Clinton News Record, 1944-11-09, Page 6PAGE.6
THE CLINTON' NEVUS -RECORD
k"71',
incl Irradiated Yeast
Helps Hogs Gain We;xght
A small amount of irradiatedY east
appears cifppe rs to speed up the
pigs in;, winter. If irradiated yeast
continues to give as good results as
g
pit has in the limited work done with
it at the University of Wisconsin,
then it may become a "must it
winter hog production.
In one of the experiments for ex-
ample, pigs that received 4 ounce g
of irradiated yeast in each ton cf
feed,: and had, the run of the cow
yard, out -distanced all others. They
.made average daily gains of 1.51
'pounds per head and required onfy
1375 pounds of feed to produce each
'100 pounds of pork.
In the same trial, pigs getting
irradiated yeast as the only vitamin
'supplement came in second, making
'slightly faster and more economical
;gains than those whose vitaznin sup-
iplement was cow manure only.
The effect of irradiated yeast is
ascribed to its vitamin b content,;
since the type used assays $4,006,000;
'U. S. P, units of this factor tc the
pound, and since it contributes only
traces of the B vitamins when used
at the level of only four ounc to
:the ton of feed.
Jews Enjoyed. Autonomy
From Ancient Times
From very ancient times Jews in
every land have enjoyed autonomy
to a wider or narrower degree, says
Dr. 'Isaac• Levitats in a' study pub-
lished by the Columbia University
Press.
"Autonomy reached its height dur-
ing the Middle Ages, when, in the
absence of a law equalizing the citi-
zens of the, state, it became neces-
sary to invest each group with legal
Corporate rights of its own," Dr.
Levitats finds.
"In the nature of things, the 18th
century trend toward emancipation
resulted in a general curtailment of
self-government. Specifically, the
enlightened absolutism ,of Joseph Il
of Austria and the motto of 'Lib-
erty, Equality, Fraternity' promul-
gated by the French Revolution pre-
supposed a gradual renunciation by
the Jews of their institutions of self-
rule; and so it was in practice. In
the wake of actual Jewish emanci-.
pation in the West during the 19th
century, Jewish identity dwindled
down to a mere religious differen-
tiation."
Frozen -Beans
Homemakers can add a nutritious
and traditional American dish to
their menus by using the new frozen
baked beans.
The method of cooking the beans
varies slightly, of course, with the
different brands. Some of them have
molasses added and others are
packed in tomato sauce. All of them
Optic Nerve Connects
With Roth Sides of Brain
Contrary to popular belief, the op-
tic nerve from one eye does not
swing over completely to the oppo-
site side of the brain, . says the Bet-
ter Vision institute, ` Recent research
has shown ", that about half of the
fibers of the optic nerve cross over
in the substation ' known as the
chiasm, and proceed to the occipital
lobe on the opposite = side of . the
brain. The other half of the nerve
-continues along to the occipital lobe
on the same side.
In the lower vertebrates, such as
fishes, snakes and most irds,; the
crossing of the optic fibers is com-
plete, so that it would appear that
the visual center on one side of the
head is' concerned wholly with the
eye on the opposite side. However,
the higher an animal is in the scale
of development, the less complete
,is the crossing of optic nerve fibers.
In man there is a larger part of
the optic nerve going to the same,
side of the brain than in any other •
animal.
Just why the nerve telephones be-
tween eye and brain are so arranged
in man is not known, continues the.
institute, adding however, that it • is
believed that this partial decussa-
tion may have an important bearing
upon man's binocular vision. Al-
though we see things twice with two
eyes, there is only one visual sensa-
tion in the brain.
U. S. Sericulturist Develops
New Mulberry Tree
A United States research special-
ist in sericulture has developed a
new strain of mulberry tree which
he believes will contribute to cul-
ture of silk in ,the other Americas.
The specialist is Dr. Vartan K.
Osigian, who returned recently to
Washington from Venezuela, where
some 2,500,000 trees of the new
strain which bears his name—Mo-
rera Osigian—are growing on seven
plantations. Silkworms feed on mul-
berry leaves,
According to Dr. Osigian, the mul-
berry tree he has developed pro-
duces a crop of leaves in six months
—leaves which he says are more
tender, have more sap and are six
to eight times as large as the usual
leaf.
