 

 leaved neighbours becomes stronger. In 

 the swamps about the last week of August 

 and at the first whiff of autumn in the air 

 the Red Maple begins to assume a purplish 

 tint and its example is soon followed by 

 other kinds of trees. To all of us the sea- 

 son of the year becomes apparent, warning 

 signs of stern winter's approach increase 

 rapidly and soon the whole country puts 

 on its gayest mantle of color. The peo- 

 ples of the tropics, where monsoon rains 

 are followed by burning heat and where 

 the young unfolding leaves of many forest 

 trees are brightly colored, never enjoy 

 the wonderful feast of color displayed in 

 the forests and countrysides of this and 

 other northern continental areas. They 



*Copyright, 1915, by Doubleday, Page & Co. 



have other things of which we may envy 

 them but autumn tints are peculiarly our 

 own. The brightly colored Codeums of 

 the tropics and our hot-houses (where 

 they are commonly called Crotons), beau- 

 tiful as they are, do not equal the Red 

 Maple, Sugar Maple, Sassafras, and Tulip 

 Tree in the fall. No scene in nature is 

 more delightful than the woods of eastern 

 North America in the fulness of their au- 

 tumn splendour. 



It is a weakness of humans to crave most 

 those things beyond their immediate reach, 

 but the wise among us are content to 

 enjoy those which fall within the sphere 

 of everyday life. To revel in the splendid 

 riot of autumn color no long journey has 

 to be undertaken. It is at our very door. 

 From the St. Lawrence Valley and the 

 Canadian Lakes southward to the Alle- 

 ghany Mountains there is displayed each 

 autumn a scene of entrancing beauty not 

 surpassed the world over. Central Europe, 

 Japan, China and other parts of eastern 

 Asia have their own season of autumn 

 color and each area has its individuality 

 but, if they rival, they cannot surpass 



109 



the forest scenes of eastern North America. 



But wherefore and why all this gay au- 

 tumnal apparel? Is it the handiwork of 

 the charming Fairies and Wood-nymphs 

 of our childhood beliefs and nursery days? 

 Surely some guiding hand, some beneficent 

 agency, some lover of mankind must have 

 prepared the scene as the final tableau of 

 the seasons I The talent of the Master 

 Artist is unveiled and the picture sur- 

 passes the dreams of those who five in less 

 favoured areas of the world. 



Those skilled in the mysteries of organic 

 chemistry and plant physiology tell us 

 that autumn tints are due to chemical 

 changes associated with the storing away 

 of food material and the discharge of cer- 

 tain waste products. This explanation, 

 though matter of fact and disturbing to 

 our youthful belief in fairies and wood- 

 nymphs, opens up a field of enquiry which 

 must tend to enlarge our viewpoint and 

 increase our appreciation of Nature's won- 

 derful methods. We find that all is gov- 

 erned by laws which act and react in such 

 manner as to ensure the end and object 

 desired. 



