Evening star., 1924-12-13
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

@. May Christmas seals be put
upon packages that are being sent
abroad?-S. w. G.
A. They may be put upon any side
of the package except the one bear
ing the address and postage stamps
1t is annoying to foreign post Office
officials to have to discriminate be.
tween bonafide foreign postage
stamps and Christmas seals.
@ How are the be'ls operated at,
railroad crossings?I. C. T.
A. The bell signal used. at rail-
road crossings Is: electrically oper-
ated by the train. The train COM
pletes a. circuit which is caused by
the train moving over. the track in
that particular section In which the
bel Is installed. The train usually
it's circuit 1900 feet before
coming to the crossing and COM
pletes the second circuit. 1900 feet
after the crossing [. 80.
Q. Is. 1T against the law to wear
bird of paradise plumes?-R. w,
A. The Biological Survey says that
1t Is not against the law to wear
birds of paradise as personal adorn-
ment, but that ii Is unlawful to
bring them into this country.
=, O. What will keep glue from
souring?-W. K. d. ...
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that the addition of an, -antiseptic
to glue will prevent it from souring
zoate and salicyic acid are suitable
for this purpose. One-tenth OF l per
cent Is usually sufficient. ,.s
@. BY what process is the eye put
in the needle?-F NJ. S.
A. In. 1926 a stamping machine
was used for the first time to drill
eyes into needles. The needles are
fed into a machine which forms the
fats of the eyes. which are then
driven through by. a punching ma
chine. The processes for manufac-
turing needles are IN excess of 20.
O. Who was in charge of the
Army's operations during the~Johns-
town fiood?- r. w.
A. Gen. D. Fl. Hastings, adjutant
general of Pennsylvania. was ir
charge of the troops sent to Johns
town at the time of the flood. The
total loss of lives in this disaster Is
estimated at 2,205.
~. " mere are tne CneStnutS now
being sold in Washington. obtain ed
&C. q.
A. The Bureau of Plant Industry
says that the chestnuts now being
sold IN Washington are Italian, be-
ing shipped mainly from northern
Italy. A very high percentage is IN
bad condition due to their not being
properly cured and packed in Italy
Q. In what part of the body do we
find the typhoid plants or germs
growing?-w. p. B.
A. The Public Health Service says
that in the first five days, they are
found in the blood, but they soon
localize in certain tissues in the
small intestine, also the kidneys
spleen and in the bone marrow.
Q. Are muskrats consumed as
food?-M c. F.
A. The flesh of the muskrat for hu-
man food is variously esteemed, but
these animals are sold extensively In
some markets of the East and Middle
west In the retail markets they arg
sold as marsh rabbits" and have a
flavor somewhat like the wild duck
O. To what use can Usage orange
be put?-rD. F.
A. The osaget orange Is used mainly
as q hedge plant. The wood might
be used for dyeing as q substitute for
fustic. The fruit is inedibie. The
leaves have been successfully substi-
tuted for mulberry leaves in. the feed
ing of silkworms.
@. How many States have a State
eonstabuIary system?-A. N.
A. There are 16 - Massachusetts,
Connecticut. Texas, Arizona, New
Mexico, Pennsylvania, New York, New
Jersey. Michigan. Alabama, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Idaho, South Da-
kota, California and Wyoming. There
Is also an organization in Colorado
known as the Rangers.
O. have found an old skull and
some bones which I wish to preserve
What would be a suitable coating?-
G. j. S..
A Dir. Hrdlicka of the Smithsonian
Institution says that very often the
best preservative is the exposure to
light and air. This applies particu-
larly to specimens that are rather
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