368 
[October, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
•espectfvMy ask every 
Header to caref ully consider the 
following Eight Paragraphs — 
or the last Sioc of them at least, 
—and to show them to others. 
SOME EXPLANATIONS. 
FIRST.— The reader must judge whether or not it 
pays to take this journal. We simply suggest that, while 
its cost is materially reduced when from four to twenty 
or more persons club together, its highest cost to single 
subscribers is less than three cents a week —not the price of 
one poor segar—not the price of two eggs—not the price 
of J 4 lb. sugar—not the price of an ounce of tea—or of 
two ounces of butter—or of one glass of cheap beer—and 
for a whole year only half the cost of one pair of shoes. 
Wet this small outlay secures neatly-printed copies of 
about Five Hundred Engravings, which cost 
over $12,000, and Over One Thousand 
Columns of carefully prepared Original Reading Mat¬ 
ter, besides a considerable amount of advertising, which 
is specially valuable because thoroughly sifted from all 
humbugs, deception, and unreliable parties. 
The Engravings are not coarse, poorly printed ink 
blotches, but are so finely cut and carefully printed, that 
they really refine and cultivate one’s mind and taste. 
The Reading Matter is the result of an immense 
amount of careful thought and investigation. Reliability, 
freedom from error, is th e first aim of the editors ; to print 
that which will be useful to the most people, is the sec¬ 
ond ; and to get the most thoughts, the most information, 
into the fewest plain words is their nest endeavor. At 
least half a dozen conscientious, earnest, intelligent, 
practical minds—the very best the Publishers can secure 
at any cost—are constantly engaged in collecting and 
condensing into these pages information derived from 
experience, from wide observation, from a large corre¬ 
spondence, from reading—in short, from all sources; and 
the result of all this pains-taking and expense is enjoyed 
by evemj reader of these pages at the small cost above in¬ 
dicated. To write finely in high-sounding phrases, spread 
out over much space, is NOT the aim in this journal. 
We have to do with every-day work; we would aid in 
every possible way the toiling millions who are struggling 
for subsistence, for comfort and competence.—To guard 
our readers, and through them the public, against the 
wiles and tricks of ingenious swindlers, is another 
aim, and it is satisfactory to know that, not only 
our own readers generally, but multitudes of others, 
have been saved the loss of millions in the aggregate. 
That the hints and suggestions from time to time thrown 
out have directly or indirectly led to profitable results, 
has been testified to by tens of thousands. (An example 
of thousands of letters is given in the item “ $185 per 
Acre,” on page 369. See also the item “ Where our 
Thoughts Come from,” page 365.) 
SECOND. —Without reckoning for the printing of a 
single copy, this journal costs about $60,000 a year, 
for editing and gathering information, for engravings, 
offices, type-setting, electrotyping plates, postage, inci¬ 
dentals, etc. This is to be divided among all the subscri¬ 
bers, whether there he two thousand,or two hundred thou¬ 
sand. Of course, the greater the number, the less the cost 
for each, or the more there can be expended for all, in 
engravings, preparing matter, etc. Fortiiis reason, a paper 
of large circulation can give much more for the same 
money than a smaller one—to say nothing of the larger 
receipts from advertising in such a journal. (The Pub¬ 
lishers of the American Agriculturist expend upon the 
pap.r all the money received from subscribers, and 
$30,000 to $40,000, a year more, of money derived 
from advertisements. Subscribers thus get the paper 
for a great deal less than it costs to make it. This ex¬ 
plains hoit> it is that, so large and so costly a paper is sup¬ 
plied for so small a price. It is beyond competition, be¬ 
cause no other similar journal has one quarter of its cir¬ 
culation.).When the plates are all ready to print 
from, the further cost for each subscriber, or additional 
subscriber is only for printing paper, press-work, and 
mailing—these items amounting to hardly a dollar each 
where the paper is sent to large clubs, but much more 
where there is but one person at a post-office to be 
looked after during a year. It will be readily seen, 
then, that while the actual total cost is much greater 
than the subscription money received, it is profitable to 
extend the circulation, and why premiums can be paid to 
secure this. The advertising space is never allowed to 
crowd upon the reading columns, but it is made more 
valuable by every hundred subscribers added, and this 
supplies more means for improving the paper, for paying 
premiums, and for profit___ .Again, believing the paper 
useful, the Publishers as well as Editors are gratified at 
every extension of its influence. “ Published to do good 
and make money” is their motto. 
THIRD. —Most readers voluntarily send in their an¬ 
nual subscriptions promptly, at single or club rates. 
Others, intending to do so, put it oft" from day to day un¬ 
til too late for the year. Others greatly dislike letter¬ 
writing, and do without a paper rather than write for it. 
Many others are unacquainted with the value of this 
paper to themselves. It is therefore convenient and de- 
si rable to have some one at every Post- Office who will gather 
up the irregular subscriptions, and show and explain the 
character [of the paper and describe its usefulness to non- 
subscribers, and even urge them, to give it a trial. So, 
while trusting much to the voluntary good-will of those 
who send on the names of their neighbors and friends, 
the Publishers many years ago adopted the further plan 
(now largely imitated by other journals) of offering 
Prizes or Premiums to those who, in their own localities, 
where they are known, act as canvassers, and take the 
trouble and time to gather and forward subscriptions. 
