124 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 20, 1894. 
THE FALLING LEAVES. 
Oh, what a litter they make, and with what a feeling 
of relief those upon whom falls the labour of clearing 
them up regard the final clearing up. There are 
many others who, when the fall is accompanied with 
similar atmospheric conditions to those prevalent at 
the present moment, regard the leaf fall with very 
mixed feelings, as there are but few in the country 
districts who are not more or less inconvenienced by 
these silent indicators of the approach of winter. 
A little reflection, however, should convince the 
most inveterate grumblers that instead of murmurs at 
this natural phenomenon, if they properly understood 
it, should call forth a feeling of reverence and 
thanksgiving, for the almost untold services these 
frail atoms of plant life carried hither and thither 
by every breeze, have during the brief space of their 
existence rendered to mankind. 
Seemingly frail and often insignificant in them¬ 
selves they collectively exert an immense influence 
in the forces of Nature. The leaf fall, familiar as it 
is, is still to the great multitude something of an 
enigma. The chances are that ninety out of every 
hundred, if asked, would think it quite a sufficient 
answer to give that "they were dead.” This, how¬ 
ever, is not, strictly speaking, quite correct, for 
leaves, which from any accident die on the tree, will 
generally adhere with great tenacity. The fall is 
really the completion of a natural process, which, we 
think, may fairly be said to have, begun at the very 
commencement of its growth, and culminates by the 
change of the cellular tissue at the base of the 
leaf stalks at the point of its attachment to the 
branch from the soft watery tissue of its early 
growth to the stiffer and drier material of which it 
consists when matured. 
When speaking of the leaf fall, deciduous trees 
and shrubs are mostly in view, evergreens not only 
retaining their foliage through the winter, but in 
some instances for several years, more especially 
Conifers, some from three, four, to seven years, 
while Yews often retain some of theirs for a much 
longer period than that. At the same time there is 
an annual leaf shedding going on also among these; 
but this is not contemplated in the general term, 
the leaf fall, which will with us always be primarily 
regarded as alluding to the general fall from 
deciduous trees in the autumn. 
And what a glorious sight it is to view plantations 
of these from some eminence where there is a sufficient 
variety planted to see the various tints from bright 
golden yellow to various shades of red and crimson 
to brown bathed in bright autumnal sunlight, fitting' 
garbs to take on at the close of a well-spent life, for 
truly what more useful and indispensable labour is 
there done in the world than that accomplished by 
the agency of leaves which, when they fall, are 
trodden carelessly under foot, and are regarded by 
many as a source of annoyance and vexation, who 
have no regard to the beneficial services they have 
rendered in purifying and vitalising the air we 
breathe, and in preparing abundant supplies of food 
and material for the use of man. Where would 
man be without the agency of leaves ? To a large 
extent he is directly dependent on them for the 
material of the buildings he rears for his shelter, 
and as all animal life is primarily dependent on 
vegetation, it is difficult to conceive any department 
of human affairs which is not dependent for its 
continued existence upon these frail relics of the 
summer, which, have clothed the kings and queens 
of our forests and gladdened the hearts of all 
animate creation by their beauty and beneficent 
shade. Thus they have far more indispensable uses 
than mere adornment. 
To the tree the leaves are both stomach and lungs, 
for in their cellular tissues are elaborated the mineral 
matter brought up from the roots with the gaseous 
products inhaled through their pores from the 
atmosphere, which, by the aid of the sunbeams, are 
converted into the material of which the tree is built 
up. Thus it is that this frail thing of the summer, 
beautiful and gay, lives its life in producing for man 
the necessities and luxuries of life, and without the 
beneficial influences exerted by leaves in purifying 
the air and maintaining the proper balance between 
the gases of which it is composed, by the absorp¬ 
tion of carbonic acid gas which passes into the air 
from our fires, and with the breath of myriads of 
living creatures, this is absorbed into the leaf from 
its countless pores which occur in the greatest 
numbers, generally speaking, on the underside of 
the leaf; one hundred thousand of them are said to 
have been counted on one Cherry leaf. 
