Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-29
NATURES COMPASS SIGNS.
How One Can Tell North from south
I'm the Woods.
CForest and Stream.)


The many different methods TO deter
mine the cardinal points While on 'he
mountains. i'm both heavy timber ana
small hush. or upon the featureless ex-
panse of a great marsh are exceedingly
numerous and reliable enough for ali
practical purposes during an everyday
life in the bush. unless very long jour
new is TO be mede, which would require
n number of days, and would make
necessary TO hold on a very nne point
while making so long n distance.
We will first take notes on the conf
ferrous trees piness frs, spruce, cedars'
hemlocks, &c. The bark or these Is al
ways lighter in color, harder ana Dryer
on the south side OF the tree; While IL Is
In color much darker, Is also damper'
and often covered with mould ana moss
ON the north side. The gum that oozes
out from wounds, knot-holes, &c, IS usu-
aIlv hard and often of beautiful amber
color on the south side, whiie on the
northern side It remains STICKY longer
and gets covered with insects ana dlrt'
seldom drying out to. more than dirty
gray in color.
on large trees that have rough DARK
especially during the fall ana winter
months the nests and webs OF insects'
gDiderS.
crevices on the south side. A preponde-
rance Of the large branches will also be
found on the warmest or southern side
of the trees. Also, the needles OF all the
aforementioned trees are shorter, dryer,
and of a yellowish green on the southern
side while they will be found longer,
more slender and pliable, damper to the
touch. and darker green in color on the
north side. The cedars end hemlocks, as
II trying to Guido the others, always
bend their slender tops of new growth
toward a southern sky.
The hardwood trees are equally as com
municative. ard have all the characters
tics. so far as regards their trunks, as
the coniferous trees, except the absence
| of gums but this is more than made up
| by the fungous growth OF mould ana
moses that is very noticeable on the
north side of these trees.
| The lodges of rocks, which may be
| part of stupendous mountains, or merely
! an occasional cropping out here and there
| i'm the woods, or, perhaps, some great
boulder alone by itself, silent witness
| of the glacial period, all alike testify &c
| the effect OF light and shade. The sunny
! side will usually be bare. or at most
only boast of thin growth OF harsh, drS
| kinds of MOSES. that will only grow
when having the light; while the northerI
| sides will be found damp and mouldy' ana
often covered with a luxuriant growth o.
soft damp MOSES that love the shade
while every crevice will bear aloft beau
tiful and gracefully waving ferns.
| The forest floor on the sunny side o
hills, ridges, clumps OF trees, bushes, pii
| rocks, &C. is more noisy under the 1oot
fall than on the northern side or suci
places, where the dead leaves and lite
are soft and damp, holding more mos
ture than in places exposed to the Ign
OF the sun.
In an open country nearly void OF tim
Der clumps of small bushes during sum
mer will furnish all the conditions foun
to exist among the leaves or the trees
being equally sensitive to light and shad
as are the monarchs OF the WOODS IN
landscape green, with moving grasses an
beautiful to the eye, which feasts on IN
countless numbers of wild flowers, repre-
senting every form and hue known 4
the flowery kingdom, also furnishes re
liable guide for locating the cardlna
points as most wild flowers, especially
the long-stemmed varieties, hide thel
faces from the north, and. like the sun
flower. turn toward a southern sky. Larg
bouIders clumps OF small bushes, mounds
and small hummocks all testify, too, 20
the GROUND around such places expose
IN the sun will be burned nearly bare @
vegetation. or parched up until OF dead
grass color: while on the shady side
will be found quite green, ana OFTEN hef
there are growing MOSES and ferns
rare beauty, which thrive only wher
they have moisture and shade.