Tidbits of the Rogue Valley Vol 2 Issue 25

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TIDBITS® PLANTS

SEEDS

by Janet Spencer Charles Darwin once scraped about seven ounces (200 g) of mud off the feet of several dozen water birds, then placed the mud in a terrarium and tended it carefully. Some 537 plants grew from the mud, proving how effective birds are at transferring seeds.

Come along with Tidbits as we plant some seeds!

BIG vs LITTLE • The tallest known tree is a redwood in California that stands 379 feet (115 m) which is 62 feet (19 m) taller than the Statue of Liberty. A man standing next to this redwood is proportionately equal to an ant standing next to a fishing pole 13 feet (4 m) long. Redwood needles and cones are less than an inch long (2.5 cm), and the seeds are so small it takes 6,000 seeds to weigh one ounce (28 g).

• To equal an ounce in weight, it takes about 50 lima bean seeds; 3,000 radish seeds; 10,000 onion seeds; 25,000 lettuce seeds; 75,000 celery seeds; 140,000 poppy seeds; 300,000 petunia seeds; 400,000 tobacco seeds; and 1,000,000 begonia seeds. Orchids have the smallest seeds. It takes more than 35 million seeds to weigh 1 ounce. On the other hand, a giant palm tree that grows on only two islands off Madagascar yields double coconuts called “coco de mer” meaning “sea coconut” that weigh 45 to 60 lbs. (20 - 27 kg). They are the largest seeds in the world.

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THE LONG & SHORT OF IT

• According to the Gardeners’ Chronicle of Nov. 11, 1843, twelve wheat seeds from a vase in an Egyptian tomb sealed for 3,000 years sprouted and lived. The longest officially documented longevity of a seed was that of three lotus seeds found in an ancient canoe buried 18 feet deep (5.5 m) in a peat bog near Tokyo in 1951.

Radiocarbon dating revealed the seeds to be 2,000 years old. Two of the three seeds sprouted four days after being planted.

• Cottonwood seeds, floating about on tiny tufts of cotton, remain alive for only a few days. They will germinate almost instantly upon landing on moist soil.

CLOSE CALL

• On the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, dodo birds lived under the calvaria tree. The tree’s seeds were unable to sprout until they had been ground down by the dodo’s digestive tract. The dodo had no natural enemies and therefore had developed no defenses. When men came accompanied by rats, dogs, and guns, the dodo died out in short order, and it looked like the calvaria tree was soon to follow.

At one point there were only 13 of the trees left in the world, some of them more than 300 years old. Then a researcher fed the seeds to turkeys, whose gizzards did the job that the dodo used to do. The calvaria tree was saved from the dodo’s fate.

Why Dogs Can’t Use People Toothpaste DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My dog’s veterinarian said that I need to brush her teeth to keep them from falling out. He then tried to sell me a tube of “special” toothpaste that cost $9! Plus it smelled like canned chicken.

What is the point if brushing isn’t going to freshen her breath? Can I just buy regular toothpaste from the drugstore? Sign me -Angry in Iowa DEAR ANGRY: The No. 1 reason not to use “regular” toothpaste made for humans on a pet is because it contains flouride, which can be fatal to pets if ingested. And because your dog will swallow all toothpaste being used on her teeth, that is a problem.

Why brush? Healthy teeth and gums don’t just preserve her teeth, they can prevent heart disease. So, knuckle down and buy a dog-specific toothbrush and toothpaste, either from the vet or the pet store. Or, you can even make your own baking soda- and bullion-based recipe.

To brush your dog’s teeth, hold her securely and place a little bit of doggy toothpaste on the brush (you can use a cotton ball on

puppies and small dogs, to start). Let her taste it, then cradle her muzzle and lift one side of her lip. Place the brush against her gums and gently sweep downward.

She will lick the toothpaste away as you work, so use as much as you need. The first few tries may even be frustrating as she tries to break away. The key is to brush regularly, at least once a week, and try different flavors. And never scold her: give lots of encouragement during the brush and a healthy treat right after.

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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You feel ready to face up to a major change, although it might involve some risks. A oncedubious family member comes around and offers support and encouragement.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Move forward with your plans, despite discouraging words from those who underestimate the Bovine’s strong will. Your keen instincts will guide you well.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A misunderstanding is easily cleared up. Then go ahead and enjoy some fun and games this week. A Libra might have ideas that merit serious consideration for the future.