Dr. Osigian explained that the
silkworm has five senses and is dis-
criminating in its choice of food.
The baby larvae prefer chopped
leaves. Dr, Osigian ' said a silk
worm placed on the usual leaf will
go to one from the new type of tree
placed nearby.
Dr. Osigian claims that the silk-
worms feeding on the new type of
mulberry tree form cocoons larger
than usual, producing about 3,000
yards of silk filament instead of the
1,000 no, 1,500 .yards usually pro-
duced,
•have been cookedthoroughly and '
just ;need to be heated.
The frozen beans may be put in a
sauce pan with two tablespoons of
water and heated about 15 minutes
on' top of; the stove, or they may
'be served in the traditional man-
,ner—a piping hot bean pot just out
of the oven. Molasses, chili sauce,
;mustard, onion -or a slice of bacon
may be added while heating to im-
prove the flavor.
Don't thaw the beans before cook-
ing. If they thaw don't try to re -
'freeze them, but use them at once.
They are at their best in flavor and
texture when kept frozen right up to
the 'cooking time.
Fancy Names
A recent collection of birth cer-
tificates filed with the Georgia de-
partment of public health revealed
such names as Sunset and Icie Riv-
ters; reference to cash in such names
Ins Good Price, Honest Price and
Major Sales; geographical contribu
tions like Georgia' Possum, Asia'
Minor, Whose Cracker, China Rine,'
and some, twins named Utah and
Arizona. Reynolds. The hope for the.
future was expressed,in such names
as Wash Saturday, Buster Good, and
Be Careful McGee. Especially to
be noted were Perty Smart, Love
Session, Wash Fountain, Rather
Bigg, • Spanish Dentist, Hansome
Mann, Virginia Ham and Aborn Sar-
gent. Perhaps a romantic touch is
conveyed in Late Night Mann and
Pleasant Feelings.
Sun's Rays
Rays of sunshine which reach our
eyes move in curves because of
the refractive effect of the atmos-
phere. Since the air becomes denser
towards the earth, its refractive in-
dex grows and the curvature of a
'ray of light increases as it moves
downward through the atmosphere.
Curvature of light rays in the at-
mosphere sometimes makes it pos-
sible to "see around corners." For
example, because of atmospheric re-
fraction, during an eclipse of the
moon sometimes both the sun and
'the eclipsed 'moon are seen above
1the horizon at the same timet
Dominican Republic
Soil of the Dominican Republic is
very fertile. About one-fifth op the
land is cultivated, the rest is forest-
ed, chiefly with pine and mahogany,
Growing and processing sugar.'cane
is the biggest industry. Cocoa is
second in export value. Output has
been increased tenfold since 1900.
Other important exports are coffee,
leaf tobacco, corn, and molasses.
Side by side on the same acreage
cacao trees grow with corn. Bana-
nas, coffee trees, and guava bushes
thrive on the same groped. Rice,
growing for home use zs fostered.
Tax Revenues
The federal government fared con-
siderablybetter than the 'states if
the revenue picture of the last two
calendar years is viewed exclusive-
ly in terms of the three major ex-
cise taxes—cigarette, gasoline and
alcoholic beverages—levied by both
levels of government'.
Taken together the three taxes
yielded the federal government
$2,510,000,000 in 1943 as compared
with $2,340,000,000 in 1942, an in-
crease of 7.5 per cent. The states'
yield from these sources was $1,180,-
000,000 in 1943 as compared with
,$1,550,000,000 in 1942, a decline in
collections of 23.9 per cent,
When individual taxes were con-
sidered in terms of total revenue
for both levels of government, only
the cigarette tax succeeded in bring-
ing in more money in 1943 than in
1942. This was the result largely of
a rise in federal rates, the addition
!it 1943 of Delaware, Florida and
New Mexico to the list of states tax-
ing tobacco, and a few changes in
state rates,
'Bessarabia Territorial
Football in Europe
In the sixteenth century Bessara-
bia was tossed back and forth be-
tween Crimean Tatars and, Turks,
later caused Turkish and ` Russian
rulers to quarrel. Held by; Russia
formorethan a century;'Bessara-
!bia was shifted to Rumania in the
'World war adjustments of 1918. This
change was recognized in 1920 by
most of the Allies,The
United
tatesdid not sign thetreaty. So-
viet
Russia never acknowledged the
validity of the transfer.
