Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-05-20
NATURE. COMPASS SIGNS.
How II IL That the Woodman II Ado =
Always Tell Directions.

Always Tell Direcft0ne.
The many different methods 20
determine the cardinal points wniio
on the mountains, in both heavy
timber and small bush. or upon the
featureless expanse of a great marsh
are exceedingly numerous and rem
able enough for all practical pur
poses during an everyday life IN the
bush unless very long journey 10
TO be made, which would require
number of days and would make IL
necessary to hold on a very nn0
point while making so long DIS
lance.
We will first take notes on the
coniferous trees-pines, frs, spruce.
cedars, hemlocks, etc. The bark OF
these is always lighter in color.
harder and drier on the south SIDE
of the tree, while it is in color much
darker. is also damper and often
covered with mold and moss on the
north side. The gum that oozes out
from the wounds, knotholes, ETC., IL
usually hard and often of beautlful
amber color on the south side, while
on the northern side it remains
sticky longer and gets covered with
insects and dirt, seldom drying out
to more than dirty gray in color.
In large trees that have rough
bark, especially during the fall and
winter months, the nests and webs
of insects, spiders, etc, will always
be found in the crevices on the south
side. A preponderance of the large
branches will also be found on the
warmest or southern side of the
trees. Also, the needles of all the
above mentioned trees are shorter,
drier and of 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
if trying to Guido the others, al
ways bend their slender tops of new
growth toward a southern sky.
The hard wood trees are equally
communicative and have all the
characteristics, as far as regards
their trunks. as tho coniferous trees
except the absence of gums, but
this is more than made up by the
fungous growth of mold and MOSES
that is very noticeable on the north
side of these trees.
The edges of rocks, whie b may be
part of stupendous mountains or
merely occasional cropping out here
and there in the woods, or perhaps
some great bowlder alone by itself,
silent witness of the glacial Pc
Rod, all alike testify to the effect Of
light and shade. The sunny side
will usually be bare, or at most
boast of a thin growth of harsh, dry
kinds Of moses that will oplx-~nnpf
when having tha-s<cvEred with
p0Salsanr of soft, dampI
nosses that love the shade, while
every crevice will bear aloft beauti-
Jul and gracefully waving ferns.
The forest floor on the sunny side
If hills, ridges, clumps of trees,
pushes, big rocks, etc, is more noisy /,
lQueI the IOOtDdll tudu I'll tAC
Northern side of such places, wheret
he dead leaves and litter are soft
md damp, holding more MOISTURE
han in places exposed to the light
IF the sun.
In an open country nearly void of
.i--.s-~r c1umps of small bushes dur
ing summer viii furnish all the con-
1it1ons found to exist among thni
leaves of the trees, being equally
sensitive to light and shade as are
the monarchs of the woods. The
green with movingI
grasses and beautiful to the eye,
which feasts on the countless num-
oers of wild flowers, representing
avery form and hue known in the
1owery kingdom, also furnishes Q
guide for locating the cardi-
nal points, as most wild flowers, es-
the long stemmed varieties,
hide their faces from the north and.
ike the sunflower, turn toward .
outhern sky.-Fo-est and Stream