Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1888-04-15

HOW FOUND ~ rHe DAY TINS
rhs sas of.ea obseersa By Cisads-1hs
kanno~sr. the MsrigSld. the Csss-
pas Plan. ths Tree &aa the
koek a. L ssfsi q aides.


pas Flsnf. ths Tree &aa the
Rsek a. tssfai Guides.
The faosz natural gsli1s "a ths day rnae 70
TIE cardinal points watch ~oald suggest itself
T. ths mind II tas average Individual so0ld
be tins Sun. % long TIE saa sAlnes, lie
wo1ld reason, the sayfzring man. tzsoEgh
fooi. n~sd aoI err IA the ciTeetlOn ~ cesuS
O. take IL snzlessx xssezllo1 ks uaAy -
Elseed
IL : : vel known physical fact, Of course.
that the sun - continually On the move TIE
| roiaE GA he hoFLzon ~hich lt appeafs Ia
| tho morning 10 dlrsctiy opposite - that
where BE- yal.ishes IA tiss evening. he dzfee-
4 ton shleh II - IA az any tine hStveen Two
o. tErss hours after sunrise and the same
Z length OK time before sunset Is not easy Al al
times for the ordinary person % figure cut.
/ ualess he has a watch or Is surrounded with
l landmarks with a Inch Ia In perfectly fainli
lar.
The average person. II east adrift In
1 email boat On ths ocean or on any VI the
large lakes, would discover II 20 he very
nearly a. difficult 10 tell which point Of the
horizon Was north, or east. or south OF west,
even though the sun shining, hs
would during the night The same remark
Is true OF tho average person travelling VA the
| prairie or the desert.
sUKyLowza AND kARiGoLD
Several species OF flowers may be said TO be
| guides, IN a general way, 70 the points OF tie
compass That Is to say. they afford hint
/ a. 70 the direction which the sun Is IN when
! that orb may DO hidden from view by any OBJ
set. Among these are the suutlower and the
raargoid- Thess flowers generally keep tier
faces toward the sun when It Is visible, turn
Ing toward II when II rises, and following Its
movements as il sweeps across the horizon
until II disappears belo- the western horizon
IL tina direction in hich these flowers faces
point % followed BY the eye the sun viii
often DO seen If the time b during the day
hight hours To DO sure, that luminary,
when Il is in the immediate vicinity, usually
makes It's presence manifest without the aid
OF the suaaower, the ularigold. or any other
member OF the vegetable or animal kingdom
There are occasions however, when "a knowl-
edge 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, whom the sun is found the dlrec-
ton may be traced 80 before indicated To
this extent, therefore, the sunfiower and the
marigod may be fairly included among the
guides TO the points OF the compass.
The sunfiower, the marigold and plants of
their class, it may DO said, are, in a negative
sense only. guides TO direction. They simply
lead the eye 10 the point where the sun is
when that luminary may DO 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 6Itn 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 plant
producing several stems from q single root,
the two or three central stems ranging from
four to SIX feet in height, bearing upon their
upper extremity bright yellow flowers This
upper leaves Of this plant are erect, and usu-
ally stand with their edges pointing north
ana south This popularity gives it the name
OF polar plant, pilot weed, or compass plant
Locally, however, it is given the less poetcal
designation OF ''rcsin weed" on account OF
the juice which exudes from it. Its botani-
cal name is silphium laciniatum. Although
most numerous in the states mentioned, thu
compass plant is seen as far east as Ohio and
Michigan, and as far west as the states bor-
dering on the Pacific ocean. Wherever found
! IL may be relied on as a trustworthy guide In
locating the points of the compass.
TREES AND ROCKS AS GUIDES
Trees and rocks are also useful in indica-
ting tho 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 larger part
Of the day, neither lchen nor moss generally
speaking win be found on tho south side
The tendency Of these growths 20 cling To tho
south side increases In the proportion with
| which the sun is DISTRACTED from shining on
: them. Trees or rocks In dense forest may
have moss on oil sides of them, but even
thore the thickest growth is on the north
side. or course the principal cause OF this
popularity is that the sun rarely stnkes the
: north side OF any large object and then only
for short time in the morning and evening.
! Alosses and Ichens thrive best in the shade
, When tree stands in position in which
the sunlight can reach it through most at the
, day the limbs on one sido Of it will usually
/ be much heavier than those on the other.
. The side upon which the heavy growth is on
: il the south side. A rock in a similar position
: viii re darker on one side than the other.
i ne car < side u ON the south. IN confecJlOn
with the rock it should DO understood that il
; is the rock itself and not any OF the growths
4 upon it, which is considered here The
. moses which, ss before stated, are thickes'
. on the north side, may be, when viewed at a
distance. as dark or darker than the bare
: face OF the south side will DC. But the stone
4 on the north side will be comparatively light
I colored The branches on the south side OF a
: tree are heaviest and toe south side o. a rock
!. is darkest FOR tbs same reason that moss i,
: absent on the sasEse side OF both. The SUI
I shines on thst side longer than any other
r TRis IS true Of the region north Of the equa
a sc- OIL over tae globe. bat especially In ths
y ncrth temperate rnne. South Of the equator
< the opposite conditions preyaiL-SL LSsi
& Gsobe-Democrst
= simPLIFIEO SCIENCE.