Evening star., 1898-06-04
NO COMPASS NEEDED.
Many Ways i'm Which the Cardinal
Points May BE Fixed.
From Forest and Stream.

[ From Forest and Stream.
The many different methods to determi,
nate the cardinal points while on the moun-
tGins, in both heavy timber and small
brush upon the featureless expanse of a
great marsh. are exceedingly numerous and
reliable enough for all practical purposes
during an everyday life in the bush. unless
very long journey is to be made. which
would make it necessary to hold on a very
fine point while akirg long distance.
We will first take notes on the coniferous
trees-pi.les. frs, spruce, cedars, hemlocks,
etc. The bark of these is always lighter in
CC,Cr harder and dryer on the south side
of the tree: while it is in color much dark
err it is also damper and often covered
with mold and moss on the north side.
The gum that ooZeS out from the wounds,
krOtholes. etc, is usually hard and often
OF beautiful amber color on the south side.
While on the northern side il 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 fall and winter
months the nets and webs of insects
spiders. etc, will always be found in TIL,
crevice on the south side. A preponderance
of the large branches will also be found on
the warmes: or southern side of the trees.
Also. the needles of all the above-mention-
ell trees are shorter. dryer and of yellow
ish green on the southern side. while they
able, damper to the touch and darker green
in color on the north side. The cedars anA
hemlocks. as If trying to outdo the others,
always bend their slender tops of new
growth toward a southern sky.
The hardwood trees arc equally as conf
municative, and have all the Characters
tics, as far as regards their trunks. of tha
coriferous trees, except the absence oe
gums; but this is more than made up by
the fungus growth Of mold and mosses tha-
is very noticeable on the north side OF these
trees.
The edges of rocks which may be part OF
stCpendcus mountains. or merely OCCASION
al cropping out here end there in the
woods, or, perhaps, some great bowlder
Acne by itself silent witness of the gla-
cfai period; all alike testify to the effect of
the light and shade. The sunny side will
unusually be bare, or, at most boast of a
thin growth of harsh. dry kinds of moses
ard that viii grew only when having the
light; while the northern side will be found
da mp and moldy. and often covered with n
luXuriant growth of soft. damp mosses
that love the shade, while every crevice
will 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 than
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 summer
will furnish all the conditions found to ex-
ist among the leaves of the trees being
equally sensitive to light and shade as are
the monarchs Of the woods. The land
scape, green with moving grasses, and
beautiful to the eye, which feasts on the
countless number Of wild flowers repre-
sorting every form and hue known in the
flowery kingdom, also furnishes a reliable
guide for locating the cardinal points as
most wild flowers. especially the long,
stemmed varieties, hide their faces from
the north, and, like the sunfiower, turn
toward a southern sky.