CANCER ( June 21 to July 22) You might feel as if you’re in an emotional pressure cooker, but the situation is about to change in your favor. Take time out for some wellearned fun.

LEO ( July 23 to August 22) A shift in your workplace responsibilities creates resentment among some co-workers. Deal with it before it becomes a threat to your success on the job.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Expect some surprises in what you thought was one of your typically well-planned schedules. Deal with them, and then enjoy some lighthearted entertainment.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Be careful: What appears to be a solid financial opportunity might have some hidden risks attached. A hazy personal matter needs to be cleared up.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) It’s a good time to strengthen ties with family and friends. You might feel unsure about a recent workplace decision, but time will prove you did the right thing.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Just when you thought your relationship was comfortable and even predictable, your partner or spouse could spring a potentially life-changing surprise on you.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your usually generous self is overshadowed by your equally strong suspicious nature. You might be judging things too harshly. Keep an open mind.

AQUARIUS ( January 20 to February 18) Love and romance dominate the week.

Married Aquarians enjoy domestic harmony, while singles could soon be welcoming overtures from loving Leos.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) An old health problem recurs, but it is soon dealt with, leaving you eager to get back into the swing of things. A favorable travel period starts this week.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have an independent spirit that resists being told what to do. But you’re also wise enough to appreciate good advice.

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1. HISTORY: What major event in France’s history is marked by the year 1789?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What European city is known as the City of Peace and Justice?

3. MUSIC: What is the next to the last note in the scale that begins “do, re, mi ...”?

4. MEDICAL: What is involved in a phlebotomy?

5. CHEMISTRY: What is another name for sodium chloride?

6. LANGUAGE: What was a bard’s profession in ancient times?

7. FAMOUS QUOTES: Which 19th-century writer once said, “Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught”?

8. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What kind of creature is a pollywog?

9. GAMES: How many pieces make up a double-six domino set?

10. SCIENCE: What are the four life stages of a butterfly?

1. How many N.L. Rookie of the Year award winners did the Los Angeles Dodgers have while Tommy Lasorda was the manager (1976-96)?

2. Name the last New York Yankees pitcher to lead the American League in ERA for a season.

3. When was the last time the University of Michigan football team won the Big Ten conference title?

4. In 2015, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook set an All-Star Game record for most points in a half (27). Who had held the mark?

5. Detroit’s Gordie Howe was the first player to win the Art Ross Trophy (leading the NHL in scoring) more than once. Who was the second to do it?

6. Name the first Canadian bowler to win a Professional Bowlers Association event.

7. The University of Georgia has won the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships three times in the past four years. Who was the other winner?

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Getting Things Done

SUNFLOWER STATISTICS

• Percent of a sunflower seed that is composed of oil: up to 50% • Number of bushels of seeds from an average acre of sunflowers: 50 • Number of gallons of sunflower oil from each bushel of seeds: 1 gal.

• Number of different species of sunflower: 110 • Rank of sunflower oil in the list of the longest burning vegetable oils: 1

SEED HUSKING

• To shell sunflower seeds, the seeds are dropped into a strong airstream which propels the seed towards a hard metal plate. The seeds whack the plate with such force and speed that they crack open. The empty husk is light and it is blown to the side. The husked kernels drop into a bin below, where they are collected for packaging.

SEEDS OF INSPIRATION

• George de Mestral and his dog went hunting in Switzerland one day in 1948. He became frustrated by the cockleburs that stuck to his clothing and his dog. At home, he looked at them under his microscope. They were covered with little hooks, which stuck to the loops of thread in his clothing like a thousand grasping hands. He wondered if he couldn’t imitate nature to develop a fastener that would work that well. It took him eight years of research to develop his own system of cocklebur fabric, which he named Velcro from the French word “velour” meaning “velvet” and “crochet” meaning “hook.” Ten years later, textile looms were turning out 60 million yards of Velcro every year.

• Each cocklebur contains two seeds. One is programmed to germinate the next spring, and the other is programmed to germinate the second spring. This doubles the chances of encountering good growing conditions.

Have you ever been out in the middle of a lake in a fishing boat and there weren’t any hooks in your tackle box? Or have you ever started to sew on a button and didn’t have a needle?

Looking at the steps involved in getting something done -- what educators call “task analysis” -- is for all ages. Thinking ahead and planning what direction to take in accomplishing a task are skills we continue to develop throughout our lives.

