Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-08
CARDINAL FONTS.
HOW FOUND IN TIE DAY TIME
WITHOUT A COMPASS.

The Sun often Obscured by Crowds--The
sunnowor, the Marigold, the Compass
PLANT, the Tree and the Rock az USE
fuI 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
lie the sun. SO long as the sun shines, he
would reason, the wayfaring man, though
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 the sun Is continually ON the move. The
point on She horizon on which it appears in
the morning Is directly opposite to that
where it vanishcs in the eySuing. The direc-
tion which il is in at any thle between two
or three hours after sunrise and the stnne
length of time before sunset is not easy AT all
times for the ordinary person 30 figure out,
unless he has a watch or is surrounded with
landmarks with which he is perfectly famil-
lar.
The average person, if cast adrift in a
small boat on the sccan 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,
even though the sun was shining, as he
would during the night The sane remark
is true of the average person travelling on tho
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 hint
as to the direction which tho sun is in when
that orb may be hidden from view by any OBJ
jeet. Among these are the sunhower 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" tho western horizon
If the direction in which these flowers faces
point Do followed by the eye the sun will
often bo seen if the time be during the day
light hours. To be sure, that luminary,
when it is III the immediate vicinity, usually
makes its presence manifest without the aid
OF the sunflower, the marigoid, or any other
member Of the vegetable or animal kingdom
There are occasions, however, when a knowl
odgo of these qualities of the plants named
may possibly he 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, whom the sun is found the direS
ton may DO traced as before indicated. To
this extent, therefore, the sunilower and the
marisoll may he fairly included among the
guides to the points Of the compass,
The sunfiowc4, the marigold, and plants of
their class, il 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
4,
position being known, it becomes possible to
figure OUT the points. There is certain
flower, however which is 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 a plant
producing several stems from single root,
the two or three central stems ranging from
four 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 thename
of polar plant, pilot weed, or compass plant
Locally, however il is given the less poetical
designation of "rosin weed, on account Of
the juice which exudes from it. Its botani-
cal name is silphum laciniatum Although
most numerous in the states mentioned, the
Michigan, and as far west as the states bor-
dering on the Pacific ocean. Wherever found
il may bo relied ON as a trustworthy guide in
locating the points af the compass
TREES AND ROCKS AS GUIDES.
Trees and rocks are also useful in indica-
ting the cardinal points. Lichens and moses,
when found on trees or rocks are densest on
the north side. When tree or rock stand SO
that the sun strikes them during a larger pHrt
Of tire day, neither lichen nor moss, generally
speaking, will be found on the south side
The tendency of these growths to cling to he
south side increases in the proportion with
which the sun is INSTRUCTED from shining on
them Trees or rocks in n dense forest may
have noss on all sides of them, but even
there the thicbast growth is on the north
side. OF course the principal cause of this
popularity is that the sun rarely strikes the
north side of any large object, and then only
FOR a short time in the morning and evening.
Noses and lichens thrive best in the shade.
When tree stands in position iii which
the sunlight can reach it through most of the
day the limbs on one side of it will usually
be much heavier than those on the other.
The side upon which the heavy growth is on
Is the south side A rock in similar position
will be darker on one side than the other.
The dark side is on the south. In connection
with the rock it should be understood that it
is the rock itself and not any of the growths
upon it, which is considered here The
moses which, as before stated, are thickest
on the north side may be, when viewed at a
distance, as dark darker than the bare
face of the south side will be. But the stone
on the north side will be comparatively light
colored The branches on the south side of a
tree are heaviest and the south side of rock
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.
This is true of the region north of the equn-
tor all over the globe, but especially in tho
north temperate zone, South of the equator
the opposite conditions prevaiL-St. Louis
lobe-Democrat.