Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-03-07

! Trof. Richardson superintendent Of
the .luburn schools has inst made a
curious test of the acuteness of the
scholars under his charge. He pro-
cured several copies of uncOrrected
pFSoI from the Lewiston Journal office
and distributed them among the classes
Win instructions for the pupils to dis
cover ana mark the errors. The re-
/ sults were somewhat curious on ac-
count OF their variations. Out of 81
scholars IN the ninth grade of the
Webster grammar school an average
number of 25 errors were found and
marked. The highest number of these
errors were discovered by Helen
Whitehouse, aged II years, who found
and marked 32 in all. The lowest in
this class marked ten errors in the
proof. The average age of this class was
IA years. The same proofs were also
distributed among the members of the
Sophomore and Freshman classes in
English of the Edward Little High
school, and here an average of only II
mistakes We're found; the highest
number of AZ being pointed out by one
pupil. and the lowest finding only three
errors. The actual number of errors as
corrected by the Journal professional
proof readers was Al. The difference be-
| tween the highest number found by the
scholars and the proof reader was due
to capital letters used by the author to
personify ideas. This is at times per-
| missible in writer, and for this rea-
son the proof reader did not mark them
as errors. The most noticeable thing
connected with this experiment is the
fact that the grammar school children
of the ninth grade did a much better
job of proof reading than the older
classes of the High school. This will
entitle them to assume an air of
superiority over their big brothers and
sisters of the Edward Little school.
The first crop to follow the ice har-
vest is the maple sugar output AS
soon as the forces of nature begin to
unlock. the maple trees make the first
response to the commercial demand.
They do not wait for bud or leaf or
blossom, but yield their first and rich
est life-blood for the delectation of
man. The maple sugar season ought to
be at it's best at this time. 1t is little
late in starting, February was some
what rigid in its conditions. 1t unbent
very little during its brief life, but it
was storing the veins Of the naples
with an abundance of precious sap
which needed only the warm spell that
came in with the first day of the pres
ent month to start the millions of cur
Tryl,
short one. For several years March
has not lent itself to prolonged opera
tions. 1t has been too genial, or rather
it's rigors have not been of the right
kind. A sharp, crisp morning and a
warm and sunny noontide are the con-
ditjons that give duration and activity
to sugar making operations. These
alterations we have not been able to
depend upon with any regularity in
quite recent years, and we are not very
hopeful that we shall fare better the
present month. But during the break
ing-up period the sap will flow copious-
ly and it is the duty of the maple
orchard man to keep boiling while the
sweetness gushes. The price is said
to be higher than for several years.
1t seems as though that were true of
everything good to eat. But, high or
low there will be market for all that
is made. 1t is too tempting a luxury to
be neglected, whatever it may cost to
obtain it. 1t is a sweet fit for prince,
and if the one who is to visit us departs
without taste of New England maple
sugar or buckwheat cakes with maple
syrup he cannot claim an acquaintance
with New England's most delicious
DrOductS