Evening star., 1936-04-17
ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS
BY Frederic ]. Haskin.

tOH EUeHIHg OIuT IHJOTHIQLtOn BUREAU,
Frederic J. Hasktn, Director, Washing
ton, D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. Where are the electrical impulses
which constitute radio changed into
sound waves?-F. w. L.
A. The electrical impulses are changed
into sound vibrations as they pass
through the loud speaker Of the receiv-
ing set.
@. How many farms used tractors
when the last census was taken?
M. H. w.
A. Farms using tractors numbered
S5l, ,457 in 1880. The number Of tractors
used was 920,021. This was 1875 per cent
Of all farms in the United States.
Q. What is the manufacturers serial
number on Admiral Byrd's plane?
M. j. M
A. The Department Of Commerce says
that the manufacturers serial number
on Admiral Byrds Fokker plane called
the America" Is No. 3.
@. Have the Pulitzer awards been
made this year?-E. r.
A. The Pulitzer prizes will be awarded
on May 4.
@. What member of Congress wrote a
poem about Mrs. Roosevelt?-E. H. G.
A. Representative John s.. McGroarty
OF California wrote poem entitled The
Lady Eleanor"
Q. Who conceived the idea Of intro
dIlnin0 sound into mir NK
A. Twelve years ago Mai. Nathan
LevinSon induced the Warner brothers
to introduce synchronized sound into
pictures.
q. Why at Saratov, on the Vclga River,
IN southeastern Russia, is there a large
percentage Of Germans?-J. r.
A. The German settlement is known as
the German Volga Republic. It is sit.
uated on the Volga and is mainly bor-
dered by Saratov Province, which It di-
Vldes into two separate parts. It was
created in February, 1924, as an auton-
omouS Soviet Socialist Republic in the
Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Re-
public About $1,000 German colonists
were settled there in 1760 and 1851 at the
invitation Of the Empress Catherine II,
when the population of Russia was so
much less than today and the govern
ment was concerned for the develop
ment Of uncultivated lands.
Q. Where were the first lima beans
raised in this country?-E. r.
A. The first lima beans in America
were grown in New York State from
seed brought from Lima, Peru, in 1924.
@. In what cemetery was De Wolf
Hopper buried?-M. H. F.
A. Mr.. Hopper was buried from the
Church Of the TRANSPORTATION, New
York City, on September 25. 1885. and
the interment was in Greenwood Gene
terry, Brooklyn, N. Y.
@. In advertising. what is meant by a
spectacular?-G. NJ.
A. 1t is the trade name for an ami
mated electric sign.
Q. Are most of the lepers in the world
now in leprosaria ?-D. K.
A. The American Leprosy Foundation
says that probably not more than per
cent of the 100000 lepers in the world
are in any kind of leprosarium.
@. How long are the rivers which form
the Ohio River?-C. G. r.
A. The Monongahela River is 300 miles
long and the Allegheny is $50 miles long.
They unite at Pittsburgh to form the
Ohio.
@, What Is the composition Of the
seed mixture that is used for the White
House lawn?-M. j. C.
A. The Office of Public Buildings and
Public Parks says that the grass In the
White House lawn is composed Of two
parts bluegrass. one part redtop and
three parts red fescue.
@. What is matzoth?-C. o.
A. 1t is unleavened bread eaten by
orthodox Jews during the Passover.
Q. Please name the banks in England
which are called the Big Five-M. J. c.
A. The Midland. Lloyds, Barclays,
Westminster and the National Provin-
cial. The main Offices are all located in
London. The Big Five is known in Lon
don as the House" and was founded in
1901. Strangers are not admitted to the
establishment.
@. Do astronomers use noon or mid
night to begin the day?-W. E. H.
A. Astronomers formerly began the day
at noon, but it was decided advisable for
the sake of uniformity to use the same
day in astronomical work as is used in
civil life, and commencing with 1925 all
the national almanacs began the day at
midnight.
@. Please describe the vehicular tun-
mel between Detroit and Canada.-S. K.
A. The Detroit Windsor Vehicular
Tunnel, which was opened November 8,
1880, cost $25,000,000 and took three years
to build. The illumination is so perfect
that no lights are needed on automobiles.
The roadway is % feet wide and 1000
cars can be accommodated in one hour
each way. The tunnel is steel-lined and
the roadway is granite. The air is kept
purified by 40 complete changes Of air
inside the entire passage every so min
utes. If at any time too much carbon
dioxide is present in the air bell auto
matically rings.
@. Please name some newspapers In
Calcutta, India.-C. T. v.
A. The Englishman, Indian Daily
News, Statesman.
A Rhyme at Twilight
By