The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-09
NATURES COMPASS SIGNS.
How WOOdsmen Tell the Point of the
Compass from Trees.
From Forest and Stream.

From Forest and Stream.
The many different methods to determ-
inc the cardinal points while on the noun
taius in both heavy timber and small
bush. or upon the featureless expanse OF
a great marsh. are exceedingly numerous
and reliable enough for all practical pur-
poses during an everyday life in the
bush. unless a very long journey is to be
made, which would require a number Of
days, and would make 1t necessary to
hold on a very fine point while making 50
long a distance.
We will first take notes on the conife-
rous trees, pines, spruce, cedars, hem
locks, etc The bark of these IS always
lighter in color, harder and dryer on the
south side Of the tree; while IL IS IN colot
much darker, Is also dampen, and often
covered with mould and moss on tne
north side. The gum that oozes out from
wounds, knot-holes, etc, Is usually hard
and often of beautiful amber color on the
south side, while on the northern side II
remains sticky longer and gets covered
with insects and dirt, seldom drying out
to more than a dirty gray in color.
on large trees that have rough bark,
especially during the fail and winter
months. the nests and webs of insects,
crevices on the south side. preponder-
ance of the large branches will also be
found on The Warmest or southern side or
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 and hemlocks, as
II irving to Guido the others always bend
their slender tops of new growth TOWARD
southern sky.
THE hardwood trees are equally as com
municative, and have all the characters
ties so far as regards their trunks, as the
conlferous trees except the absence OF
gums; but this is more than made up by
The fungus growth Of mold and 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 in
the woods, or, perhaps some great bould-
er alone by itself a silent witness OF the
glacial period, all alike testify to the ef-
feet of light and shade. The sunny side
will usually be bare, or at most only boast
of a thin growth of harsh, dry kinds of
MOSES. that will only grow when having
the light while the northern sides will be
found damp and mouldy, and often cover
MOSES that love the shade, while every
crevice viii bear aloft beautiful and
gracefully waving ferns.
The forest floor on the sunny side OF hills
ridges, clumps Of trees, bushes, big rocks
etc. is more noisy under the football thar
on the northern side of such places, where
the dead leaves and litter are soft and
damp, holding more moisture than in places
exposed to the light of the sun.
In an open country nearly void of tim
Der, clumps OF small bushes during sum
mer will furnish all the conditions found
TO exist among the leaves of the trees, be.
ing equally sensitive to light and shade
as are the monarchs of the woods. The
landscape green with moving grasses anc
beautiful TO the eye, which feasts on the
countless numbers of wild flowers, repre-
senting every form and hue known I'm tho
howery kingdom, also furnishes a reliabl,
guide for locating the cardinal points, a,
most wild flowers, especially the long
stemmed varieties hide their faces from
| the north, and. like the sunhower, turn to
ward a southern sky. Large boulders
clumps of small bushes, mounds, an,
| small hummocks-all testify, too, for tn
| ground around such places exposed to tn
| sun will be burned nearly bare Of vegeta
| ton, or parched up until of a dead-gras
| color; while on the shady side IL will b
found quite green, and often here and Their
are growing mosses and ferns O
| rare beauty, which thrive only where the
| have moisture and shade.