Evening star., 1940-10-16
Huskin's Answers
To Readers Questions
Bu Frederic J. HdSktn.


A reader can get the dns,Der to any
question OF fact by ,Drtting The Epe-
nino Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Haskin, director, Washington,
D. C. Please inclose stamp for reply.
@. How far does farmer have to walk
in plowing an acre of ground?-F. T.
A. According to Science Digest, a
farmer blowing with two-horse walk
ing plow has to walk about 71z miles to
plow an acre.
@. Can you tell me the derivation of
the word watch?-G. C.
A. The portable timepiece was invent
ed in 1904 by Peter Henlein of Nlrem-
berg, Germany, and was called the Nu
remberg egg because of its shape As
soon as price permitted, it began to be
carried by watchmen and soon ac-
quired its present name Of watch.
@. How much of Egypt is desert?-
G.. p
A. About fourteen-fifteenths Of Egypt
is desert. The habitable portion, how
ever, supports one of the densest popula
tionS in the world.
@. Is it a fact that under the flag
code the President is not required to sa
lutte the flag?-F. A. B.
A. There is nothing in the flag code
exempting the President of the United
States from saluting the flag. Every
citizen is expected to do so.
@. Can an airplane in flight be dam
aged when struck by lightning?-J. W.. P.
A. The National Bureau of Standards
says that a non-metal airplane may be
damaged by a stroke of lightning, but
an all-metal plane may be struck without
damage.
@. How much land has been granted
to railroads by the United States?-E.
H N.
A. According to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the total amount OF
| land granted to railroads by the Federal
Government was 130 859 900 acres, which
included both land grants and right Of
way grants.
O. Can you tell me just what consti-
tutes a thoroughbred animal?-C. N. H.
A. The name thoroughbred is applied
properly only to the breed of running
race horses produced originally in Eng
land. Three Arabian stations are cred
tied with having laid the foundation for
this breed and they produced the three
famous racing families, Herod, Eclipse
and Matchem respectively. Popularly
speaking, the word is used also in ref
erence to purebred dogs and other
/ animals.
@. What is the correct plural of the
word memorandum?-C. A. L.
A. The Latin plural of memorandum
/ is memoranda. The English plural is
memorandunls.
@ Please inform me if Wheeling was
not once the capital of West Virginia.
j. H. R.
| A. The State capital of West Virginia
was located at Wheeling from 1868 to
1870, and again from 1875 to 1885. From
1870 to 1875 and from 1885 to date, the
| capital has been located at Charleston.
| @. Could you tell me how much a suit
of armor weighs?-L P. D.
/ A. The curator of armor of the Met
ropolitan Museum says that knights
armor weighed only about so pounds and
was distributed on the body and limbs.
Thus a medieval knight was no more
! uncomfortable than an American infan-
try soldier during the World War
whose equipment weighed on an aver
age 79 pounds.
@. Can We actually see steam?-E. D.
A. Steam cannot be SEEN 1t is an in
visible gas. The white cloud that rises
! when water boils results from the con-
densation of the water vapor.
Q. Name three States that are of the
same average size.-W de M.
! A. Three of nearly the same size are
West Virginia. 066 square miles; Idaho,
$685., and Indiana, 56,147.