The plan has worked very well all round, as explained 
below. The Premiums are open to any and every one, 
and more than 13,000 persons have obtained them 
with almost universal satisfaction and pleasure. 
FOURTH.— The large value of these premiums sur¬ 
prises some persons; they even think there must be 
deception. It is easily explained, and will be interesting 
to many. The Publishers as well as Editors are ever on 
the lookout for good things that will please or be useful 
to their readers, and are “ dead set ” against commending 
by engraving, or description, either in reading or premium 
columns, any article that they do not believe to be of the 
best quality and eveiy way reliable. This is so well under¬ 
stood by manufacturers and sellers that they consider 
the best recommendation they can possibly get is to 
have their articles placed in our premium list. They 
are therefore quite ready themselves to supply some 
of their good articles free for our premium list, or at 
least to offer very great inducements in the way of 
prices, advertisements, etc., for the comparatively limited 
number required for premiums. (Owing to the much 
larger circulation of this journal, its character, and this 
carefulness in commendation, better terms can be offered 
to its publishers than to any other paper.).In addi¬ 
tion to the above arrangements, the Publishers, in order to 
supply a large assortment to select from, add some other 
useful premium articles, books, etc., upon which they 
expect to lose money even, if it be not made up by in¬ 
creased advertising.The above explains why so large 
premiums can be given, and why cash commissions of any 
thing like the amount can not be paid. Vet tlie pre¬ 
mium articles arc eacli j list as good to the 
recipient as so muclt Cash. The assortment is 
large and varied enough for every one to select Xi needed 
or desired thing. After reading this page,please turn to 
page 3 !)3 and examine the list, and the descriptions follow¬ 
ing. Let it be distinctly understood that not a single article 
of a poor kind, or pool' make, or second-hand, or in any waif 
unreliable, is offered. The best is guaranteed in all cases. 
The price set against each article is that at which it is regu¬ 
larly sold ; and, we repeat, that every article is just as good 
as so much cash to every one who may desire it. 
FIFTH.— The premiums are open to all per¬ 
sons alike, everywhere. There is no blind compe¬ 
tition against unknown parties, or favorites, or pretended 
recipients of premiums, never really paid. The simple offer 
to each and every person is: Send so many names at tliepre- 
sertbed price, and the Premium shall be yours —no matter- 
how many others are after the same thing. Arrangements 
are made with reliable parties to supply enough for all 
premium demands. (For any articles beyond the pre¬ 
mium requirements, we must pay the regular prices-.) 
SIXTH. —We have thus given the whole secret of the 
premium business. Is not this a plain, straightforward, 
arrangement, all round ? It gives a good remuneration to 
those who take a little time and trouble to collect and 
forward names of subscribers, few or many. Those sup¬ 
plying the articles are satisfied. The Publishers are able 
to make the liberal offers. Those who get the premiums 
are pleased and profited. Those who are induced to 
subscribe through the premiums given to canvassers, get 
a good and useful paper at its usual cheap rate, and we 
are sure that every reader for a year will get hints, sug¬ 
gestions, information, engravings, etc., of far more value 
in the end than the small outlay for subscription. There 
are five million persons who ought to take the paper on 
their own account. A small company of them, at least, live 
within your circle of acquaintance,and you can reach them. 
SEVENTH.—And Now, Reader, we cor¬ 
dially invite you to take a personal Interest 
in tills enterprise. There is hardly a post-office 
among the 30,000 in this country, and those in British 
America and elsewhere, around which there are not per¬ 
sons enough to format least one premium club, and gen¬ 
erally there is room for several such clubs. New and old 
subscribers may be included if there are some new names- 
Others in your locality may or may not take hold of the mat¬ 
ter also. There is usually room for several, and you need 
not wait for others. You can liardly fail to find some very 
desirable article in the large list of premiums, and deter¬ 
mination will secure it without cost. Overl3,000 other 
persons have obtained one or more of these premiums with* 
great satisfaction, and you can do tl»e same. 
It is certainly quite as honorable as soliciting trade ia 
the highest ranks of business. Merchants, clergymen, 
and other professional men, ladies and children, are re¬ 
corded in our past premium hooks in large numbers. One 
does a good work who promotes the diffusion of intelli¬ 
gence among his fellow-men, and such an end is gained 
by securing a wider circle of readers for a journal of this 
kind. Let ten, twenty, or thirty families in a neighbor¬ 
hood read it, and the thinking and reasoning developed,, 
and the improved culture and the improved homesteads,, 
will tell upon the increased value of all property there- 
EIGHTH.—One Item More.— All subscribers 
received during the remainder of tills year get the Amer¬ 
ican Agriculturist from the time their names come in to 
the end of next year, for a single year’s subscription 
price. Those coming early get more papers. Those- 
coming in October get the paper for fourteen months. 
A Premium Uist can therefore be made 
up now quite as well as later, for there is the 
extra inducement for new subscribers coming now. Old 
subscribers can renew in a club now as well as a month 
or two hence. The canvassers for premiums first in the 
field will have the best opportunity. As fast as now 
names arc secured send them on, that they may begin to- 
receive the papers of this year free .See page 393- 
