QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 97 



weevil deposits many eggs in one place, many beans will contain six or 

 seven grubs. The pea weevil only deposits one egg in a place. 



589. Q. What is implied by humidity of the atmosphere ? Humidiiy. 

 A. The air will take up and hold invisibly a certain amount of moisture ; 



a greater amount will appear as mist, fog, or rain and fall to the ground. 

 The full amount of moisture that the air will hold in perfect suspension 

 and invisible is, for scientific purposes, estimated at 100, half that quan- 

 tity at 50. When the humidity is reported at 90 the air has almost ceased 

 to be able to take up perspiration from the human body ; consequently 

 the atmosphere is very oppressive, even though the temperature may not 

 be above 80° F, Instruments to indicate humidity can be bought for two 

 or three dollars and are instructive and useful, same as tliermometers. 



590. Q. What was the biggest crop of corn ever grown in the United Com Crop. 

 States? 



A. The crop of 1889 was 2,163,893,000 bushels. The estimated crop of 

 1895 is 2,435,000,000 bushels, from 83,000,000 acres. 



591. Q. Are there any Bast fibre plants native to the Middle States Fibre Plants. 

 which I can experiment with for fibre? 



A. Yes, two very promising ones. 



1. The Swamp Rose Mallow, a perennial naturally growing in swamps 

 and producing straight stems to a height of six feet, but growing just as 

 well on upland. Its fibre is a substitute for jute. 



2. The Abutilon or Butter plant, an annual found in nearly all corn- 

 fields and growing, in ninety days, to a height of four to five feet. It 

 produces a fibre strong, white, glossy, and a good substitute for jute. It 

 can be grown wherever Indian corn can be grown. 



593. Q. How much Orchard grass seed is grown annually ? Orchard 



A. About three million pounds, nearly half of which is sent to Europe. <5rass. 



The production ranges from five to fifteen bushels of fourteen pounds to 



the acre. It is mostly grown in Kentucky and Virginia. 



593. Q. What is the difference between Spring and Winter wheat? Wheat. 



A. Spring wheat, an annual, is an abnormal form developed by selec- 

 tion and climatic conditions from Winter wheat. All wheat, in early 

 times, was of the biennial habit. In extremely cold sections of country 

 Winter wheat often kills out, and in such parts Spring wheat is cultivated 



to advantage. 



594. Q. Is a bearded or beardless wheat the best ? Wheat. 

 A. Opinions vary upon this subject. A bearded wheat bends over and 



breaks down sooner than a bald wheat, as it holds a greater weight of 

 rain. On the other hand it is more self-protective against the ravages of 

 birds. 



595. Q. In shipping beans to the Northern markets I frequently receive Bean Kust. 

 reports that they have arrived badly spotted or rusted and therefore un- 

 salable, though I know they were perfectly free from spots when they 



were packed. Can you explain this? 

 A. Probably due to the natural moisture of the pods when packed. 