Teachers in lower elementary grades begin the process of helping students learn how to map out steps to complete a task. As they grow older, students benefit from these skills when they begin to write term papers, do research reports and study for exams.

Breaking large tasks down into smaller, more manageable parts takes practice and patience.

This skill can be taught and reinforced at home, too, whether it’s planting a vegetable garden or baking a batch of chocolate-chip cookies.

Before your kids begin a craft project or chore, encourage them to ask, “What will it take to get this done?” Here are additional questions to guide them through the process: --How much time will the project take?

Discuss the time required to complete the task (including cleanup) and the time available.

Will it be done before your piano lesson?

--What equipment is needed?

If you work in the yard, do you have garbage bags and brooms so you don’t have to run back and forth to the hardware store?

For a craft project or recipe, check for ingredients and utensils on hand, such as the right-size pan, bowl and measuring cups. It’s hard to make two quarts of lemonade in a onequart container!

--Is an adult needed, and will that person be available? Many activities require extra strength or supervision, for safety reasons, when using sharp objects, a hot iron or a stove.

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To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.

Don’t Let Summer Heat Curtail Cardio Workout

DEAR DR. ROACH: I usually walk 45 minutes daily for a cardio workout. However, the Florida summer heat can be brutal, so instead of walking, I swim and walk one hour in the pool. Is that as good a cardio workout as walking? -- R.G. ANSWER: I think that having several different ways to exercise is a good idea, since the muscles used will always be at least somewhat different and it can keep you from being bored when doing the same thing day after day. In your situation, I think that it makes a great deal of sense to avoid the heat

by getting in the pool.

The intensity of a cardiovascular workout can be measured simply by your pulse rate. A rough but commonly used guide is that moderate cardiovascular exercise is 50 percent to 70 percent of your age-predicted maximum of 220 minus your age. So for age 50, your maximum is 170, and moderate exercise is a pulse of 85 to 119. You can check your pulse at the wrist with a clock, or wear a heart monitor.

Swimming almost always is a more-intense workout than walking (race walkers certainly can get a very fast pulse rate), and walking in the pool is a good exercise for your heart and many muscles.

If the pool is outdoors, as is usual in warm, sunny places, you need to wear and reapply plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: In 1978, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. It was on the pituitary gland and pushing on the optic nerve. I had surgery, but only half was removed because of the optic nerve. The other half was shrunk with chemo and radiation. I am concerned about the long-term effects of radiation, because I had a stroke in 2012 and the doctors said this stroke might have been a

MUSIC APPRECIATION In 1960, botanist George Smith planted two sets of corn and soybean seeds in flats in his greenhouses. Both sets were treated identically, with the exception that one set “listened” to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” 24 hours a day. The Gershwin plants sprouted earlier and were healthier than those kept in total silence. The next year, Smith continually broadcast music to a small plot of corn. The plot yielded 137 bushels an acre, versus 117 for an identical plot kept in silence.

SECURING A SUPPLY A Frenchman was a talented gardener and fancied exotic Oriental anemones. His gardens drew a lot of attention, but he steadfastly refused to share seeds, bulbs, or cuttings from his plants. One day a government official who stopped in for a chat “accidentally” dropped his coat into a bed of anemones that had gone to seed. His servant, who had been carefully instructed, rushed to pick up the coat and carry it home to brush it off. The number of seeds recovered from the coat was enough not only to supply the wily official, but also to spread among his friends. Soon anemones were growing all over Europe.

Mexico had a valuable strain of cotton that yielded high quality seeds, but it was against Mexican law to export any seeds. In 1809, Walter Burling was on a public mission to Mexico and asked the Viceroy for some of their valuable seeds. The Viceroy refused to give him the seeds. Instead, he invited Burling to take home as many Mexican dolls as he wished. The dolls were stuffed with cotton seeds.

A STRANGE BOUQUET A German botanist was exploring Mexico, looking for new specimens. When he found a beautiful purple flower, he gathered a sack full of the seed heads. Suddenly he was seized by bandits who thought his sack must be full of gold. When they opened it and found only a bunch of dead flowers, the robbers were convinced the botanist was an idiot, wandering through the desert carrying only dead flowers.

Because it was considered bad luck to murder the feeble-minded, the bandits let the man go. The flowers he was collecting were taken back to Europe where they were examined and propagated by another botanist named Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn. Dr. Zinn named them after himself: zinnias.

link to long-term effects of radiation. But 36 years later? Can you confirm or deny that the long-term effects of radiation cause stroke?

