THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



309 



As a practical apiarist I give it as my 

 humble opinion, that the critic is doing 

 grand ivork in straightening out the 

 teaching of those who are doing most of 

 their apiary, work in the office, and not 

 with the bees. These men can not spare 

 the time to do practical work and note all 

 the little things that must be done in a 

 bee 3'ard. For the benefit of the young 

 and beginners, do continue the criticisms, 

 and let the critic have his own way of do- 

 ing it." 



"As you ask your readers to commend 

 or condemn, as they think best; the De- 

 partment of Criticism in the Review I wish 

 to say, as tar as I am concerned, I com- 

 mend it fully. I think it is a stride in 

 the right direction. What are V^ee pa- 

 pers for if not to teach people truths in 

 regard to bee keeping .-* What should a 

 writer care, if he makes a mistake, to be 

 corrected ? How I wish at times to have 

 a Taylor, a Miller, a Doolittle or some 

 other good bee-keeper to criticise my 

 methods. How helpful it would be. 



We are too prone to want someone to 

 praise us; not to point out our errors. 

 How we flare up if this is done. 



If Bro. Taylor makes a mistake, criti- 

 cise hbn. Let it all be done in a good 

 natured spirit. Let all be critics, when 

 they see errors set forth as truths; but 

 let it be in a kindly spirit. Of course I 

 would regret to see the Review injured, 

 and if you think this department likelv 

 to do so I would discontinue it; but I 

 don't believe it will do so; I think the 

 majority will see the usefulness of it; or, 

 at least, I hope .so; as I would regret to 

 see it discontinued. ' ' 



•'Friend Hutchinson, but for lack of 

 time I would have written you and Bro. 

 Taylor long ago. Your words in last 

 Review make me write a short note with- 

 out waiting for time. 



I was glad when I saw the announce- 

 ment that Bro. Taylor would start the 

 new department, and counted on some- 

 think instructive and useful from one of 

 his ability. The outcome has been a real 

 disappointment. 1 had supposed that I 



had learned to l)e glad to have my faults 

 pointed out, whether it was done b\' 

 friend or foe, and I count Bro. Taylor as 

 a friend. I don't say there's anything 

 wrong in his manner, but I do say that 

 the reading of his matter makes the im- 

 pression on the mind that he is anxious 

 to find fault and to make it unpleasant 

 for those he criticises. So much so is 

 this that he hardly seems the same man 

 whom I have known and admired for 

 his integrity and ability. A number have 

 .spoken to me about him, and expressed 

 themselves as impressed the same way. 

 I think you ad he have been pluming 

 yotir.selves that he was not mincing mat- 

 ters but speaking with great frankness. 

 The impression upon others is that of in- 

 ten.^e di.sagrecableness. 



I'm not saying this because he made a 

 S{)ecial target of me. I take that as a 

 Compliment. I replied to his first article 

 because I thought he was 'off' in his 

 charges. His reply to me, instead of ap- 

 pearing simply reaching after the plain 

 truth wherever it might be found, as a 

 true critic should do, looked like the 

 work of a pettifogging lawyer, so com- 

 plicating matters tliat it would take a 

 great deal of space to make any further 

 reply, and althougli I think I could have 

 met all his points, I don't believe any 

 good would have come of it, and I've 

 neither lime nor taste for a mere war of 

 won Is. 



In giving his judgement upon any giv- 

 en point, it might be an improvement if 

 he would have less of that style which 

 .savs, 'No doubt I am the peo])le, and 

 wisdom will die with me.' There are 

 some things in which there is a bare pos- 

 .sibility that he maybe mistaken. 



If I seem to have fallen into the same 

 fault in this letter that I criticise in Bro. 

 Taylor, it is because I think both he and 

 you have wanted the plain truth, and I 

 care enough for him and the Review that 

 I don't want him to injure both. 



This letter is intended for both of vou, 

 and both have the esteem and good wish- 

 es of C. C. MlIXER." 



