BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN 
LEAFLETS 
THE BROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 
Series V Brooklyn, N. Y., October 17, 1917 No. 14* 
AUTUMN COLORS 
“October! the foliage becomes a royal crown, decking 
Nature with mingled hues of green and gold and red.’’ 
In our own section of the country, but perhaps even more in 
New England and Eastern Canada, occurs perhaps the most 
brilliant fall coloring in the whole world. Some think that this 
is largely because of the abundance of Maples, but it is also 
largely because of our bright fall; for bright, clear autumn 
weather, combined with an abrupt transition from summer to 
autumn, is essential to the best coloration. 
The following account of just how this wonderful phenomenon 
is brought about has been adapted largely from the writings of 
Professor W. F. Ganong of Smith College. 
All autumnal coloration of foliage comes from the following 
five colors, occurring either singly or in combinations, modified 
sometimes by other substances : 
1. Green, from the chlorophyll (meaning “leaf green’’) which 
colors all green plants and which has the well-known and vastly 
important function of manufacturing starch from water and carbon 
dioxide. Indeed, in the very last analysis, this remarkable pro- 
cess lies at the very basis of all plant and animal food. The 
green persists all winter in pines and spruces and other ever- 
greens, generally fading but little; but in deciduous trees it dis- 
appears in dying leaves early in the fall, or sometimes even in 
summer when a branch becomes injured in any way, and yellows 
and reds then appear. Our prevailingly bright, clear autumn 
weather produces a quicker and fuller fading of the green than in 
Old England, for instance, where moisture and clouds prevail 
during the fall. The quick fading of the green, followed by the 
sudden appearance of the yellows and reds, as well as the deep- 
*This is the final Leaflet of Series V. Series VI will begin in April, 1918. 
