Evening star., 1924-10-18

tne states vary. In some States the
terH is Two years, in some four and
In some six years. Some States allow
reelection. while others do not.
Q. Why do buzzards hang around
a peanut field?-B. G. N.
A. Buzzards gather near a place
Where hogs are kept. and they will
seldom be found over a. peanut faId
unless swine have been turned into
it.
Q. What does q. v. mean?-T sr
A. This stands for quod vide. a
Latin phrase translated which see"
Q. Who was known as the "Kin-
derhook Wizard?"-T. p. l..
A. Martin Van Buren,, who was
porn IN kinderhook, n. Y, was given
TINS nickname. He was also known as
the Little Magician"
.. Are there more heather in the
world that Christians?-C. r. w.
A. About two-thirds of the world
is non-Christian, but there is a very
small percentage of the worlds popu-
latlon that does not profess religion
of SOME kind.
Q. When was Oxford University
founded?-W. VIZ.
A. There are legendary stories OF
| its formation by King Alfred. Aa
early as lily there are notices of
continental scholars lecturing at OK
ford and 1t was certainly a center OF
learning in 1885. Cambridge is prob-
ably almost as old, although it's
origin is also obscure
Q. What is dry farming w. d p
A. Dry farming is a scientific farming
or land where there is d limited %
n lT.lN D. l1
Irrigation is not practiced, the fer
tility and moisture of the soil being
managed by a system of deep cult
Vatlon, rotation of crops and ths
"plowing in" of green crops.
@. What kind of a fraternity is
Tau Beta Pi?-F. K. P
A. This is an honorary technica1
fraternity. 1t derives its name from
the initials of three Greek words
which formed its secret motto. Tau
Beta ri bears the same relation to
engineering and related studies, that
Phi Beta Kappa does to literary
scholarship and that Sigma M does
to original research in science.
Q. What is the origin Of the word
"Shibboleth" n. r.
A. Shibboleth has the meaning Of
test or watchword" or distinguish
ing cry or phrase of a party 1t was
the word by which the Gileadites dis
tinguished the fugitive EphraInites al
the fords Of the Jordan. The Ephram-
ties were not able to pronounce "sh''
and called the word "sibboleth' Judges
Xii.5-6), whereupon they were slain.
Q. Does creosote contaminate silage?
ID. c. S.
A. The odor of creosote in wood -stave
sill
if the wood is well seasoned before the
silo is filled. The slight contamination
of the silage does not seem to affect
| the health of the cattle.
Q. What was the correct date that
the conscription law went into effect?
j. H. T.
A. The War Department says that
the conscription law which included
the drafting of men for the first draft
on June 5, 1917, became a law on
May IS, 1917.
Q. Who first called Ireland the
Emerald Isle?-M. E. NJ.
A This name. given Ireland on
account of the richness of its YER
dure, was first used by DR.. brennan
in a poem entitled Erin" DR.. Dren-
nan lived from 1854 until 1890.
-. Please give me the history or the
almanac.-Mc.
A. The history Of almanacs has
been traced back to very early times.
1t has been ascertained that Alexan-
drian Greeks had them, though it is
not exactly known when they appear
ed in Europe. The oldest existing al
manacs in manuscript form date
from the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries. whereas the earliest print
ed almanac was by the Astronomer
Purbach, and appeared between the
years 1850 and 1851.
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