THE CULTIVATOR. 
47 
Abbot planned the society, and that a few individuals manag¬ 
ed it. Secondly, that it was gotten up and managed as a 
speculation. 
The first charge literally construed, amounts to nothing.— 
To say of the society, that it was chiefly planned by one man, 
and was conducted by a few; is only to say, what is notori¬ 
ously true of every society that ever existed, especially in its 
earlier stages, and most particularly in our country, where 
all who have ever been connected with benevolent institu¬ 
tions, have experienced the great difficulty of getting our busy 
citizens, to attend to matters unconnected with their own 
affairs. But the charge conveys more than this general fact; 
it intimates that it w’as a plan, secretly devised by Mr. Abbot; 
and that its management was studiously confined to a few. 
To this construction of the statement, we can only give a flat 
contradiction. That to Mr. Abbot’s persevering activity, in 
bringing before the minds of some of our most enlightened 
and influential citizens, the vast importance of enlisting the 
mighty power of the press, in the service of our national edu¬ 
cation ; and to the light, thrown upon the subject, by the 
mass of valuable information, which he had collected from 
similar institutions in England, the existence of the American 
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, is chiefly ow¬ 
ing, all know, who know any thing of its origin and forma¬ 
tion ; and that on a comparatively few has falien the labor of 
managing its affairs, is also true. _ _ 
But it is utterly untrue, that the organization and plan of 
the society, were the work of Mr. Abbot, either alone, or in 
concert wilh a few individuals only: or that its management, 
has been intentionally confined to a few. The formation of 
the society, was the result of the mutual consultation of many 
gentlemen of the highest public and private character. Its 
plan was discussed and finally adopted in public meetings, 
held in this city, which were called by notices in the news¬ 
papers, declaring the object for which they vvere convened ; 
and throughout its whole existence, an extensive correspond¬ 
ence has been carried on, with distinguished citizens all over 
the country; and the executive committee, have eagerly avail¬ 
ed themselves of information and advice from every quarter, 
and earnestly endeavored to procure the active aid of their 
fellow-citizens. No one can regret, more than they do, that 
greater numbers do not engage in this most important 
cause; and none are more willing, that every step which has 
been taken, by the comparatively few, who have heartily en¬ 
gaged in it, should be spread before the eyes of our whole 
people. 
As to the other part of the statement—that the society is a 
cloak for speculation, we feel degraded in even contradicting 
so gross a charge ; but, as entrusted with the management of 
a society, professing to promote public interests, and seeking 
for support from the public, under the sanction of most honor¬ 
able names, we feel it to be due to the public, and particular¬ 
ly to those, who are thus indirectly charged with silently 
lending their influence to a disgraceful trade, to state briefly 
what the society has actually done, which will at once refute 
the charge of speculation; and also, what is conveyed in the 
following portions of the communication under considera¬ 
tion. 
“ I find that the library of 50 volumes, is made up of the 
old volumes of the ‘ Family Library,’ and the ‘ Girls’ and 
Boys’ Library,’ printed from the old plates, and the only va¬ 
riation was in the binding. (These series were published by 
Messrs. Harper, of New-York.”.) 
“ Besides, the committee of the society consented to make 
a statement, which is little loss than downright deception.” 
“ Under the head of ‘ execution of the flan,’ it is stat¬ 
ed, 4 all the arrangements for carrying the design into execu¬ 
tion, are in a state of forwardness, so far as they can be, be¬ 
fore the necessary funds are secured.’ It is estimated that 
$15,000 are required to manufacture the stereotype plates for 
50 volumes,” &c. 
“ Now, the very volumes offered, are printed from plates 
that have been used several years, and on examination of 
some of the volumes, you will find that they have two title 
pages, one 1035 or 1836, and another 1838—proving that they 
were printed two or three years ago ! ! 1” 
“If publishers wish to get off their old stock, let them say 
so ; but, in the name of heaven, let not the friends of educa¬ 
tion come forward with any plans of deception.” 
