Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-03
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Any reader. can get the answer 70
any question ~ writing Essty Isen,"s la
kin Director, Washington. -. 81 inis
offer applies strictly TO informa ton. The
bureau cannot give. advice on ieghl
medical and nsnfiin .ntiin dsestc haasefi troubles
nor TO undertake exhaustive rese5rei
on any subject. Write your duesslo1s 7 ! I
plainly and briefly Give lul ha'ne ~, an, s,,.'
FOR return postage. All replies are seht
direct to the inquirer
O. IL II true that the firefiy pro-
d,,ces light without hemt7 q. ]. T.
A. A scientist Of the bureau q
Standards, who has experimental
with problems Of light production. IN
forms ns that the FREELY gives off no
heat which can be detected. An in-
finifcsirnai degree of heat mlft be pros
duced however. as the light Is shown
10 be produced by combustion and
there can be no combustion without
heat. The firefy simply has. az q
light producing machine, q much
higher efficiency than any machine
man has been able to make. IL shows
what enormous possibilities of im-
,,rovement there are in our own
methods of light production.
q. is ii true that snake win not
harm one II II IL not noiestedg n. s.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that the King Cobra Of Asia has
been known TO follow and attack per-
sons, and the large constructing snakes
of the tropics also at times are ag-
greasive. The poisonous snakes of the
United States usually do not attack
men unless moleated.
q. win you tell me what shellac is
made from N, Nj. I.
n. shellnc is obtained from the iac
insect, which lives Upon the twigs Of
certain trees. IT becomes covered
with secretion, which protects the
insect and its eggs, and this secretion
lis the sheliac of commerce.
q. What mourning should a mar.
ried woman wear for q parent? u. q. X
A. Emily Holt says that married
woman should wear mourning for q
parent OF least one year. It is con.
Fidered better taste TO wear mourning
for year and six months. and ther
go into second morning. Second
mourning consists Of costumes o
crepe de chine or lusterless silk, and
hats trimmed with black ribbon oi
| flowers or dull jet ornaments. Aftei
six months white or lilac touches maj
| relieve the second mourning. Th'
wearing Of mourning is optional ant
q personal matter entirely.
q. What causes the Aurora Bore
ansY NJ W.
A. Scientists have never determines
with certainty what causes the Aurori
| Borealfs. There seems to be no doub
that II is the result OF electrical dis
| charges through the upper regions o
/ the atmosphere. IT is known TO b
associated in some way with the mag
nefism OF the earth, and the occur
renee Of sunspots has been though
| to have some connection with its ap
pearance.
1 q. Did many of our soldiers die Q
pneumonia during tho war; @. T.. A.
| A. The War Department says tina
pneumonia killed more soldiers OF tn
| United States forces than were kilIe'
in battle. II says that S3.g per cent o
/ the deaths from diseases were causes
| by pneumonia.
@. Can you tell me who wrote th'
song Dixie ana Wtlttt. ". = ~
A. Daniel Decatur Emmett (1sf5-
fg05) composed a song by the name 0i
Dixie as walk around" for Bryant's
MINISTRIES in 1859. It was first SUNG
at the Mechanics Hall in New York
city. The confederates first sang il
at the inauguration Of Jefferson Davis
at Montgomery, February IS, 1861. and
thereafter it became distinctiveiy tbs
song of secession.