Evening star., 1924-08-13
Answers to Questions
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN
Q. Is the public permitted to go
through the Bureau of Standards?-
r. B. c.
visitors are allowed in all the build
ings until $3.50.
@. Has the mockingbird a sweeter
song than the nightingale?-F. F.
A. Audubon says that this bird is
far superior to the nightingale. Its
song Is no mere imitation, but is
composition and creation. The mock
ingbird has been known to change its
tune 81 times in seven minutes.
Q. In what ratio do hydrogen and
air combined give the most powerful
explosion,-W. w. T. Z.
A. They give the most powerful
explosion in the ratio of five volumes
of air and one of hydrogen. Such a
mixture of hydrogen and air would
expand upward of 1000 times.
Q. What foods contain potash?-
c. H. NJ.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that practically all fruits and
vegetables contain a certain amount
of potassium salts. 1t is the most i'm
portant mineral ingredient of the po-
tato and is also found to a large ex
tent in spinach.
@. At Thanksgiving or on other
special occasions did the Pilgrims
dance u. T.
A. The Pilgrims were followers of
the Puritan movement and as such
abhorred dancing in all forms. may
pole and mkt"
Q. Please give the origin Of bull
fighting in Spain?-J. X. l.
A. Bull fighting was introduced
into Spain by the Romans, who ac-
bull fighting was common and popu-
lar, especially in Thessaly.
Q. How long has it been since an
eruption Of Popocatepetl?-G.A A r
A. Its last eruption occurred in
1855. The crater OF this volcano is
1000 feet wide and 1000 feet deep. 1t
contains great quantities of sulphur,
which is extracted by workers who
descend into the crater by ropes.
".
A. The opinion that hogs are not so
susceptible to poisoning as other ami
mails is common among stockmen.
However, there Is an abundance Of
evidence to show that the number Of
deaths from poisoning in hogs is
greater than in other animals, as
shown by experiments at Purdue and
other institutions. The most common
vegetable or plant poisoning is that
caused by eating young cookie bur
plants. Investigators OF the United
States Department of Agriculture
have found that young of but one
cookie species (xanthium echinatum)
were poisonous.
Q. When did Lord Kitchener die?-
H. q. ].
A. Lord Kitchener was drowned at
sea June 5, 1918, when the cruiser
Hampshire was sunk by a mine off
the west Orkney Islands. He was on
his way to Russia on a military mis-
sion.
Q. What makes some lettuce taste
bitter?-W. +. c.
A. The Department of Agriculture
says that the bitter taste in lettuce
is found only in lettuce grown out of
season. 1t is caused by chemical ac-
ton resulting from long exposure to
the sun. 1t is not harmful to the
health.
Q. What is the greatest single fact in
the world today?-R. +. W.
A Opinions would differ on this, of
course, but a toastmaster at a diplo-
matte dinner in London, just before the
war, asked this question The French
Ambassador responded by saying that
the greatest single fact in the world was
that fact that there existed across the
Atlantic a single, homogeneous people a
hundred million strong. all speaking the
same language. No other diplomat was
able to produce a single fact that seemed
to equal this one.
Q. Is the Latin Cross as used by the
Roman Catholic and Protestant churches
the same as the Greek cross M E. G..
A. There Is a slight difference be-
tween the Latin and Greek crosses. The
lower branch of the Latin cross is con-
siderably longer than the other three,
while in the Greek cross all branches
are of equal length. ST Andrews cross
consists of two shafts of equal length,
bisecting each other diagonally in the
form of the letter X.
Q. What was the relationship be-
tween President John Adams and Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams?-S. E.. T.
A. John Quincy Adams, the sixth
President OF the United States, was the
eldest son Of John Adams, second Presi-
dent Of the Republic.
@. Where are the hottest points in the
worid?-H II.
A The Weather Bureau says that it
has no positive data on this subject,
but that the following places are gen.
orally referred to as having the highest
temperature: Sahara Desert, Arabia !;
the interior Of Australia and the south
western valleys Of the United States.
Temperature running from 100 to 125 or
slightly more have been observed in
those localities.
Q. What is meant by tho none
tary expression sixteen to one"?-
L w. K.
A. A campaign issue when Mr.
Bryan first ran for President was
that Of the free and unlimited coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1.
The Government now buys all the
gold that Is presented to it at stated
price. This proposal was to coin all
the silver presented at a price that
was one sixteenth that Of gold.
@. How many marshaIs did Ma
poleon have and what were their
names?-G. III. D.
A. Napoleon had 10 marshals. They
were: Ney Massena, Bernadotte, Mar
mont, Murat, Davout, Soult, Bessieres,
Angereau and Lannes.