The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-29
DO NOT OVERLOOK THESE
OFFERINGS
NJ IssoULA )!!!!. \ Co.
1V 1ERCANTILE w.
MISSOULA, MONT.
TREES AND ROCKS AS coMPAssEs
How Can BE Told Which Way Persons
Are Walking without a Needle.

From the New York Forest and Stream.
The many different methods to de-
termine the cardinal points while on
the mountains, in both heavy timber
and small bush, or upon the feature
less expanse of a great marsh, are eX-
ceedingly numerous and reliable
enough for all practical purposes dur
ing an everyday life in the bush, unless
"A very long journey is TO be made
which would require Il number of days,
and would make IL necessary to hold
on very fine point while making 80
long distance. We will first take notes
on the coniferous trees, pines, frs
spruce. cedars and hemlocks. The bark
of these is always lighter in color,
harder and dryer on the south side OF
the tree; while Ii is in color much dark
er, is also damper, and often covered
with mold and moss on the north side.
The gum that oozes out from wounds
and knot holes is usually hard and oft
en- of beautiful amber color on the
south side, while on the northern side
IT remains ticky longer and gets COW
cred with insects and dirt, seldom dry
ing out to more than dirty gray color.
On large trees that have rough barks,
especially during the fail and winter
months, the nests and webs of insects
viii always be found in the crevices
on the south side. A preponderanee 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 yellowish green on the
southern side, while they will be found
longer, more slender and pliable, damp
er TO the touch and darker green in col
or on the north side. The cedars and
hemlocks, as if trying to outdo the
others, always bend their slender tops
of new growth toward a southern sky.
The hard wood trees are equally as
communicative, and have all the char
acferistics, so far as regards their
trunks. as the coniferous trees, except
the absence of gums; but this is more
than made up by the fungus growth of
mold and mosses that is very noticeable
on the north side of these trees
The ledges of rocks. which NAV be
part of stupendous mountains, or mere
ly an occasional cropping out here and
there in the woods, or. perhaps. some
great bowlder alone by itself, a silent
witness of the glacial period, all alike
testify TO the effect or light and shade
The sunny side will usually be bare or
at most only boast of a thin growth of
harsh, dry kinds of mosses, that will
only grow when having the light. while
the northern sides will be found damn
and moldy and often covered with
luxuriant growth OF soft, damp mosses
that love the shade, while every creyice
VIII bear aloft beautiful and gracefully
waving IefnS- Ine forest floor on the
sunny side of hills, ridges, cumps of
trees. bushes and big rocks. is more
noisy under the football than on the
northern side of such places. where the
dead leaves and litter are soft and
damp, holding more moisture than i'm
places exposed To the light of the sun.
IN an open country nearly void of tim
Der ciumps of small bushes during sum
lner will furnish all the conditions
found TO exist among the leaves OF the
trees. being equally sensitive to light
and shade as are the monarchs of the
woods. The landscape green. with
moving grasses and beautiful TO the
eye, which feasts on the countless
numbers of wild flowers representing
every form and hue known in the
nowery kingdom, also furnishes a reli-
able guide for locating the cardinal
points, as most wild flowers, especially
the long-stemmed varieties. hide their
faces from the north. and, like the sun
flower. turn toward a southern sky
Large boulders. elumps of small bush
es, mounds and small hummocks-alI
TESTIFY. too, for the ground around |
such places exposed To the sun will be !
burned nearly bare of vegetation or
parched up until of dead grass color /
while on the shady side il will be found I
quite green. and often here there are 1
growing mosses and ferns OF rare beau /
~. which thrive only i'm such places as
Dffer them combination OF both mois- .
lure and shade.