-- B.R. ANSWER: I can’t tell you whether your stroke was caused by the radiation you received; however, I can confirm that highdose radiation (from radiation therapy for your tumor, not from a diagnostic CT scan) increases the overall risk of transient ischemic attack and stroke. A well-done study from Australia in 2011 showed that radiation treatment approximately doubles the risk of TIA and stroke.

This does not mean that the treatment you had in 1978 was inappropriate. Treatment of a brain tumor, even a noncancerous one, is critical, because there is very little room in your head for a tumor in that position. The medical treatment we have now for these kinds of tumors was not available in 1978.

What this means for people with a history of radiation treatment to the head is that they should do everything to reduce their risk of stroke, which means no smoking, careful control of blood pressure and cholesterol, careful diet including low sodium and low sugar, and discussion with a doctor about aspirin therapy.

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* It was 19th-century mathematician and philosopher William Kingdon Clifford who made the following sage observation: “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”

Amazing Animals

MICE

• The word “mouse” comes from the Sanskrit word for thief.

• Mice are thought to be the most common mammal in the U.S. • A mouse will not eat cheese if other food is available. Mice have been known to eat glue, leather, plastic, paste, soap, bugs, leaves, roots, stems, and seeds— but they just don’t go for cheese.

• House mice will usually spend their entire lives within 200 feet (60 m) of their nest.

• Like their cousin the beaver, the teeth of a mouse never stop growing.

• Unlike the bat, which gives birth to only one offspring a year, a female mouse can have a litter every month. Four to seven youngsters are born after a gestation period of only 18 to 21 days. An infant mouse’s eyes open at age 10 days; it leaves the nest at age three weeks; and has its first litter two weeks later.

• Most wild mice live only two or three years, but captive mice can live up to six years.

• Mice living in cold environments such as meat lockers are able to adjust to temperatures around 15 F (-9 C) and have litters larger than house mice living at normal temperatures.

They grow to be a larger size, too.

• The tail of a mouse is about as long as its body.

• Mice communicate with each other using ultrasonic sounds that humans cannot hear.

• Mice do not hibernate but they do become less active when weather is severe.

• The ova [eggs] of a blue whale are the same size as the ova of a mouse.

• Mouse sex lasts 5 seconds. A female mouse can get pregnant again within 48 hours of giving birth.

• A group of mice is called a “mischief.”

* Thanks to stories of Robin Hood, most people have heard of King Richard the Lion-Hearted. He wasn’t much of a king, though; he spent only about six months in England, and he didn’t even speak English. * If you have the great good fortune to take a cruise along the length of the Danube River -- Europe’s second-longest -you’ll hear seven languages spoken along the banks as you travel.

Low Sodium ... Or Not Low-sodium foods are everywhere on grocery-store shelves, and it’s assumed those are the ones we should have.

The British Journal The Lancet recently set off a firestorm when it reported the result of research: High sodium intake is bad for those with high blood pressure, increasing cardiovascular events and death. (OK, that’s no surprise.) However ... low sodium intake is bad for those with or without high blood pressure and is associated with cardiovascular events and death.

To read it again: Very-low sodium intake can cause cardiovascular events and death, whether or not you have high blood pressure.

This was no small-population study.

McMaster University in Canada and National University of Ireland-Galway looked at 130,000 people in 49 countries.

Why is it that low intake of sodium can potentially be bad for us? We’re left

Until They All Come Home ...

A World War II aircraft missing since July 1944 has been located in the Pacific. The Navy TBM-1C Avenger was found by Project RECOVER, a group whose purpose is to use advanced high-tech methods to find missingin-action Americans and aircraft.

This aircraft, found in 85 feet of water in a lagoon near the Pacific Island of Palau, is only one of what might be dozens of U.S. planes and the remains of 80 American airmen, all hidden in the coral reefs and mangrove forests.

The players in the Project RECOVER consortium are all big names: University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment; Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego; and the BentProp Project, a nonprofit that’s been searching for MIAs for two decades.

The technology used would be impressive

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* Just a couple of hours southwest of Indianapolis, you’ll find the town of Vincennes, Indiana, home to the Backyard Roller Coasters. This is where John Ivers, a blue-collar worker, decided he wanted to build a roller coaster in the backyard of his home off Highway 41 -- and he didn’t let his lack of an engineering background stop him. The thrilling 10-second ride was completed in 2001, and in 2006 those with less nerve got their own, tamer coaster on the same site. The coasters are open to the public, so visitors can try out either (or both) of the rides by making an appointment. * You may be surprised to learn that an elephant is 40 to 50 years old before all of its teeth come in. * Aside from being well-known conquerors, what did Alexander the Great and Napoleon have in common? They both hated cats.

mystified, because the study only mentions “adverse elevations of certain hormones.”