Bessarabia is about as big as New
Hampshire and Massachusetts com-
bined, resemblesthe' topography of
the American 1Vliddle West, is a
country of farmers. About 90 per
cent of its land was used for grow-
ing wheat, barley, oats, and Indian
corn. Soybeans, sugar beets, pota-
toes, tobacco, grapes, plums, and
other fruits were also I raised in
quantities, stocked the home larder,
made up a substantial part of the
domestic stock in trade. Bessara-
bian oats and barley were major ex-
ports to Germany, best customer.
Bessarabia was not only prized
as a food basket for Europe's crowd-
ed cities and fighting armies, it had
great military significance as a fron-
tier shock absorber. On its annexa-
tion by czarist Russia in the early
nineteenth century, Alexander I de-
clared, "God has given Russia not
only new territory, but also an im-
portant strategic possession."
Slow and Steady,. First •
Rule• of: Gravy, -Maker;
Slow and steady is the ;first rule
for the gravy=maker. 'Take time to
measure carefully, mix thoroughly,
and cook slowly with steady .stir-
;ring. Hasty mixing or hurried cook-
ing causes lumps.: Gravy made • with -
'out measuring may be greasy and
'separated, too thick or too thin. For
best flavor and rich; brown color,
blend the flour with the fat. Then
slowly add cool or lukewarm liquid,
while stirring over low heat. The
right' proportions are: 1'z to.2 ta-
blespoons each of flour and fat to 1
cup of liquid.
To make gravy in a roasting pan,
first remove the meat to a hot plat-
ter, then pour . the drippings into a
bowl. Skim off the fat that rises to
the top. Back in the pan, mix to-
gether equal measures of flour and
fat over low heat. Gradually stir
in the cool liquid which may be
juice that cooks out of the meat,
broth made by stewing bones . or
vegetables, tomato juice, milk or
water. •
Last, but far from least in mak-
ing good gravy, is the seasoning.
Add salt and pepper with care be-
cause the drippings already may
contain enough. Every bit of drip-
pings that have browned on the pan
should be worked up with liquid to,
give flavor and color.
Prevention Best Method
For Controlling Mastitis
An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of treatment for mastitis
(garget) in dairy herds, according
to the department of animal patholo-
gy and hygiene, University of Illi-
nois college of agriculture. Blood
testing and disposing of reactors
are the most important steps in a
prevention program.
Replying to inquiries ' made by
many dairymen about treatment for
mastitis, the department points out
that, following proper diagnosis,
carefully selected animals in the
early stages of the disease can be
cured and the gland will resume the
secretion of normal milk. If judi-
ciously employed, this procedure of-
fers definite advantages in salvag-
ing the productive capacity of affect-
ed cows, especially under wartime
need of, increased milk. production.
However, there is no known treat
,ment that repairs the damage
'caused by mastitis, nor does it in-
crease the resistance of treated ani-'
mals to reinfection. For this rea-'
son, the only reasonable conclusion
is that treatment is not the solution
to .the problem of chronic `mastitis..
"Treatment cannot be of any last-
ing benefit oto a 'dairyman unless;
simple 'measures of prevention are'
;employed," the' department says.
'Therefore, the real answer to the,
'mastitis problem+ is prevention.:
'treatment is only a means of sal-
vaging mildly infected animals.
•
ryes Wobble
That vision goes up and down
when the eyes are held in close at-
tention on an object can be demon-'
strated by many experiments. One
simple test can be made by' placing
a small black dot` on a piece of
white paper and placing the paper
at a distance at which the dot will
be barely visible.' After the eyes'.
are concentrated on the dot for a
short time the dot will fade out
and reappear at regular intervals.
