Scouting, Volume 28, Number 2, February 1940 Page: 26
34, [2] p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Nature Trail Signs
(Continued from page 19)
satisfactory paint for lettering and
illustrating.
At the Trailside Museum our
trail labels are of three colors:
green for botany, brown for geol-
ogy, and white for zoology. The
great majority of our labels are
green and we have always tried to
get a shade of green that will
blend with the color of the leaves
as much as possible, in order to
make the labels inconspicuous
and thus preserve the beauty of
the trail.
4. Lettering and Illustrating:
A. India Ink—We consider this
the best material for lettering as
it can be used with ordinary let-
tering pens. A No. 1 (very soft)
pencil should be used to draw in
guide lines and preliminary let-
tering. If the paint is not flat
enough and the ink "draws" or
does not "take," one of the follow-
ing remedies will usually aid: (1)
First try washing the label face
with water and drying. (2) If the
trouble persists, wash with vine-
gar, or turpentine, and dry. (3)
For stubborn cases, wash with a
fairly strong solution of "Clorox,"
and dry.
B. Oil Paints—If so desired, any
oil paint may be used for lettering
or illustrating. Allow several days
for drying when using artists' oils.
C. Water Colors—Ordinary wa-
ter colors or show card colors also
may be employed and are espe-
cially suitable for illustrating.
D. Printers' Ink—It has been
found practicable to use printers'
ink for the purpose of transferring
imprints of leaves to labels. This
may be done by coating a soft
rubber roller with a small amount
of ink and then inking the leaf
evenly. Place the leaf, inked side
down, upon the label, cover with a
sheet of paper, and rub. The im-
print of the leaf will be inked
upon the label. It is well to experi-
ment upon newspaper first.
5. Varnishing:
First erase pencil lines with art
gum. The faces, and at least the
Page Twenty-six
edges of the labels, should then be
given two or three coats of a good
grade of spar or exterior varnish
in order to preserve their appear-
ance. We have found that varnish
with a high bakelite content is
most satisfactory. Rub the labels
lightly with a cloth dampened
with turpentine between coats to
prevent "drawing."
After being placed upon the
trail, they should be revarnished
from time to time, according to
their locations: if exposed directly
to the sun, about every two
months; if located in the shade,
about every six months. Frequent
varnishing is especially necessary
if water colors have been used.
"SIGNS ALONG THE TRAIL"
HOW MANY OF US ARE ABLE TO READ,
UNAIDED,
THE "SIGNS" OF NATURE?
LET THE GUIDING LABELS
TAKE THE PLACE OF A NATURALIST FRIEND
WHO HAS AN INTERESTING STORY
TO TELL YOU
AS YOU FOLLOW THE TRAIL.
6. Label Posts and Wiring:
With one or two exceptions, our
nature trail labels are wired to
stakes driven into the ground in
front of the objects described,
rather than fastened to the trees
themselves. We have always been
fortunate enough to obtain suffi-
cient saplings averaging 1%" in
diameter to supply our needs from
various sections of park land
which were being cleared for one
purpose or another. In this way,
we have not had to destroy young
trees to obtain our label posts. We
have found that cedar and locust
make the most enduring stakes,
although, in southern states we
recommend the use of metal posts
to prevent termite damage. Posts
should be well seasoned after cut-
ting. Shave the bark from the sec-
tion of stake which is to go into
the ground, and point the end. The
shaved section should be treated
in a hot creosote bath for best re-
sults.
Emphasize Conservation during 1940,
Here are two methods of wiring
labels to stakes:
A. Method No. 1 for wiring label
to stake—Use a No. 14 gauge, soft
galvanized strand wire. Bend
short lengths of this wire into U
shapes. Draw the two ends of a
bent wire through the pair of holes
drilled at the top of the label. Re-
peat for the holes at the bottom of
the label. Place the label against
the stake so that each pair of wires
straddles the stake. Then pull
tight and twist the ends together
with pliers. Cut off the surplus
wire at an angle—thus producing
a sharp point that will discourage
those attempting to tamper with
the wire.
The above method is fairly sat-
isfactory but when the wire be-
comes loose, the label may be
turned on the stake or lifted off
entirely. This may be prevented
by using the following, more com-
plicated method.
B. Method No. 2 for wiring la-
bel to stake—Wire the bottom of
the label to the stake as in Method
No. 1. Then drill a 3/16" hole
through the stake just above the
top of the label. Put the wire
through the top pair of holes and
around the stake as in Method No.
1 but do not twist the ends. Bring
them back through the hole pre-
pared in the stake—pull tight—
wrap around to the back of the
stake again, and then twist the
ends together and cut.
II. All-Metal Labels*
Follow the above directions,
omitting the wooden frames. It is
not advisable to use plain metal
labels where there is any chance
of vandalism as they are easily
bent.
Many uses may be found for
very small all-metal labels fas-
tened on stakes and bearing num-
bers only. These are prepared in
the same way as the larger labels,
the wooden frame being omitted.
A good size is 2" x 2", or they may
be cut in the silhouette of an
acorn or a leaf. These numbered
labels may be used in many ways,
and especially in the following:
(a) Along "test" trails, or on trails
* See note at end of article.
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 28, Number 2, February 1940, periodical, February 1940; New York, New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth313057/m1/26/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.