Douglas Gardner, age 10, of High Point, N.C., for his question:

WHERE DO WE GET LINSEED OIL?

The first three letters are taken from the word linen, which is a fine fabric woven from plant threads. The plant that makes these fibers is called flax. When its little blueeyed flowers fade, it produces smooth seeds. These seeds from the linen fiber plant contain rich linseed oil.

The big job is to separate this valuable oil from the rough stuff in the flax seeds. This may be done by grinding the seeds to powder and using it to make little patties. The patties are squeezed to get out the oil. The rough stuff is fed to the cattle. The rich oil is mixed with paints to keep them from cracking and peeling in the weather outdoors.