This ebb and flow of sensations is
found in the other senses as well as
in vision. If a watch is placed at a
distance so that its ticking is just
audible, after a few seconds the
sticking will fade and reappear at
,regular Intervals. The length of the
recurring waves of attention is about
the same for the eyes and the ears.
The period of fluctuation varies from
3 tb 25 seconds with different per-
sons.
Raining Frogs
Possibly small reptiles, fishes and
other small forms of life may be
drawn up in a waterspout and
dropped, but an actual rain of rep-
tiles is not a matter of scientific
record.
Weather bureau reports show that
in some parts of the country frogs
have been observed as falling during
a rainstorm, but the explanation is
that frogs were .drawn up in a wa-
terspout or vortex of whirling storm
from a pond and carried some dis-
tance before being precipitated.
Moreover, during a protracted peri-
od of dry weather, frogs and toads
bury themselves in the earth, dig-
ging down in Search of water and
relief from heat. Following a heavy
rainfall they ` emerge from the
ground and persons seeing them
hopping about, themselves hop to.
the conclusion that the frogs rained
down.
,Gift of Sea
Italy's Mediterranean climate is
largely the gift of the sea which sur -
.rounds the country on three sides.
How important this modera$ing in-
fluence is can be "seen by tracing
the Italian outline on a map of, north -
central United States. Extending
from northern Minnesota tosouthern
Illinois, the corresponding American
area is one of 'continental" est
tremes of, heat and cold. The lowest
temperature ever,recorded; in tem-
perate Rome, halfway along the west
coast of Italy, was 16, degrees; above
zero: In a United Stales' city of
Rome's latitude, Des Moines, Iowa,
the mercury 'has dropped to 27 be-
low zero.
Lost Empire
A lost empire was reported un-
earthed,by Russian scientists in cen-
tral, Asia, where it had been buried
under desert sands over 2,000 years.
Remains of towns and settlements
of about 500 B. C., and traces of ir-
'rigation`canals, indicate that this
desert region of Kara Kum and Ky-
zyl Kum was once agricultural land.
Search for coal in the mountains.
near Stalinabad, capital of the So-
viet Republic of Tadzhik, revealed a
subterranean city in a series of great
corridors extending, miles into the
mountain. The corridors were dec-
orated with animal pictures, and
contained, many stone implements.
Russian construction of a hydro-
electric plant in the neighboring Re-
public' of Uzbek brought to light
scores of tombs yielding Syrian and
Iranian ornaments, and Chinese cop-
per coins of the third Century.
Celebrated for Beauty
Nevada, with its many 'scenic at-
tractions; colorful deserts, and in-
ter .,ting old mining towns; is gen-
era�y known as the state otnational
Parks and national forests. Less
known, 'h'owever, 'are the under-
grobnd spectacles, of which Lehman
Caves National monument, located
near the Nevada -Utah boundary,
typifies one of, nature's, grandest of
underground caverns. The caves
We're 'discovered in 1878" and are
celebrated among scientists for their
delicacy 'of formation, large cham-
bers, galleries; and passage ways
exhibiting stalactites and stalag-
mites exceptional beauty.
Mint, Known to Ancients,
Thriving in Michigan
Mint was known and used by Hip-
pocrates, "Father of Medicine," in
the fifth century B. C. Piperita
came to America from England
about 1818, and was first grown in
Wayne county, New York. In 20
years it was thriving in southern
Michigan swampland.
The Michigan area expanded into
northern Indiana. Since World War
I, Indiana mint growing has made
great gains. . Walkerton, Ind., and
Mentha, Mich., are'farm centers of
the industry whose acres lie largely
between South Bend and Kalamazoo.
Mint growers work harder' than
other farmers to keep out weeds be-
cause of their effect on the quality
of mint oil. Mint is harvested when
,its earliest blossoms appear. Al-
lowed to wilt in the sun briefly to
remove excess moisture, it is then
placed in vats. Live steam is shot
through the mass, opening the tiny
cells of the plants and carrying their
oil to tubes where the steam con-
denses.