When it is considered that about one-half of the 
organic matter of a plant consists of carbon, a large 
proportion of which is absorbed by the leaves and 
worked up by them into material for the building of 
trees and plants, the immense amount of work done 
through their agency becomes more apparent. Nor 
do the services rendered by leaves end here. It is 
well known that they are great rain producers; 
districts suffering from a deficiency of rainfall have 
been completely changed in this respect by reafforest¬ 
ing their hill sides, and from being barren and 
uncultivated spots have been rendered fertile and 
well watered. The leaf again draws water from the 
earth in almost increditable quantities, which it 
again gives out to the air in invisible vapour to be 
again condensed into water and fall in showers to 
water the earth and feed the rivers, which furnish 
the motive power to many factories supplying many 
requirements of civilisation. Thus the leaf is a silent, 
humble, but powerful force in the building up and 
maintaining of the things which make for the enjoy¬ 
ment and comfort of all. 
The life of the leaf is of much far-reaching impor¬ 
tance than to merely nourish the plant which bears 
it, for it cleanses and purifies the air and preserves 
in healthy vigour the blood of man and beast, by 
sending rain which waters the valleys and renders 
them fruitful for both. Its fall and death is the com¬ 
pletion of the good work it has lived for. Our 
indebtedness to leaves reaches far back into the 
early ages of the world's history, for to them we owe 
in a large measure the coals we use for domestic and 
manufacturing purposes, thus the humble leaf has 
for countless ages been one of the most active and 
beneficent agents working for man's good.— JV. B. G. 
- ♦!> 
DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS 
IN AMERICA. 
Mr. Morton, the new Secretary of Agriculture in 
the United States, is being commended by the 
American newspapers for the opposition he has 
manifested against squandering so much money in 
furnishing seeds and plants to Congressmen. Mr. 
Morton asked to have the appropriation cut down to 
quite a small sum, to be used only to purchase and 
send out rare seeds, and that his Department should 
attend to the distribution. This is just what the 
agricultural press and the leading agriculturists of 
the United States have advocated for many years 
past. But Congress would not have it. On the 
contrary, more money was appropriated for seeds 
than ever before, and nothing was said in the bill 
about " rare or uncommon ” seeds, as usual. 
Congressmen wanted seeds, and plenty of them, no 
matter whether old and common, rare and un¬ 
common, as any kind will do for electioneering 
purposes. 
The report of the seed division for 1893, contains 
some interesting figures. There were 6,743,586 
packages of vegetable seeds sent out that year, of 
which 5,689,304 were distributed by order of 
Congressmen, leaving a little r,000,000 for distribu¬ 
tion by the Department. The total number of 
packages of all kinds distributed was 7,704,943, of 
which Congressmen sent out 6,215,781. Southern 
members seem to use their prerogative the most 
liberally. Of 25,022 packages of cotton seed, 
Congressmen sent out 21,925 ; of 63,935 packages of 
tobacco seed, Congress appropriated 59,886, and so 
on. On the contrary, of 133 packets of wheat 
Congressmen only wanted two. Recipients of seed 
are requested in every case to report the result of 
their experience with the seeds to the Department, 
ft is estimated that at least r,541,000 different 
persons received seeds last year, and only 1,483 made 
any report in regard to them, and most of these were 
of no value whatever. 
The cost of distributing the 387 varieties of seed 
last year was £ 2,000, besides loading down the mails 
with 275 tons of free matter. A study of the history 
of the seed division for many years shows that the 
"new and valuable seeds” distributed were all 
known and catalogued by prominent seedsmen for at 
least two years before their purchase by the Depart¬ 
ment. By the present system no useful purpose is 
served. When the distribution of seeds was com¬ 
menced, in pioneer times, it was useful, but now 
there are p'enty of seed establishments where people 
can get "new and valuable” seeds .—Mark Lane 
Express. 
|ardening f|lSCELLANY. 