These charges, we say, will be fully refuted by a brief 
statement of what has been actually done. 
After its organization, the society proceeded to ascertain by 
correspondence with authors, printers, and others, how best 
to carry its plans into execution, and what funds would be 
necessary for that purpose; and learned that $15,000 would 
be requisite; and so stated in their published prospectus, as 
quoted above—and most happy would the society have been, 
could they have raised “ the necessary funds;” those funds, 
as the prospectus stated, were the only thing wanting: but, 
unfortunately, before they could be raised, that season of 
commercial distress, from which our country is but just now 
beginning to recover, came on, and it were superfluous to 
add, that it was impossible to raise any thing like the sum 
proposed. 
The statement annexed, shows what funds have been rais¬ 
ed by the society up to this date, and how they have been 
disposed of. It is enough here to state, that the stereotype 
plates for the fifty volumes have never been manufactured, 
because the $15,000 have never been raised. 
After having made ineffectual efforts to raise that sum, and 
in the midst of the gloomy period alluded to, the society re¬ 
ceived information, from the public authorities of this stale, of 
an appropriation made by the Legislature, for the purchase of 
Common School Libraries; an appropriation, which rendered 
it morally certain, that $110,000 would be expended in this 
state, during each of the years 1839, 1840, and 1841; and that 
most probably, at least that amount, would be annually ex¬ 
pended for that purpose, for some time afterwards. It was 
obvious, that libraries of some kind or other would be pur¬ 
chased; and it was also obvious, that, unless some competent 
and disinterested persons should undertake the selection and 
publication of such libraries, it would be more than probable, 
that they would be composed, in part, at least of books, 
whose introduction into our schools and villages, might prove 
any thing but a blessing to the state, and might be purchased 
at prices, which greater harmony of action would have mate¬ 
rially reduced. 
In this emergency, the society again looked over the field, 
to ascertain how they might best further the enlightened and 
benevolent views of the legislature. It found itself without 
resources to induce authors to compose original w 7 orks; with¬ 
out the capital, necessary to undertake the publication of a li¬ 
brary on its own strength; without the power to do anything 
further than to select a library from existing publications; and 
utterly unable to do that, unless through the agency of some 
publishing house of established character. The alternative 
presented to the society, was not whether to publish such a 
library as they originally intended, or such as they did pub¬ 
lish; but whether to publish such as they did, or leave our 
common schools to be supplied, fora time at least, with libra¬ 
ries at hap-hazard, by those to whom pecuniary profit must be 
the chief consideration, and who would be under no responsi¬ 
bility whatever, for the character of the books they furnished. 
In the words of the prospectus, which is prefixed to every 
volume of the published library, and which we are sorry, has 
not chanced to meet the eye of your correspondent—“ The 
increasing interest in the subject of school libraries, and the 
repeated calls upon the committee for their library, have in¬ 
duced them to issue the present selection from existing publi¬ 
cations, to suit the immediate wants of common schools, while 
they go on as fast as possible to complete the plan announced 
in the published prospectus." 
As to the character of the books composing that library, we 
will speak presently. 
The committee, among other publishing houses, had their 
attention called to that of the Messrs. Harper & Brothers, of 
this city. In the establishment of those gentlemen, they 
found many works already stereotyped, from which, although 
not having every quality, which, we hope, will be found in 
those prepared by the society; were yet of excellent charac¬ 
ter, and would form a portion of a good library, which would 
meet the emergency, which demanded immediate attention, 
and compelled the society to depart somewhat from its origi¬ 
nal plan. After much deliberation, the committee according¬ 
ly made an arrangement with the Messrs. Harper, of which, 
the first series of the 4 ‘American School Library,” is the result. 
