THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
OcTOBER, 
TO SATISFY A READER 
A reader of one of our magazines which 
prints each month a page or two of “The 
Talk of the Office” has written to criticize 
these talks, because, as he puts it, ““you devote 
yourself in each magazine to throwing bou- 
quets at the other three.” 
Surely a sad fault which we shall hereafter 
strive to conceal if we fail entirely to correct. 
Our correspondent adds: 
“Why don’t you write about your establish- 
ment asa whole? Tell us for example how 
many manuscripts you receive a year, and how 
you examine and decide upon them. How big 
a plant have you any way? How many branch 
telephones? I hear that you dictate your letters 
into phonographs—do you? What will you edify 
us with next fall and winter? Any prizes for 
ideas or contributions?” 
WE BEG TO REPLY: 
The reason (or excuse) for indulging in the 
pleasant task of ‘‘throwing bouquets” came 
from a belief we had that the magazines them- 
selves as a finished product might by some 
grace of good fortune be interesting. ‘To 
reply to questions as to how they were made, 
would mean a very tiresome reiteration of 
accounts of plans which failed to materialize. 
The plans which do materialize speak for 
themselves. Such writing would make dull 
reading indeed, and even the flowery language 
of bouquet throwing were better. Another 
reason is that when we give facts and figures 
we realize that they must seem small and 
unimportant—as compared with the results 
shown by our more distinguished contem- 
poraries. We had the notion that since 
Doubleday, Page & Company is but six 
years old, it would be better to wait until 
the facts grew important enough to discuss. 
However, we will try to answer some of the 
questions propounded, not all at once, but a 
little each month if our courage and the good 
nature of our readers hold out. ‘This month 
we will reply to the query 
ABOUT MANUSCRIPTS 
We wonder if our correspondent realizes 
how delicate a subject he asks us to discuss; 
but to answer categorically: 
About a thousand book manuscripts a 
“To business that we love we rise betime 
And go to ’t with delight.”’—A xtony and Cleopatra. 
year, and a good many tons to the maga- 
zines, of which we keep no continuous 
record. With every one we do the best we 
can, going through the entire mass, page by 
page, in the search for something new and 
interesting. 
It is a surprising thing to see year after 
year that so large a proportion of the writers 
feel that their work will not be fully and care- 
fully examined unless it is sent with a letter 
of introduction or various explanations of a 
personal nature that have ‘“‘nothing to do 
with the case.” We buy literary material 
and pictures because we think by printing 
them in book form or in our magazines they 
will, in the fullness of time, be appreciated by 
our readers, not because someone in the office 
went to school with the sister-in-law of the 
nephew of the writer’s husband. 
Another interesting thing to note is the 
really high average standard of the work. 
Even if so much of it is impossible to find 
market for, three-quarters of it could well be 
printed with dignity and would interest some 
people. Comparatively few of the manu- 
scripts are silly or illiterate. 
Every year we receive scores of novels 
which come finally to that heart breaking 
point where one asks,‘‘Isn’t this book as good 
as Blank’s story which you published and 
failed to sell—or succeeded in selling?” Un- 
happily, people do not buy because a book 
will bear the test of just so much quality any 
more than because it has so many pages. 
There is only one reason, and that is the single 
elemental one—because they want it. And 
the publisher does not live who can tell with 
any scientific accuracy why readers do or do 
not want a book. 
The editor of these notes has often been 
asked how many books have we refused that 
made a large success when issued by some 
other house. We can think of three, and one 
of these we declined because of its character— 
which some people found no objection to 
though they criticized us for printing other 
books which we thought highly of and be- 
lieved we ought to print. 
We feel our great responsibility most keenly 
as we contemplate a pile of manuscripts 
FFICE: | 
a & 
two feet high on the table, the literary takings 
perhaps of a single day. It requires no great 
amount of imagination to see in one’s mind’s 
eye the loving labor which has gone into the 
writing and preparing of every one of these 
pages. Each manuscript represents months, 
and in most cases years, of work. The feeling 
comes forcibly to the mind of a reader who 
studies this great mass of writing with the 
persistent and patient eye that most of these 
good people have written a book, not because 
they had a consuming message for the world, 
but because they liked the idea of writing a 
book. Far be it from us to suggest that the 
desire to publish a book is not a worthy one, 
but it makes hard work for the manuscript 
readers. 
Almost every letter which comes also asks 
for immediate decision. This may be natural, 
but we wonder if the writers realize that in 
most cases the longer the time taken in reach- 
ing a decision the greater the appreciation of 
the work. An utterly poor book is the easiest 
thing in the world to decide upon. A promis- 
ing manuscript is often read by six or eight 
persons in the search for more light and 
guidance. 
“HOW TO MAKE A FRUIT GARDEN” 
This book has been in preparation for so 
long that we despaired of ever getting it out, 
but it is finally ready, uniform with “How to 
Make a Vegetable Garden” and “How to 
Make a Flower Garden.” After all the trials 
and tribulations it has gone through we think 
it a good book, and one which will last as a 
cuide, philosopher and friend. The author 
is Prof. S. W. Fletcher, and the price is 
$2.00 net. (Postage 20 c.) 
WOULD YOU CARE TO PICK UP 
$50 or $25 AS A PRIZE? 
The Vacation Number of Country Lije in 
America has come to be a feature. Now is 
the time to get material for next year’s issue. 
The magazine offers $50 for the best vacation 
idea and smaller prizes for articles describing 
original vacations which are possibly of less 
value. Particulars are given in this month’s 
issue of Country Life in America. 
190G | 
SS 
eS 
gpa 
ae 
