Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-05-15
CARDINAL POINTS.
HOW FOUND IN THE DAY TIME
WITHOUT A COMPASS.

/
sunHower, the Marigoid, the Compass
Plant, the Tree aud the Rock ms Use
full Guides.
The most natural guide in the day time to
The cardinal points which would suggest itself
10 the mind of the average individual would
be the sun. So long as the sun shines, he
would reason, the wayfaring man, though a
fool, need not err in the direction he desires
TO take, in whatever situation he may be
placed.
1t is a well known physical fact, Of course,
that tho sun is continually on the move. The
point on the horizon on which it appears i'll
The morning is directly opposite to that
where it vanishes IN the evening. The direc-
ion which it is in at any time between two
or three hours after sunrise and the same
length of time before sunset is not easy at all
times for the ordinary person to figure out,
unless he has a watch or is surrounded with
landmarks with which he is perfectly faIuil-
ar.
The average person, il cast adrift in
small boat on the ocean or on any OF the
large lakes, would discover it to be very
nearly as difficult to tell which point Of the
horizon was north, or east, or south, or west,
sven though the sun was shining, as he
would during the night. The same remark
s true Of the average person travelling on the
prairie or the desert
sUNFLOwER AND MARIGOLD.
Several species of flowers may be said to be
guides, in general way, to the points of the
compass. That is to say, they afford a hint
Is to the direction which the sun is in when
that orb may be hidden from view by any OBJ
ject Among these are the sunflower and the
marigold. Thes, flowers generally keep their
faces toward the sun when it is visible, turn
ing toward it when it rises, and following its
movements as it sweeps across the horizon
until it disappears belo" the western horizon.
If the direction in which these flowers faces
point DO followed by the eye the sun will
often be seen if the time be during the day
light hours. To be sure, that luminary,
when it is in the immediate vicinity, usually
makes its presence manifest without the aid
Of the sunflower, the marigold, or any other
member of the vegetable or animal kingdom.
There are occasions, however, when knowl
sdge of these qualities Of the plants named
may possibly be useful IN giving hint as to
the direction the sun is in from the observer.
The possession Of these attributes certainly
gives these plants an interest and Importance
which they would not otherwise command.
Of course, when the sun is found the direc-
ton may be traced as before indicated. To
this extent, therefore, the sunfiower and the
marigold may be fairly included among the
guides to the points of the compass.
The suntiower, the marigold, and plants Of
their class, it may be said, are, in a negative
sense only, guides to direction. They simply
lead the eye to the point where the sun is
when that luminary may be temporarily
hidden from view by an intervening build
ing, tree, hill or other object, and the suns
position being known, it becomes possible to
figure OUT the points. There is certain
flower, however, which is a positive guide to
the cardinal points. This is the compass
plant. Most persons who have travelled for
any considerable distance in Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Iowa or Kansas, have noticed plant
producing several stems from single root,
the two or three central stems ranging from
tour to six feet in height bearing upon their
upper extremity bright yellow flowers The
upper leaves of this plant are erect, and usu-
ally stand with their edges pointing north
and south, This popularity gives it the name
OF polar plant, pilot weed, or compass plant
Locally, however, it is given the less poetical
designation of 'rosin weed" on account of
the juice which exudes from it. Its botani-
cal name is silphium laciniatum Although
most numerous In the states mentioned the
compass plant is seen as far east as Ohio and
Michigan, and as far west as the states Dor
derlng on the Pacific ocean. Wherever found
1t may be relied on as trust worthy guide in
locating the points Of the compass.
TREES AND ROCKS AS GUIDES.
'IrapS md roche ok f,,J =.
ting the cardinal points Lchens and MOSES
when found on trees or rocks, are densest on
The north side. When tree or rock stand so
that tho sun strikes them during larger part
# the day, Mother lichen nor moss, generally
! speaking, will be found on the south side
The tendency of these growths to cling to the
| south side increases in the proportion with
which the sun is INSTRUCTED from shining on
them. Trees or rocks in dense forest NAV
laTo moss on all sides of them, but even
chere the thickest growth is on the north
tide. Of course the principal cause of this
popularity Is that the sun rarely strikes the
orth side of any large object, and then only
or snort time Ill the morning and evening.
losses and lichens thrive best in the shade
When tree stands in position in which
he sunlight can reach it through most of the
je much heavier than those OH the other
he side upon which the heavy growth is ON
IS the south side A rock in a similar positiop
III be darker on one side than the other
he dark side is on the south. In connection
with the rock it should be understood that if
IS the rock itself and not any of the erowtbs
upon it, which is considered here The
NOSES which, as before stated. are thickest
IN the north side, may be, when viewed at n
d'stance, as dark or darker than the bare
lace OF the south side will be. But the stone
Oh the north side will be comparatively light
colored. The branches on the south side of n
tree are heaviest and the south side of a rocl
IS darkest for the same reason that moss is
absent on the same side of both. The sun
shines on that side longer than any other
ms Is true of the region north of the eoua-
tor all over the globe, but especially in the
north temperate zone. South of the equator
tne opposite conditions prevail.-St. Louis
Globe-Democrat
cremation Making Headway,