It was agreed with the Messrs. Harpers, that the committee 
should publish a library of 50 volumes, which should be 
mainly selected from works published by those gentlemen, 
and make such alterations as should be practicable; that the 
whole should be neally bound in an uniform style, with title 
pages, denoting them to have been published under the direc¬ 
tion of the society; and the 50 volumes should be arranged in 
neat boxes, which, both served as enclosures for their trans¬ 
portation, and as book-cases when they had arrived at their 
place of destination. Each box was to be handsomely paint¬ 
ed, and furnished with a printed catalogue of its contents. 
The price at which similar publications had been sold to 
the reader, was fifty cents per volume : the library published 
by the society, bound more neatly than the ordinary style, 
and arranged in cases, in the manner above described, costs 
the reader twenty dollars for the fifty volumes, or forty cents 
per volume. So that one effect of the arrangement was, to 
reduce the price of the works, published under the direction 
of the society, one-fifth, or twenty per cent. In other words, 
100 volumes with a book-case, are now bought, for. what for¬ 
merly bought but 80, and deducting the cost of the book-case, 
for what formerly bought 74 volumes. It must also be re¬ 
membered, that the former price referred to, was that of 
works published with a view to most extensive circulation, 
and was put at a rate intended to attract purchasers by its low¬ 
ness. The only provision made for the society, was an appro¬ 
priation of a portion of the proceeds, for the purpose of ena¬ 
bling it to employ agents, in effecting the introduction of the 
library into the various school districts. 
Such was the arrangement with the Messrs. Harpers: how 
far it will prove profitable to those gentlemen, we know not; 
but whether they should, or should not make money by it, 
affects not the question at issue: The question which was 
presented to the executive committee, at the time alluded to 
above, when they felt bound, though unable at once to do 
what they had hoped, yet to do what they could to meet the 
immediate emergency; which was, whether they should make 
some such arrangement as the one just mentioned, or leave 
our school and village libraries, for some time to come, to be 
supplied by those, whose main motive must be the hope of 
profit—and depend for their selection, in many instances, on 
those, whom neither education nor experience had fitted for 
the task 
The society adopted the former alternative, under a feeling 
to do so. It may prove profitable to the publisher, but what¬ 
ever pecuniary advantage he may reap from it, dwindles into 
insignificance, compared with the substantial benefit reaped 
by the country, from having hundreds of well selected libra¬ 
ries distributed throughout the land; and valuable works put 
at a price, that enables the most needy to purchase them. 
The executive committee have believed, that their publica¬ 
tions were unexampled in cheapness; they may be under an 
error, but if so, it arises from want of information. 
The charge of speculation, is, in other words, that the pro¬ 
jectors of this enterprise, were chiefly moved by the hope of 
profit. Now, as to the publishers, we must at once admit, 
that in all human probability, the chief motive impelling them 
to form arrangements with the society, was the hope of gain. 
If there be one, who expects that printers will print for no¬ 
thing; that binders will convert the fluttering leaves into the 
compact volume, without compensation; that capitalists will 
lend the use of funds, without expectation of any return; he 
may perhaps be disappointed, when he finds that it required 
the hope of profit, to induce the firm who manufactured the 
School Library, to put into operation the complicated machi¬ 
nery of their establishment. We frankly say, that if there ne 
persons with such views, we despair of ever gaining their ap¬ 
proval. We expect to pay a profit to every paper-maker, 
every printer, every binder, every carpenter, who furnishes 
paper, ink, thread, or, book-case for our publications; and 
hence arises the necessity ol raising funds, before we can 
proceed in the “execution of the plan." 
The question of profit, concerns the bookseller alone: as to 
the society, we have already stated, that no provision was 
made for it in the arrangement, except the one mentioned for 
the purpose of paying agents: and even that, seems most 
likely to prove inadequate for the purpose. As to individual 
members, there cannot arise a combination of circumstances, 
which can by any possibility, make the society a source of profit 
to one of them. We feel a sense of degradation in making these 
declarations; but the same feelings, which have led us to expend 
money, and labor, and care, and time, upon this enterprise, 
and which alone, induce us to notice the chargeswhich we 
are now answering, also constrain us to declare, to those for 
whom we profess to have labored, that, with whatever de¬ 
gree of wisdom our measures have been conducted, or with 
whatever success they may have been crowned, the hands 
w’hich have labored in their accomplishment, are not grasping 
after pecuniary profit. 
