Evening star., 1928-05-02
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Have we had the pleasure of serving
/ you through our Washington Informa-
| ton Bureau? Can't we be Of some help
to you In your daily problems? Our
| business is to furnish you with authori-
| tative information. and We invite you
| to ask us any question of fact In which
| you are interested. Send your inquiry
| to The Evening Star Information Bu-
| reau, Frederick J. Haskin, Director
| Washington. d. G. Inclose 2 cents in
| stamps for return postage.
| O. Does the paint on old houses ever
| blister or does this only occur in new
| houSes?-F. T. E.
| A. While paint blistering and dis
| coloration are more common in the case
| of new houses. they may occur in old
| houses in which excessive moisture con-
tent has developed for some reason. If
! paint discolors or blisters In an old
| house the reason for any unusual mois
! ture condition must be ascertained and
| the condition corrected. When paint
J discoloration has already developed the
| remedy is to wait until the house is
| dried out Frequently the discolored
! portion may then be washed of with
! soap and water, or, II 1t proves more re-
! siStant, with cloths moiStened with de-
natured alcohol II NAV be necessary
! in some instances to apply another coat
| of paint. in which case no temperance
Of the discoloration is ordinarily to be
anticipated.
@. What minerals are contained in
| celery?-E. E. S.
| A. Iron, potassium, magnesium. CAL
cium and phosphorous are found in
! this plant.
O. How long have we had florists in
the United States?-S. r. o.
A. Growing flowers as business
was unknown in America before 1925.
The date Of the opening of the first
florists shop is not ascertainable, out
/ 60 years ago it was impossible to buy
cut flowers in some Of our leading cities.
O. How should a sheep-lined coat
be prepared for Summer storage?-
! L. M.
A. A sheep-lined coat should be
| thoroughly cleaned with gasoline before
/ storing for the Summer. It should be
hung in the sun until thoroughly dry
and then put in clothing bag or a
| cedar chest.
| O. Has the motion picture aided our
| foreign traded. G. H.
A. The Department of Commerce
estimates that for every foot of film
exported from this country American
i business secures a return of at least 81
in trade.
c. Why does burning alcohol give
| blue flannel. w. K.
| A. The Bureau of Standards says
| that the blue color Of an alcohol fame
| is the result OF radiation attending a
| chemical reaction and can be attributed
| to a reaction IN which carbon mouoxlde
! produced az one stage OF combustion
with alcohol takes place. Some other
reactions give light Of different colOrs.
some of which are outside the visible
! spectrum.
@. What is the origin of the monocle?
%. V D.
| A. We do not find anything definite
| concerning the origin OF the monocle.
| II seems to have developed from the
| Iorgnette In Simmonds Diet, published
| in 1858. the nonocle is referred TO as
/ French invention.
! @. Is cardboard graded By weight?
/ L. J. c.
| A. Cardboard is seldom. if ever
| graded on a weight basis. Grading is
/ done on a thickness basis and specified
in points. each point being .00l inch.
| @. Does wind usually do much dam
/ age in valleys?-T. NJ. E
| A The Weather Bureau says a town
surrounded by nearby mountains Is not
/ so likely to be injured by winds as II
! would be II these mountains did not