THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



375 



are very few, I think, who are not Hke 

 the doctor in that they would prefer what 

 has run out presently on the bottom of 

 the plate. 



THE DELIBERATE AND PERSISTENT 

 ERRORS OF THE EDUCATED ARE 

 THE ONES TO POINT OUT. 

 Dr. Miller has an article in Gleanings, 

 S31, on apicuJtural literature. He 

 seems to complain that I single out 

 Gleanings for criticism and saA's that 

 I stated in substance as a reason for 

 so doing that errors were more plenti- 

 ful there. I think I said in substance 

 more plentiful picking, and the doctor 

 lias perhaps naturally miscon.strued it. 

 I made no effort to "pick" everything 

 even in Gleanings. It would do no good 

 to spend time on errors in opinion, lan- 

 guage, grammar or otherwise that are mere 

 slips, nor errors made by the unskillful: 

 the pointing out of which would be su- 

 perfluous. When what seem to me errors 

 are committed deliberately, and persis- 

 tently, by the educated, then I see some 

 ch^iuce of doing good by a gentle hint, 

 and it is there I find the most "plentiful 

 picking." 



A UTTLE MORE ABOUT SLANG. 



I/i the article referred to, the doctor, to 

 my surprise, defends the use of the word 

 "sass," and insists that it is not slang. 

 But I have no time to follow him in that 

 matter. What seems incongruous to me is 

 that he immediately speaks of "scrooch" 

 for "crouch," and savs "I do not justify 

 Mr. Root in using it as a correct word in 

 Gleanings." He should use the correct 

 word so that his readers would learn, if 

 they have not already learned, to attach 

 to the word "crouch" all the meaning 

 they now give to "scrooch." Before 

 leaving this matter, .since the doctor thinks 

 ".sass" such a good word, I should like to 

 ask him what he thinks of the following 

 expressions: "Will 'bamboozle' you for 

 using slang. " Gleanings, 789. "I know 

 for sure." Gleanings, 790. "It is one 

 of the biggest things that the l^nion has 

 to do." American Bee Journal, 707. "It 



makes me feel badly." Ditto, 723. "It 

 is a big thing to get the right kind of 

 nails." Same page. 



'TWAS SAID IN SOBER EARNEST. 



We are all, no doubt, liable to 

 inattention in coustruing the lan- 

 guage of others; and sometimes it does 

 not seem altogether excusable. As 

 an instance of this Mr, Root has — I was 

 about to sav continually — proceeded on 

 the assumption that I have been charg- 

 ing him with using slang. (Gleanings, 

 789, 826, 590, 737. ) I do not say that 

 slang has not been used, and that I have 

 pointed it out as unde.sirable language, 

 but I have no recollection of charging 

 him with using slang. Another instance 

 of this is found in Gleanings. 807, under 

 the title of journalistic courtesy. The 

 part I refer to reads as follows: "I am 

 soj-ry to see that Mr. Taylor mars some of 

 his criticisms bv what I may call the lack 

 of journalistic courtesy. For instance, 

 in speaking of Doolittle this is what he 

 says: 'His statement backed by the 

 strength of his name furnishes what the 

 editor of Gleanings would call heavy 

 testimony.' I care not for my.self; but 

 the sarcastic reference to Doolittle's name 

 is uncalled for. It adds absolutely noth- 

 ing to Taylor's argument, etc. " Tliis is 

 all very perplexing to me, though it 

 helps to an explanation of some of the 

 editor's previous strictures. My state- 

 ment is a plain one, of a widely received 

 fact, which is unquestionably compli- 

 mentary to Doolittle; and as to the inti- 

 mation that he 1 the editor) is also aggriev- 

 ed I simply quoted a phrase which he is 

 accustomed to apply to what he esteems 

 important testimony. I am more amazed 

 than ever when, (Gleanings, 826) after 

 Dr. Miller intercedes for me, and asks 

 him to apologize, he replies to the doctor: 

 "Peihaps you are right; but when I first 

 read it over and even now as I read it the 

 impression is the same '^ * ■^. I gladly 

 give him the benefit of the doubt." For- 

 sooth ! I suppose an "impression" allow- 

 ed to have weight in determining the 