A 2014 study with 101,000 participants in 17 countries found the same results, with an average amount of sodium being a lot less risky for cardiovascular events and death than very low sodium intake. This study got specific with the numbers (including a chart) and showed that the sodium intake suggested by the American Heart Association is very near the low-sodium level that causes problems.

Then there’s the other study that shows that adequate sodium helps to fight infection.

The firestorm started when the American Heart Association jumped in and called the Canada-Ireland study flawed and not valid.

There are some illnesses and situations, however, that can be made worse by a lowsodium diet.

What do we do with this conflicting information? We track our sodium intake and let our doctor know what it is, and we take the advice we’re given. We have to decide whom to trust.

even if the work isn’t being done on the ocean floor: scanning sonars, cameras, unmanned aerial systems, diver propulsion systems and underwater robots. They study currents and climate, historical data and firsthand accounts ... all to try to determine where a missing aircraft might be. In the past the group has located a downed Corsair fighter off Palau and a F6F Hellcat.

It’s thought that there are 78,000 service members missing around the globe. Once information is discovered, it’s sent to the Department of Defense’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency so the families can be notified.

Patrick Scannon, founder of the BentProp Project, part of Project RECOVER, describes his feelings about finally locating sites under the sea, “We’ve found the temporary tomb of Americans who’ve been missing in action for a long, long time. It is a privilege to be there ... so that the families can understand the fate of their loved ones.”

To learn more, see bentprop.org, scripps. ucsd.edu/projects/projectrecover and the film “Last Flight Home” on Amazon Prime.

Napoli Glass Q: I purchased a bowl that has been identified as Napoli glass. What exactly is Napoli glass?

-- Sherrie, Westport, Connecticut A: According to “Glass A to Z” by David Shotwell, Napoli glass was patented in 1894

by Albert Steffen, then supervisor of the Mount Washington Glass Company. This type of glass is made by forming an outline of a figure or design on one side of the ware and forming the actual figure or design on the opposite. When

viewed from the side with the outline, the outline will appear to combine with the main body.

Colored glass and metallic bits are sometimes used in the decorating process. Early pieces of Napoli glass are considered scarce and quite collectible. *** Q: I have inherited about four dozen pieces of Fiesta. The collection was started by my mom in about 1940. I have decided to keep them, but have no idea of current values. Can you recommend a good price guide that you feel is reliable? -- Sharon, Albuquerque, New Mexico A: There are several guides available, but one that I have found especially useful is “Warman’s Fiesta: Identification and Price Guide” by Glen Victorey, and published by Krause Books. Values can differ from region to region, so keep this in mind when using any reference source. Victorey, who has collected Fiesta for more than three decades, features a production timeline for

establishing date of manufacture, a color chart (which is very important since color impacts scarcity) and what I feel is up-to-date pricing. It is illustrated with more than 700 photographs in full color. *** Q: In 1965, my mom bought me a Mickey Mouse alarm clock for my birthday. I still have it, and I am curious about how much it might be worth 50 years later. -- Tom, Littleton, Colorado A: Your alarm clock is a re-issue of an earlier clock manufactured by Bayard in France. The dial face has separate diecut pointer hands and a separate diecut in its head that nods as seconds tick. Your clock in its original box is worth in the $300-$1,300 range, $250-$800 without box, according to the “Official Price Guide to Disney Collectibles” by Ted Hake and published by House of Collectibles.

BAD LUCK • The San Onofre nuclear power plant in California was shut down due to mysterious electrical short-circuits. Several roasted mice were eventually found near the bad wires.

FIRST MOUSE • During the Carter administration, a mouse got into the White House and died behind the walls. Carter called the General Services Administration, but they claimed the problem was a matter for the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior claimed it was the General Services’ dilemma. Carter called men from both agencies, had them take a

whiff of the dead mouse, and told them to stop the excuses and get the darn thing out. They did.

DR. JEKYL AND MR. MOUSE • A male mouse in the presence of a baby mouse will either care for it lovingly or kill it.

