Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

62 CAMPINC5 AND WOODCRAFlat that time it may not show until a hard ring formaover it the next fall or winter, when the sap is down.If the season has been very dry, there may be tworuns of sap, hence a double soft ring that year. Amark made in wood when the sap is down (afterthe fall of leaves) can have its age determined verypositively, but if made when the fresh sap is up itmay be hard to say whether the mark goes throughthat year's growth or only to it.On some kinds of trees, if a blaze goes throughto the sap wood, the scar on the bark is hard toidentify as an ax mark, because the wood, in growing,spreads it.The age of an axe mark ishard to determine inbirch, and impossible in tupelo or winged elm,owing to irregularity of fiber.A blaze on a frozen tree makes a bad wound.A mark on the sheltered side of a tree does notlook nearly so old as one opposite, because moistureaccumulated makes the bark rot off from the weatherside.Blazes on the bark of chestnut, tulip poplar,young white oak, many locusts, and some othertrees, are not apt to be permanent because these treesshed their bark more or less and do not retain marksso well as beech, black birch, Spanish oak, mountainoak, and other close-barked trees. Bark that scalesdoes not hold moss.Following a Line.—Most old woods trails areblazed on only one side of the tree, the side facingthe trail, so as to be seen from either direction.Spotted trails (opposite sides blazed as previouslydescribed) are seldom made by professional woodsmenexcept where there is unusual danger of losingthe way.An old line of blazes on spruce or pine trees ismuch easier to follow than if made on non-resinoustrees, because the resin deposited by the oozing sapleaves a very noticeable and durable mark. Simiiarlv,when an inscription has been penciled or