1874.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
37 
Suggestions to Purchas¬ 
ers of Cabinet or 
Parlor Organs. 
The following considerations may save some 
from the disappointment of purchasing inferior 
organs at high prices: 
1. Good Organs are very difficult to make. 
An organ is not a coarse machine which can he successfully 
made hy any ordinary workman. It is an exceedingly deli¬ 
cate piece of mechanism; a work of art. Its excellence de¬ 
pends on very nice conditions and extraordinary skill in 
workmanship; and its durability can he secured only by 
best possible material and construction. 
2. Difficulty of Selection. It is impossible for an 
Inexperienced person to judge what is a good organ and 
what a poor one from slight comparisons. Even a poor 
quality of tone may please at first, from its novelty, though 
it will soon become disagreeable. As to the durability of 
an organ no one can judge certainly from mere examina¬ 
tion. Yet a poor organ will not last half as long as a good 
one, and so is dear at half th ‘ price, on this account alone. 
3. Many poor Organs arc made. There is great 
temptation to manufacturers to make poor, almost worth¬ 
less, organs, because such can be made at half the cost oi 
the best ones, and so will afford good profits even if sold at 
what appear to be low prices. Since the great popularity of 
these instruments the market is flooded with poor organs, 
which can indeed be sold at low prices but are very dear at 
that. 
4. The recommendations of dealers are 
likely to be prejudiced. Dealers are tempted to 
recommend and sell those organs on which the largest dis¬ 
count is made to them, and these are always the poorest and 
most cheaply made instruments. Much allowance must be 
made therefore in listening to the representations of a 
dealer. Very often his judgment is biased by his pecuniary 
interests. 
5. An expedient to sell poor'organs. Makers of 
poor organs generally adopt the expedient of printing enor¬ 
mous prices in their price-lists, so that they can offer large 
discounts to purchasers, and thus make it appear that they 
are buying cheap! The printed prices are frequently double 
the real prices. So far from proving that an organ is cheap 
because a large discount is offered, there is reason to sus¬ 
pect that a maker who will misrepresent his price in his 
price-list will misrepresent his organ also in his description 
of it. There is always reason to suspect an article which is 
offered at a large discount. 
6. The lowest priced not cheapest. In articles 
of this kind, in the manufacture of which there is so much 
opportunity to slight and cheapen, the lowest priced is almost 
never the cheapest. The poorest can be sold lowest, and al¬ 
most always will be, while the best is as often the cheapest. 
7. How to be sure of a good organ. There is a 
perfectly safe way to buy an organ, and to be sure of a good 
Instrument. This is to purchase only an instrument by the 
very best maker, whose reputation is so thoroughly estab¬ 
lished, whose work has been so often proved best that there 
is no longer any question in the matter. 
Most readers will know that this is the fact in regard to 
the Mason & Hamlin Organ Co. The first to introduce this 
class of instruments, their work has always stood indis¬ 
putably at the head. Not only at HUNDREDS OF INDUS¬ 
TRIAL COMPETITIONS in America, but at the most im¬ 
portant WORLD’S FAIRS ever held—that just closed at 
VIENNA, and that at PARIS, in 1861—they have been 
awarded HIGHEST MEDALS for demonstrated superiority. 
They are the ONLY American Organs ever awarded any 
distinction at a World’s Fair; the ONLY ones which com¬ 
mand extensive sale in Europe, and the ONLY ones exten¬ 
sively recommended by both American and European 
musicians of eminence. How generally musicians regard 
them as unrivaled may be judged by any one who will look 
over the testimony of ONE THOUSAND in the TESTI¬ 
MONY CIRCULAR of the Company. 
8. Also file lowest price. The system of selling 
pursued by the Mason & Hamlin Co. secures fairness and 
the lowest price to every one. They print their lowest 
prices in their price-lists, which are therefore subject to no 
discount. These prices are not as low as those for which 
poor organs can sometimes be bought, but they are as low 
as organs of such excellence can be afforded by the makers 
having greatest facilities to make them cheapest. Those 
who have been offered organs at great discounts from pric s 
of the manufacturers should compare net prices with those 
of the Mason & Hamlin Organ. Remember that they offer 
live-octave, double-reed Organs of that extraordinary ex¬ 
cellence which characterizes all their work at $110 each. 
The exorbitant prices for very inferior organs are from 
$170 to $325, and upwards. 
The Mason & Hamlin Organ Co. have just REDUCED the 
PRICES of many styles, and are introducing new styles 
more beautiful and excellent than any they have made be¬ 
fore, at low prices rendered possible only by reduced cost 
of material and labor. 
Illustrated Catalogues and Price-Lists free. 
Address 
MASON Si HAMLIN ORGAN CO., 
Boston, New York, or Chicago. 
conduct an agency for the reception of advertisements 
for American - Newspapers— the most complete estab¬ 
lishment of the kind in the world. Six thousand News¬ 
papers are kept regularly on file, open to inspection by 
customers. No reading-room, however complete, receives 
one-twentieth of this number. Every Advertise¬ 
ment is taken at the home price Of the paper, without 
any additional charge or commission, so that an adver¬ 
tiser, in dealing with the Agency, is saved trouble and 
correspondence, making one contract instead of a dozen, 
a hundred, or a thousand. A Boole of eighty pages, 
containing lists of best papers, largest circulations, reli¬ 
gious, agricultural, class, political, daily, and country 
papers, also magazines and all publications which are 
specially valuable to advertisers, with some information 
about prices, is sent Free to any address on application. 
