The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-17
Let Us Explain
This Marvel
MUSIC HOUSE

For example, the division of botony,
of the Department of Agriculture re-
Gently Issued bulletin on the
'chavote," a tropical vegetable. Most
people will ask, What is it?" 1t is a
vegetable known by twenty eight more
or less common colloquial names, al
though 1t is not widely distributed.
The English speaking residents of New
Orleans call 1t the "one-seeded Gu
cumber;" the Porto Ricans call 1t "tal-
lote" and "tavote;" the British West
Indians call 1t the vegetable pear"
and so on. In the opinion of the De-
partment Of Agriculture this vegetable
will in time become familiar in the
American kitchen Paris and London
have begun to import it from Algeria,
and 1t is well-known In many semi
tropical countries 1t weighs about
half a pound, is green in color, and re-
sembles summer squash. 1t may be
boiled and served with cheese or fried
like sweet potato. Its flavor resem-
bles that of the chestnut with some
suggestion of the egg plant. Its roots,
which produce something resembling
yams, may be eaten. as may the
sprouts, which taste little like aspar-
agus.
Its superfiuous naming Is by no
means unusual. The Government or
HiIhpiOSl5l IcCeHbly puUllSIl6u q DuIle-
tin on the flicker" in which q eollec-
ton was made of the local titles of
that bird in different parts Of the
United States. The list was found to
contain ia names. In fact, the confu-
sion in bird Technology is so great
that the experts In the Biological Sur
vey are usually unable to tell what
bird is meant in the letters Of their cor
respondents unless the writer gives the
place and time of its capture. One OF
the best illustrations of this migration
Of names Is sthe reed bird" which
now appears on the bill Of fare of most
of the restaurants hereabout. 1t is
! of course, the "bobolink'' of the North
| ern summer, just as 1t becomes at an
| other season the rice bird" OF the
| Carolinas. In Jamaica 1t is the but
| ter bird" and elsewhere enjoys other
| designations. Its name in science in
| all places and in all languages is do
| lichonyx oryzivorus." While there are
| some other obvious objections to this
term for uuse in monosyllabic nursery
rhymes, 1t is comforting to have a
standard which everybody may use in
solute certainty that the meaning has
been put into a strait Jacket.
Scientific terms are doubtless doing
much toward bringing about a uni
| formity in language the world over,
and many or the universal scientific
names are not jaw breakers" The
fuchsia, the verbena, the phlox, and
the chrysanthemum are universal
nam IS, as is the vireo among birds. If
science could combine simplicity in
nomenclature with undertaking accu-
racy the use of its terms in popular
language would become a public duty.
The confusion which now obtains is
very great. Dogwood, in parts of ru-
raj New England, is a poison ivy to
run away from, whereas in this neigh
borhood and in the Middle Atlantic
States 1t is a beautiful white flower
to be gathered; just as I'm the North
evening means after sunset and
south of Washington any time after
twelve o'clock noon, while its use in
the District of Columbia must often be
followed by an explanation as to which
meaning Of the term the speaker in
tneds to convey.-New York Evening
Post.