Recently scientists unlocked the secret to this behavior: It depends on how long it’s been since he’s had sex.

• After having sex, the male mouse will kill any infant he comes across until three weeks have passed. Significantly, that is the gestation period for a mouse. About the time his own offspring are due to be born, a transformation

takes place and a male mouse becomes a model dad.

• Biologists believe this behavior increases the representation of his own genes in future generations. Evolution has given him an internal clock which is triggered by sex. This ensures that he won’t kill his own offspring.

Scientists found that by altering the length of the day, they could rush or delay this Jekyland-Hyde transformation, yet it always occurred after the same number of light and dark cycles. At this point, mice are the only species of animal known to have this type of internal clock.

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COTTON

• Cotton seeds are attached to cotton fibers which catch the wind and float away, carrying the seed to new areas. The seeds are very firmly attached to the fibers, and the fibers are very strong. In fact, cotton fibers are stronger than steel wire of the same thickness, making cotton perfect for clothing, especially since the fiber increases in strength when it is wet.

Furthermore, the fibers twist as they dry. A single inch-long cotton fiber may have 300 turns in it, making it very durable.

• It is very difficult and time-consuming to separate the seeds from the fibers. When picking the seeds out by hand, it took one person two years to turn out a bale of cotton.

For every 100 pounds (45 kg) of fiber, there were 180 pounds (87 kg) of seeds, and each cotton boll had 20 to 50 seeds.

• Eli Whitney heard some of his friends complaining about the problems of separating cotton fibers from the seeds. Since Eli was an educated man, they asked him if he could find a solution.

• Within a few days, he built a prototype cotton gin (short for engine) and demonstrated it for a few people. In the gin, a toothed cylinder rakes the cotton against a grate, pulling the fiber through a set of bars, and leaving the seeds behind. In its first trial, Eli turned out a full day’s worth of work in a single hour. His small hand-cranked model cleaned cotton as fast as 50 people working by hand.

• Word got around fast. Based on this single demonstration, farmers all over the American South began planting enormous amounts of cotton plants. Previously cotton had been so labor-intensive that it wasn’t profitable. Eli began the process of patenting his invention, but before the patent could be completed and a factory set up to turn out cotton gins, all of the newly planted cotton was ready to be harvested. Farmers built their own cotton gins without worrying about patents. (cont’d) • Although Eli Whitney eventually received some grants from cotton-producing states, most of it went for legal fees and Eli was left penniless. He never earned much money from his invention which revolutionized the economy of the South.

1. Nine -- Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth.

2. Rudy May, with a 2.46 ERA in 1980.

3. It was 2004.

4. Glenn Rice (1997) and Kyrie Irving (2014) each had 24 points.

5. Montreal’s Dickie Moore, in the 1957-58 and 1958-59 seasons.

6. Graham Fach, in 2016.

7. California, in 2015.

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• Two years before the invention of the gin, cotton production amounted to 6,000 bales a year. By 1860, it had soared to 4.5 million bales, making the U.S. the biggest producer.

• The invention of the cotton gin had an unforeseen impact on the South: the demand for slaves to tend the burgeoning cotton crop suddenly skyrocketed.

• Eli Whitney went on to revolutionize American factories by inventing such concepts as mass production and interchangeable parts, particularly in the manufacture of rifles.

• Today the U.S. produces about 20% of the world’s cotton, grown primarily in 17 southern states. Texas is the top producer.

• Cotton is the most abundantly produced natural fiber in the world. Over 82 million tons of textile fibers were consumed in 2013, of which cotton accounted for 30%, chemical fibers accounted for 68.6%, and all other natural fibers made up less than 2%.

• Although some cotton species are actually a perennial tree, it is traditionally grown as an annual crop to increase yield.

• The word cotton comes from the Arabic word “qutn” which means “fancy.”

• A single bale of cotton weighs about 500 lbs.

(227 kg) and can produce 1,200 pair of men’s underpants, or 765 shirts, or 22,000 hankies, or 215 pairs of jeans, or 680,000 cotton balls.

• Paper money is 75% cotton. A baseball contains 150 yards (137 m) of cotton inside it.

• Cotton can absorb 27 times its own weight in water, making it excellent for towels, but not very good for survival clothing.

Answers 1. French Revolution begins 2. The Hague 3. ti 4. Drawing blood for tests 5. Table salt 6. Poet 7. Oscar Wilde 8. A tadpole 9. 28 10. Egg, larva, pupa, adult