Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-10-22
NATURES COMPASS SIGNS.
How It II That the Woodman II Able 70
Always Tell Directions.

How It II That the woodman Il Able To-
Always Tell Directions.
The many different methods to
determine the cardinal points whilo
on the mountains, in both heavy
timber and small bush, or upon the
featureless expanse of great marsh
are exceedingly numerous and reli-
able enough for all practical pur-
poses during an everyday life in the
bush unless very long journey is
to be made, which would require a
number of days and would make it
necessary to hold on a very fine
point while making go long q 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., Is
usually hard and often of beautiful
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 preponderanoe 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 tile
characteristics, as 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 mold and MOSES
that is very noticeable on the north
side of these trees.
The edges of rocks, which 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,
Il silent witness of the glacial pc
Rod, all alike testify to the effect of
light and shade. The sunny sido
will usually be bare, or at most
boast-of thin growth of harsh, dry
kinds of moses that will only grow
when having the light, while the
northern side will be found damp
and inoldy and often covered with a
luxruiant growth of soft, damp
mo.acs that love the shade, while
every crevice will bear aloft beauti-
. tul uln gracefully waving ferns.
The forest floor ON the sunny side
OF t:!ls, ridges, olumps Of trees,
<bI:-b.::, Zig locks, etc, is more noisy
uu,,ur tho football than on the
30, !!leru side OF such places, where
,i.o dead leaves and litter are soft
and tunp. holding more moisture
la. i'll places exposed to the light
III tao sl:n.
/" "A upcn country nearly void of
t!m!a.r clulnps of small bushes dur
Ill. summer will furnish all the con-
liions found to exist among the
leaves of the trees, Icing 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 num-
bers of wild flowers, representing
every form and hue known in the
flowery kingdom, also furnishes a
reliable guide for locating the cardi-
nal points, as most wild flowers, es-
peoially the long stemmed varieties,
hide their faces from the north and,
like the sunfower, turn toward a
southern sky.-Focest and Stream.