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THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



4-c 



TWELVE YEARS OLD, I9OO-I9I2 



LONG TERM SUBSCRIPTIONS AND 

 WHY 



A very good friend recently asked us, after 

 prefacing his remarks with kindly apologies 

 for making the inquiry, why we were willing 

 to give such 1ow t rates for long term subscrip- 

 tions for our magazines — did we need the 

 money so badly that we were willing to offer 

 so great a discount to get it. 



The answer is this: We do not need the 

 money, for our subscribers, the booksellers, 

 and our friends the advertisers, supply us 

 with sufficient to run this business effectively, 

 with enough beside to afford us the comforts 

 of life; but we do need help in extending the 

 magazine's subscription list among the kind of 

 people we want. 



CO-OPERATION AND ITS ECONOMIES 



We should be afraid to tell our readers 

 what it costs most periodicals to extend their 

 lists of subscribers; the waste of printed 

 matter and postage stamps is prodigious, 

 and the scrap basket becomes the grave of 

 many high hopes. Though we have never 

 been "circulation plungers," our circulation 

 department uses up more than $2,000 a week, 

 and we could easily spend twice that amount 

 with perhaps but a small increase in results. 



It therefore occurred to us some years ago 

 that perhaps our readers were as tired of re- 

 ceiving renewal notices as we were of send- 

 ing them; they frequently delayed subscrib- 

 ing, missing numbers, etc., etc., because of 

 forgetfulness or the inconvenience of writing 

 and remitting; and we began to offer what 

 we called long term subscriptions at prices 

 low enough to make a real economy for the 

 reader, and at terms satisfactory to us be- 

 cause of the money we saved on postage, 

 stationery, and clerical labor. The plan 

 was successful, and a large number of our 

 subscribers now remit for two or three years 

 at once. 



This experience having showed us that our 

 readers liked the idea has led us to 



A NEW STEP 



which is really a co-operative idea — co-opera- 

 tion, as we understand it, being the distribu- 



tion of a saving among those who help to 

 save it. 



For the first time, we offered in December, 

 1 91 1, to split up these long term subscriptions, 

 so that one year's subscription might be used 

 as a renewal for one's own subscription, and 

 one or two more given to a friend. Or another 

 way by which the same purpose may be 

 accomplished is by asking a friend or two to 

 join with you in a long term subscription. 

 This plan has also been successful, and we 

 wish to continue and develop it; and your 

 co-operation is suggested, because if half of 

 our present subscribers took up and worked 

 out this plan, they would save many thousands 

 of dollars to our mutual advantage. 



Consider the matter. 



P. S. Our readers will readily see that we cannot 

 afford to pay an agent commission on the plan — the 

 reader, becomes his own agent, so to speak, and our 

 dealings must be direct. 



ABOUT COUNTRY LIFE IN AMERICA 



We are just going to press with The Garden- 

 ing Annual of this magazine. It will be ready 

 February 15th — about two weeks earlier 

 than last year, so that one can have plenty 

 of time to read and study and inwardly digest 

 this Annual in time for spring plans. 



We wish we might reproduce here the frontis- 

 piece — a lilac and iris garden made by our 

 own specialist in color photography, repro- 

 duced by our own photo-engraving depart- 

 ment, and printed on our own color presses. 



We hope the readers of The Garden 

 Magazine who do not know Country Life in 

 America will add this beautiful and helpful 

 magazine to their acquaintance. One year, 

 $4; two years, $6; and three years, $8.00. 

 If you will get two of your country loving 

 friends to subscribe with you, the cost is very 

 small and the joy of receiving it regularly, 

 we think you will admit when you come to 

 know the magazine, is very great. 



THE GARDEN AND FARM ALMANAC FOR IQ 1 2 



Every year it grows larger and larger, and 

 this year many new features have been added 

 among them: 



Best Breeds of Cattle, Best Breeds of Sheep, 



Best Breeds of Swine, Getting the Best of the 

 Insects, etc. 



Prize Contest for recipes: $20 in cash and 

 other prizes. 



PARTIAL LIST OF CONTENTS 



Almanac, Calculation for 191 2, with Calendar of 

 Months, etc. Aid to the Injured, First. Alfalfa, 

 How to Raise. Animal Diseases and their Remedies. 

 Antidote for Poisons. Bee Keepers' Maxims. Book- 

 keeping for Farmers and Gardeners. Buildings, To 

 Protect from Lightning. Builders, Information for. 

 Bulb Culture — Indoor. Canning and Preserving. 

 Clouds and the Weather. Concrete, What a Farmer 

 Can Do With. Corn, How Deep to Plant; Planting 

 for Big Crop; Practical Hints for Growing; Rule for 

 Measuring; Selection of Seed. Cooking Time Tables. 

 Eggs, How to Preserve. Farm Water Supply, The. 

 Frosts, Facts About. Fruits, Best Varieties of for the 

 United States; Pruning and Grafting. Greenhouse, 

 Best All-round. Hotbed, Building a. Plants, Propa- 

 gating at Home. Poultry, Who's Who In. Power 

 for the Farm. Road Building and Maintenance. 

 Seed, How to Test; When to Plant. Silo, How to 

 Build a. Vegetables, Planting Tables for. Weights 

 and Measures. Wheel Hoe and How to Use It. Wood- 

 lot, Care of. 



The 191 2 Almanac is bigger and better 

 than ever before, containing many new feat- 

 ures. The text is made up of over two hun- 

 dred pages fully illustrated. Every subject 

 carefully indexed. 



The price is 35 cents postpaid. Last year 

 and the year before the edition was exhausted, 

 and many readers were disappointed. A word 

 to the wise is effective. 



A copy is given postpaid, with one new 

 subscription to The Garden Magazine for 

 $1.75 a year; three years $3.25. 



DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 

 garden city, n. y. 



Enclosed find $ for which please send: 



Country Life in America years. 



The Garden Magazine years. 



If the Garden and Farm Almanac is wanted 

 add 25c. to each subscription. Cross out maga- 

 zine not wanted. 



and oblige, 