Precautions Can Check
Damage to Raw Mohair
Many of the checks 'upon good
quality mohair may be avoided 'by,
taking precautions ahead of.shear-
ing. 'Among those
sug gted„are
keeping goats 'o t of fieI�s -
an3 lots
not regularly used or grazed and.
where bur -producing plants I have
grown up, This would reduce the
volunie of Mohair contaminated by.
burs just' prior 'to shearing. Anoth-
' er good practice is to dispose of
goats with kempy and gray fleeces
ahead of shearing.
Muddy lots, and . shearing floors
and pens which readily become wet
Perfect Aluminum Tubes
Bismuth can help to assure per-
fect tubes because, combined with
lead, tin, and cadmium, it makes
an alloy that melts at a lower tem-
peratu'e than the boiling point of
water; and because it expands slight-
ly when solidifying from the meylted
state, When the tubes are readto
be bent into the crooked shapes that
are 'necessary, to conduct them
around corners, past engine parts,
and down into the heart of the power
plants, +melted bismuth alloy is
poured into them. It there are holes
in the tubes;' the expanding alloy
squeezes through and forms'telltale
beads on the outer surface. If the
tube is too weak the cooling alloy
will• split it.
If the tube passes its test it is
bent while still supported by its soft
but strong "stuffing" of alloy. In
this way any tendency to collapse
or pinch at the bending points is,
overcome. Bent tubes, filled with
alloy, are given steam baths. The
alloy melts and drains out, and can•
be used over and over again in the
testing and bending operations.
and slick should not be used. Fleeces
shorn in such surroundings become
stained excessively, and animal
moisture stain will not scour out.
Specialists admonish furtheragainst
shearing on the ground because the
mohair accumulates straw and oth-
er refuse.
The specialist says that the prac-
tice of sacking mohair in two lots—
kid and grown—is desirable, espe-
cially inthe fall, even though it is
to be graded. It is suggested, how-
ever, that it would be wise to make
a separate lot of defective hair. Pro-
ducers should continue their interest
in the mohair ' until it is properly
graded and offered to dealers and
manufacturers on that basis. Every
sale should give producers some in-
formation as to what manufacturers
want.
}
Mend Gloves Promptly
To Assure Long Wear
To give the gloves now on hand
the best care possible, mend them
promptly and carefully, and , when-
ever possible, prevent them from
becoming wet. However, when they
are wet, stuff them with crushed pa-
per and dry them slowly and away
from the heat.
Usually the glove fingers call for
attention first. One very satisfac-
tory method to use in mending ei-
ther leather or fabric that is worn—
not just ripped ----is to blanket stitch
around the worn edge. Then re-
make the seam by lacing the edges
together through the purl of the
blanket stitch. If the fabric is not
worn, remake the ripped seam just
as you would mend such a seam in
any garment. Gloves with inseams
—seams made to the inside—should
be mended with seams to the inside.
Those with outseams should be
mended with the seams tothe out -
'side.
Use a hard twisted thread, about
the weight of buttonhole twist, and a
fine and fairly long needle for mend-,
ing. A long -eyed needle is not suit -I
able because the thickness of the
eye makes the needle holes too
large.
Student Riots
The title of Rowbottom given to
student riots is peculiar to Pennsyl-
vania university. J. R. Rowbottom
was a student there whose dignified:
and exemplary life was the antithe-•
sis of the disturbances that bear his
name.
His, roommate, though, was anoth-
er matter. Agay young blade, fond
of all-night sessions with the demon
rum, he often reached the end of
his tether as he foundered at the
bottom of the dormitory stairs. There
he sat calling loudly for Rowbottom
to come pilot him. Rowbottom, as
befits the clean of conscience, was
an exceedingly sound sleeper, and
the entire dormitory usually was in
an uproar before he unwound him-
self from Morpheus' arms, Mis-
siles flew fast' and furiously. The
befuddled tippler caused so many
fights with his cries for Rowbottom
that the name became associated
with all mass strong-arm engage-
mentsat the university.
but it may prevent destruction of a
crop when the parasite fails.
