Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-04-16
CARDINAL POINTS.
HOW FOUND IN THE DAY TIME
WITHOUT A COMPASS.

The Sum Often Obscured by Crowds-The
Sunfiower. tho ATarigold. the Compass
Plant, the Tree aud the Rock as Use-
ful Guides.
The most natural guide in the day time to
the cardinal points which would suggest itself
to the mind of the average individual would
be tho 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 well known physical fact, of course,
that the sun Is continually on the move. The
point on tlie horizon on which it appears in
the morning is directly opposite to that
where it vanisles In the evening. The direc-
tion 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 watch or is surrounded with
landmarks with which he is perfectly famil-
lar.
The average person, If cast adrift in q
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,
even though the sun was shining, as he
would during the night The same remark
is 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
as 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. These 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 below the western horizon.
If the direction in which these flowers faces
point De followed by the eye tho sun viii
often be seen il 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 tho vegetable or animal kingdom.
There are occasions, however, when a l1nowl-
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, when the sun is found the direc-
tion 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
Tho sunflower, the marigold, and plants Of
their class, it may be said, are, in negative
sense only, guides to direction. They simply
lead the eye to the point where the sun is
laf
hidden from view by an Intervening build
ing, tree, hill or other object, and the suns
position being known, it becomes possible to
figure outn the points. There is a certain
flower, however, which is positive guide 20
the cardinal points. This is the compass
plant. Most persons who have Travelled for
any considerable distance in Illinois, Mis-
souri,, Iowa on Kansas, have noticed plant
producing several stems from a 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 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 cxudes from it. It's 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 bor-
dering on the Pacific ocean. Wherever found
it 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 the cardinal points. Isichens and moses,
when found on trees or rocks, are densest on
tho north side When tree or rock stand so
that the sun strikes them during larger part
Of the day, neither lichcn 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 obstfucted from shining on
them. Trees or rocks in dense forest may
have moss on all sides &C them. but even
there the thiclest growth is on the north
side. OF course the principal cause Of this
popularity is that the sum rarely strikes the
north side of any large object, and then only
for a short time in the morning and evening
Moses and lichens thrive best in the shade.
When tree stands IN q position in which
thc sunlight can reach it through most of the
day the limbs on one side Of it viii 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 q similar position
VIII be darker on one side than the other
Tho dark side IS on the south. In connection
with the rock Il should be understood that is
is the rock itself and not any Of the growths
upon it, which IS considered here The
moses which, as before stated, arc thickcst
On the north side, may be, when viewed at q
distance, Is dark or darker than the bare
face Of the south side will be. But the stone
on the north side win be comparatively Light
colored. The branches on the south side Of
tree are heaviest and the south side Of q rock
is darkest for tho 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 oil the region north Of the equa-
tor oil over the globe. but especially in the
north temperate zone. South or tho equator
the opposite conditions prevail l-Sk Louis
Globe Democrat.
Painting. Grainiag. X ls0psining and