FLORAL DECORATIONS AT LEEDS. 
On the occasion of the recent visit of the Duke and 
Duchess of York to Leeds the floral decorations 
were on.a very extensive scale, the principal trades¬ 
men along the route decorating their establishments 
with foliage and flowering plants to a large extent. 
The Town Hall was remarkably well done, gigantic 
Palms and other fine foliaged and flowering plants 
being used with grand effect. The Yorkshire College 
and its new wings, the Medical School and Victoria 
Hall, were also greatly beautified by the floral 
decorators. These were entrusted to Mr. Feather- 
stone, of the Kirkstall Nurseries, who has very 
extensive resources to fall back upon for this kind of 
work, and he fairly astounded the thousands who 
were permitted to pass through the Town Hall after 
the ceremony was over. Over 100 vases of flowers 
were used to decorate the luncheon table ; and the 
magnificent bouquet presented to the Duchess by the 
Yorkshire College authorities was also supplied by 
Mr. Featherstone, and was a splendid arrangement 
of Cattleya labiata, Odontoglossum crispum, Vanda 
caerulea, and Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Schilleriana 
relieved with Lily of the Valley. It was greatly 
admired by everyone.— Rusticus. 
STRAWBERRY ROYAL SOVEREIGN. 
Having been a Strawberry grower for over fifty 
years, and a raiser of some good varieties, will you 
allow me lo give my experience of Laxton’s Royal 
Sovereign. I bought some plants last March and 
planted them close by a variety of my own named 
All Round. This is an early sort, but Royal 
Sovereign is ten days earlier, which, in my opinion, 
add much to its value ; indeed, I look upon it as 
being ahead of all the sorts raised by the late Mr. 
Laxton. It is a splendid grower, a heavy cropper, 
and of good flavour, and the fruits also travel well.— 
E. J. Atherton, Chatteris, Canibs. 
EUPATOR1UM RIPARIUM. 
It is rather difficult to understand why a plant of 
this description is not more of a general favourite 
than it is. It possesses very many good qualities, 
and its hardy constitution and free blooming 
character render it a most desirable greenhouse sub¬ 
ject. Its flower heads are white and the inflorescence 
panicled, the corymbs composing it being terminal 
and axillary. The leaves are dark green in colour, 
deeply toothed, and oblong-lanceolate in shape. It 
is of strong and vigorous growth, and large plants of 
it may be obtained with exceedingly little trouble, 
and form very pleasing objects for the greenhouse or 
conservatory when in flower. It is a native of South 
America, but has only been known here since the 
year 1867. 
ADIANTUM CILIATUM. 
Mr. J. Birkenhead (p. 93) is of opinion that 
Adiantum caudatum and A. ciliatum are as distinct 
from each other as are A. cuneatum and A. gracilli- 
mum. Perhaps the pinnules of the one are a little 
deeper cut than are those of the other. This 
difference, however, is far too little to warrant the 
giving of two separate names to plants that are so 
nearly alike (to say the least of it). The cutting of 
the pinnules is extremely variable, and as much 
difference may be seen between plants of A. cauda¬ 
tum as between representatives of the supposed 
distinct A. caudatum and A. ciliatum. Asplenium 
foeniculaceum, according to the nomenclature of the 
Royal Gardens, Kew, this is a variety of A. fragans. 
If Mr. Birkenhead will refer to the article, some of 
the statements of which he calls in question, he will 
see that [it was stated that Davallia parvula had 
particularly small fronds. This is a wonderfully 
pretty little Fern, but does not possess a particularly 
robust constitution. It has a great dislike to being 
disturbed too often. It becomes necessary, there¬ 
fore, to place it in a position where the soil will not 
soon get sour. In a basket (as recommended) it has 
the best chance of showing itself off to advantage. 
Here, too, it gets the greatest possible amount of 
surface room (which its creeping rhizomes need) 
without a superabundance of wet, heavy soil, so 
injurious to it during the winter months. With 
regard to Woodwardia radicans, Mr. Birkenhead 