Pleasant Job
There wouldbe less grumbling
about whose turn it is to do the
dishes if youngsters learned at the
beginning that dishwashing does not
need to be a messy job. With more
and more children helping in house-
hold tasks because mothers are busy
with war services, the wise parent
will instruct her youngsters in the
correct way towash the dishes, and
Pi' dothem with the least effort.
Teaching the children : to' scrape
and-stadk'shouid be part of the les-
son, for the more thoroughly the
platesare scraped, the easier they
will be to wash. Rightnow there is
additional reason for :removing ev-
erything from the plates. Dishes that
are not scraped take more soap and
more hot water, as well as more
rubbing. In the interest of economy,
aswell as to reduce labor, scraps
should be scraped off 'before th'
dishes are put into the pan.
Hand Pollination
A successful method of seed pro-
duction for one of the more popular
species of Chinese primroses has
been developed by Dr. Gustav Mehl-
quist, assistant professor of floricul-
ture on the Los Angeles campus of
the University of California. Before
the war, varieties of primula obcon-
ica were grown in large quantities
as pot plants from seed obtained
principally from Germany and
Switzerland. When this supply was
cut off, American growers found dif-
ficulty in producing seeds, as many
plants failed to produce seed or
were untrue to type.
The primrose normally produces
two 'different types of plants whose
flowers differ id structure. Follow-
ing
ollowing extensive experimentation, Dr.
Mehkfuist"discovered that good re-
sults could be obtained by hand
cross-pollination of the two types. A
camel's hair brush was used to dis-
tribute pollen from the flowers of one
type to another. With this method
one well grown plant will produce
10,000 or more seeds.
Alfalfa Butterfly 1
The alfalfa butterfly has two prin-
cipal enemies which generally hold
it in check. An insect parasite gen-
erally known as apanteles, and the
wilt disease, are the two main fac-
tors in controlling the depredations
of the butterfly fn alfalfa fields,
The parasite apanteles has a
shorter life cycle than that of the
butterfly, and usually attacks the
butterfly larvae in their first two
stages, sometimes in the third, and
often proves an entirely effective
control itself. The wilt disease, with
a large host population and high
humidity, may appear and save a
crop from destruction. At times it
does not spread fast enough to de-
stroy the larvae before they have
done serious damage to the crop,
Spread Diseases
Club root, a disease that costs
growers of cauliflower and cabbage
thousands of dollars a year, may
be spread by wild mustard, shep-
'herd's purse and other weeds of
the' cabbage family.
Common nightshade and black
henbane spread early blight of to-
matoes and potatoes; horse -nettle
and jimson weed carry the late
blight of tomatoes. Persons who
lose their hollyhocks, from rust dis-
ease may look to ground mallow and
other weeds for' the source of in-
lection.
Yellow dwarf ofp otatoes is car-
ried by daisies, leafroll of potatoes,
cucumber and tomato mosaic, lettuce
yellows, raspberry mosaic" and oth-
er destructive diseases' of important
crops are carried by the' wild•plgnts
around them._
y t ...,,,, a ei;s
Wealthy -Islands Strung
Along Mexican Coast
Mexico, One nef o the most prodigal
storehouses . of, natural riches ;in the
world, has another source of un-
tapped mineral and forest wealth in
hundreds of romantic, little-known
islands off her Pacific coast'' some
within a few hours' easy sailing of;
the mainland. Many of these vir-
tuallyunexplored islands are close-
ly linked with Mexico's past history
and traditions, while their strategic
location along the coast gives them
great potential importance in Amer-
ican defense 'and Mexico's future
development as a nation.
Remotest of the islands are those
in the volcanic Revilla Gigedo group,
about 500 miles due west of Manza-
nillo, consisting of. Socorro, San Be-
nito, Clarion, Boca Particle, Roca de
la Pasion and numerous smaller is-
lands. Prom the time of their' dis-
covery by Baron de Humboldt until
1868 they were unoccupied and ig-
nored. In that year Mexico sent an
expedition under Francisco ole la
Cueva to investigate their possibili-
ties as a penal colony, but their dis-
tance from the mainland led to
abandonment of the plan in favor of
the island of Maria Madre.