One more remark on this portion of the subject. Your 
correspondent intimates, that the library published is a con¬ 
trivance to pass off’ the old stock of the publishers as new pub¬ 
lications, issued under the “ execution of the plan,” contain¬ 
ed in the society’s prospectus. Now, to say nothing of the 
probability , that men of such standing as those who formed 
the executive committee, by whom the library was published, 
should volunteer to blast their own characters, in order to as¬ 
sist the publishers in so admirable an enterprise; and should 
be guilty of “ little less than downright deception,” in order 
to do so, without the most distant possibility of reaping any 
profit themselves, it seems a little strange, that it did occur to 
your correspondent, that, if any deception, such as he allud¬ 
ed to, was ever dreamt of, the fraud must have been as clum¬ 
sy in its management, as it was gross in its conception; that 
they who were profligate enough to practice gratuitous 
roguery, in order to help a publisher off with his old stock, 
were also senseless fools enough, to send forth to the world, 
in every book they published, the obtrusive evidence of their 
deceit; that they wished to pass off works as new publica¬ 
tions, whoso every title page declares, that they were not so; 
and whose every preface states that they were existing pub¬ 
lications. [From the Executive Committee.] 
EXTRACTS. 
Grape Culture. 
[From Wilson's Economy of the Kitchen Garden .] 
There are only two methods generally practised for 
raising grapes in this country, on trellises and arbors, and 
by the support of stakes, as in most vineyards. The for¬ 
mer is much practised about towns, and with which we 
shall commence our directions on the best mode of train¬ 
ing. But in the first place it will be necessary to say 
something about the preparation of the ground to receive 
the plants; for unless it be put in good order, it cannot 
be expected that the vines will thrive. Therefore, 
whenever vines are to be planted, the ground should be 
trenched to the depth of two full spades at least, and to 
as great an extent on each side of the place where the 
plants are to be set, as the situation will admit of If 
the whole garden can be thus trenched, so much the bet¬ 
ter. And in performing the trenching, a good supply 
of short dung should be well incorporated with the soil, 
which, if poor, should have the thickness of one foot of 
horse and cow dung laid all over it, and mixed in it in 
the trenching. This should always be done, if possible, 
the fall before planting; and by being well turned over 
with the spade early in the spring, would be in fine or¬ 
der for receiving the plants. Great care should be 
taken in removing these plants never to suffer their roots 
or small fibres to be exposed to the air so as to become 
dry. And the hole to receive them should be made suf¬ 
ficiently large to admit them freely at their full length, 
and should all be placed as nearly as possible about the 
same depth below the surface, as they were before they 
were taken up. No plant is easier to train, or looks 
better on a trellis or arbor, than the grapevine; and 
we would recommend either of the following modes. 
The first is calculated for a scale, where the plant is to 
cover a space eight feet in width, and of any height, 
from eight feet to eighteen or more. 
[Fig. No. 9.] 
No. 1, on the plate, is a representation of the plant 
when set out, of one year’s growth from the cutting, and 
is to be cut off to one good bud, as at a. The lower bud 
is seldom counted, and only the upper bud is to be al¬ 
lowed to produce one shoot; the young buds on this 
shoot will many of them shoot out in the course of the 
summer, which should be pinched off. 
No. 2 represents the plant of one strong shoot, one 
year after being planted, and it is to be cut down to two 
good buds, as at b, about fifteen or eighteen inches high 
from the ground. The shoots from these two buds are 
to be trained to a trellis, horizontally, to a distance of 
four feet, and then their ends pinched off, as we intend 
the plant to fill a space in width of eight feet. 
No. 3 represents the plant two years after setting out, 
with the two last years’ horizontal shoots, as they must 
be cut into three good buds. The two buds next to the 