Socorro, the largest. of the group,
is at the same time the most fertile;
Saiz Benito has a long stretch of
good beach along its eastern shore,
while semiarid Clarion offers fisher -
Men good anchorage' in Azufre bay
and unlimited possibilities for game
and commercial fishing.
1`;C4'
Washing Pretties,Makes
Curtains. Last Longer.
Washing is not merely a matter of'
prettying the curtains. It is a means.
of snaking them last. The sheerer -
and more fragile',your curtains are,
the more necessary it is to rotect.
s y P...,
them by washingthem as soon as;•:
they need it.
Before putting curtains into cool.
sudsy water, loose dust should be
'shaken out. Let them soak for about
15' minutes, then squeeze out the
blackened water and place in trash--'
lukewarm suds, either in the washer
ortub. Run the washer about five
minutes for fragile curtains; eight
or ten- minutes for the more dur-
able ones. Before going into the
washer, lacy curtains should be put:.
into thin pillow slips so the agitator
'will not break fine threads. Ear hand
washing, a light rubbing against the,
'washboard or between the handle
may be needed to remove all the
grime. Rinse, ,starch lightly, and
dry on; a stretcher or by hanging;
evenly' over the line, being sure to
square the corners.
(Many curtain fabrics, especially
those with a net or mesh weave,.
shrink during washing. This should
be taken into consideration when..
they are purchased or made. If no
such allowance has been made and
the curtains have shrunk materially
they can be re -lengthened by false -
facing the top and bottom hems, or
by adding fringe to the bottom hem,
or by a bias fold of contrasting ,
material.
Once Neglected Seaweed
Now Being Cultivated
Seaweeds, as long neglected by
Americans as land weeds, are un-
der close scrutiny at.theUniversity
of California as possible sources of
food. In rather crude form they
are traditional articles of diet in
Japan, and it is considered not im-
possible that with better processing
they might be made palatable to
Americans and Europeans. '
In the botanical laboratories a Chi-
nese scientist, Dr. C. K. Tseng, has
transplanted a number of species
from offshore rocks to tanks of sea
water, where they can be studied
under known and controlled condi-
tions. His idea eventually is to es-
tablish a "submarine agriculture,"
with large scale cultivation and
regular harvesting methods.
A South African botanist at the
university, Dr. George Papenfus,
says that several seaweed species
along the coasts of his native land
have been found to be good. sources
of agar, a kind of vegetable gelatin
needed for laboratory culturing of
bacteria and other micro-organisms.
Before" the, war agar was supplied
practicaIIy altogether from Japan,
and the lack of it has been a serious
handicap -in hospitals and research
laboratories:
Test Poultry
The most useful tool for poultry
improvement and greater egg pro-
duction today is the family test for
breeding birds, in which the breed-
ers are judged on the perform-
ance of- sisters,' brothers and off-
spring.
This kind of testing involves much
care and work. As a result the pro-
ducer of , hatching eggs or baby
chicks can often improve his stock
best by purchase of eggs from fam-
ily -tested birds from specialists in
that work.
Before introducing the birds grown
from these eggs into his own select-
ed strain of breeding birds, he should
observe them for the first year of
laying, to make sure they are bet-
ter than the old stock. In the sec-
ond year, the birds of the better
strain can then be added to the
breeder flock to improve it. To
avoid disease, it is safest to intro-
duce hatching eggs or baby chicks,
not grown birds. Two or three
strains Should be tested.
Sorghum Syrup
Crushed through home-made roll-
ers and boiled on the back of the
kitcehen stove, vitamin -rich, sugar -
full sorghum syrup is often the
main "sweetener" in southern diets.
The "home-grown" variety seldom
reaches a commercial market, but
is grown, made and consumed by
the small farm family. . '
Even bagasse—the waste, or
squeezed -dry stalks from the rollers
—has its use. Spread over the
ground," it feeds the 'soil for next
year's crop. Chopped up and mixed
with other feed, it is fed to cattle.
Bagasse, like the fully matured
green plant, is "safe" feed, but the
young tender shoots, still in the de-
veloping stage, contain prussic acid
and cattle must be kept from plant-
ed fields.
Indian 'Green'
Bruised or gashed milkweed
leaves, wrapped around pieces of
meat prior to cooking, have been
used as tenderizers by the Mexi-
cans for years. Early American pi-
oneers cooked the young green floss -
filled pods with their buffalo meat,
They learnedit from the Indians.
Young clusters of budding milk-
weed flowers were boiled by the In-
dians for "greens." The ,leaves,
gathered young, and boiled in two
waters,served- inn 'some -localities as,
a'substitute for spinach, while spring
shoots were, often. boiled and served
like 'asparagus.' French Canadians
made sugar from milkweed. They
boiled down the. honey -filled dew
which dripped from the, flowers gath-,
ered early in the morning;
Enact Laws to Govern
Increasing Bicycle Traffic
Appearance of a growing number
of bicycles on the nation's streets
and highways since 1940, coincident
with restricted motor vehicle trans-
portation, has led many cities to
enact ordinances and take other
steps during this period to regulate
use of these vehicles.
At present, three ofevery five
cities in the country report an ordi-
nance in effect for the regulation -of
bicycles according to information
to the American Municipal associa-
tion.
The information is based on an
analysis by the American Automo-
bile association of answers from
326 cities in a survey to detertnine
the seriousness of the bicycle prob-
lem and steps taken to meet it. The
survey indicated that about 54• per
cent of the regulatory ordinances
have been enacted since 1939.
Most of the cities require registra-
tion of bicycles, 118 requiring annual
registration and 66 requiring regis-
tration whenever bicycle ownership
changes hands. The registration fee
charged most commonly is 25 cents,
with 50 cents next in line. Three of
the cities reported a"$1 registration
-fee, -
Food Yeast Processing
Food yeast has a protein value --
twice that of meat and, more impor
tant still, is exceedingly 'rich in B,
complex vitamins. It costs as lit-
tle as 10 cents a pound, and can
be easily manufactured, shipped,
stored and used.
The present 'manufacturing meth-
ods were developed in England in.
1940. It is made from molasses and;
ammonia, and will soon be in full!
production in both this country and'
England. , The process, a continuous;
one, consists of planting 125 pounds
of this new yeast strain in a vat con-
taining 7,000 gallons of water, a ton
and a half of molasses and some am-
monia. The yeast feeds on the sug-
ar in the molasses, and the ammonia
}raider the nitrogen that the yeast
converts into protein. Normally the
yeast would ferment the sugar, re-
sulting' in alcohol, but in the afore-
mentioned manufacturing process,
the mixture is stirred by 1,000 cubic
feet of air per minute, which prevent
fermentation, The yeast multiplies .
itself about 16 times in weight in
12 hours and emerges from the
vat as a ton of creamy mass which .
is then dried and ready for use.
Electoral College
Voters cast ballots not for the
President directly but for electoral'
candidates, who are nominated in
various ways according to state
laws and who are pledged to vote
for the candidate of their party.;,,
Each state has as many electors as;
it has U. S. senators and representa-
tives combined.
It is the electoral vote and not thd.
popular vote which elects the Presi-
dent. The electors meet on the first,
Monday after the second Wednesday
in December at a site directed by
their state legislatures to cast their-
votes, The ballots then are sealed!
and each electoral college appoints.
a member to deliver the vote of that.
state to the president of the senate.
The senate and the house of repre
sentatives meet in joint session at.
1 p. m. on the following January 6,
to hear the•vote counted.
Plane Production
In building a typical fighter plane,
the first plane to come from the
production lines, Model "A," took.
157,000 manhours to build.
Tenth plane of that model took,
59,000 manhours. By that time the•
engineers were beginning to discov-
er ways and means to improve the -
ship, so -the 13th plane was a slightly'
revised ,model—Model ."B"—which,
still, took 59,01 Q manhours to build.
'Despite design arid" Model 'changes,
and- 'changes' in specifications, the-
100tH' plane took only 26,500 man-,
hours' to .`build and the 1,000th, only.
7, 0lnai?iiours.: ;