Persons at a distance wishing to make contracts for ad¬ 
vertising in any town, city, county, State, or Territory of 
the United States, or any portion of the Dominion of 
Canada, may send a concise statement of what they want, 
together with a copy of the Advertisement they 
desire inserted, and' will receive information by return 
mail which will enable them to decide whether to in¬ 
crease, reduce, or forego the order. For such information 
there is no charge whatever. Publishers not only send 
their files free, but pay Messrs. Geo. P. Rowell & Co. 
for their services. Orders are accepted for a single paper 
as well as for a larger list; for a single dollar as readily 
as for a larger sum. Address the American Newspaper 
Advertising Agency, 
The American Naturalist, 
Tlie only Magazine in tlie Country devoted 
to tlie popularization of 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
A Popular Entertaining ancl Instructive 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE, 
ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES AND WOOD-CUTS. 
A, S. PACKARD, Jr., and F.W. PUTNAM, 
Editors and Proprietors. 
R. II. WARD, Troy, N. Y., 
Associate Editor of Microscopical Department. 
As the articles in tlie Naturalist, though of a popular 
and non-technical character, are written by authorities on 
tlie various subjects, each volume forms an Illustrated 
Encyclopedia of Natural History of great value as a 
work of reference to the student and general reader, as well 
as to those more immediately interested in the Study of 
Nature. The Naturalist is for tlie Student, the Teach¬ 
er, tlie General Readep., the Agriculturist, tlie Farmer, 
the Young, and the Lover of Nature. 
Vol. 8 begins with tlie number for .Tan,, 1874. 
TERMS.—Subscription $4.00 a year, strictly 
in advance. Single Numbers 35 cts. 
Subscription to Vol. and the 7 preceding vols, in num¬ 
bers, $2-1.00, or bound, $30.00. 
Address AMERICAN NATURALIST, 
Salem, Mass. 
THE 
Young Housekeeper’s Friend.' 
By MRS. CORNELIUS. 
Price $1.50. Interleaved, $2.25. 
The most popular and reliable COOK-BOOK and 
guide for the duties of the household published. The stand¬ 
ard work on these subjects. oOtli thousand now ready. 
Copies sent by mail on receipt of price. 
THOMPSON, BROWN & CO., Boston, Mass. 
NEW YORK DAILY WITNESS, 
$3 a Year, 75 Cents a Quarter. 
NEW YORK WEEKLY WITNESS, 
SIZE OF N. Y. TRIBUNE, 
$1 a Year, or 25 Cents per Quarter. 
Send, for Sample Copies. 
Illustrated Home Magazine. 
Bright, cheerful, earnest, and progressive, the “ Home” 
takes rank with the best periodicals of the day. It is 
The Cheapest First-Class Magazine 
in tlie country, and more thoroughly identified with the peo¬ 
ple in their social and domestic life than any other. It is 
The GREAT HOUSEHOLD MAGAZINE of AMERICA, 
and within tlie reach of all. Every yearly subscriber has a 
choice, free, of one of the following large and elegant steel 
engravings: 
“PEACE BE UNTO THIS HOUSE.” 
THE CHRISTIAN GRACES.” 
‘ THE ANGEL OF PEACE.” 
“ BED-TOME.” 
“THEWREATH OF IMMORTELLES.” 
No picture of the size and quality of these sells in the 
print stores for less than $5. 
A new Serial Story, entitled 
46 Window Curtains,” 
By T. S. Arthur, will be commenced in the January number. 
Terms.—$ 2.50 a year, with a reduction for clubs. For sale 
by all newsdealers. Sample numbers 15 cents. 
VW Agents Wanted. Larger commissions and better 
inducements offered th an by any other publication. Valu¬ 
able and very desirable premiums. Address T. S. Arthur 
& Son, 809 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 
TAKE 
TIE PRAIRIE FARMER 
FOR 1874,, 
IT WILL ASM: 
TO help on the great work of organizing the urmers by 
means of the Patrons of Husbandry and Farmers' 
Clubs. 
TO lead the van in tlie contest of the people with railroad 
and other monopolies. 
TO treat of tlie most approved practices in agricultural 
and horticultural pursuits. 
TO set forth the merits of the best breeds of domestic 
animals, and to elucidate the principles of correct 
breeding. 
TO furnish the latest and most important industrial news, 
at home and abroad. 
TO discuss the events and questions of tlie day, without 
fear or favor. 
TO further tlie work of .agricultural and horticultural 
societies. 
TO advocate industrial education, in the correct sense of 
the terra. 
TO provide information upon the public domain, Western 
soils, climate, etc. 
TO answer inquiries on ail manner of subjects which come 
within its sphere. 
TO give, each week, full and reliable market, crop, and 
weather reports. 
TO present the family with choice and interesting 
literature. 
TO amuse and instruct the young folks. 
TO be, in a word, an indispensable and unexceptionable 
farm and fireside companion, in every respect. 
TERMS: Single copy, $2.50 per annum, in advance. Two 
Copies (to one old subscriber and one new, or two new), 
ordered at same time, $4.00. Liberal reduction to clubs. 
Three months on trial, 50 cents'. Sample number free. 
Liberal Cask Commissions to 
Agents. 
pF” Great Inducements to Farmers’ 
Clubs and Granges. 
Full Information and Complete Canvassing Outfit fur¬ 
nished free, on application to 
THE PRAIRIE FARMER COMPANY, 
Chicago, Illinois. 
THE NEW YORK 
EVENING POST, 
Edited by William Cullen Bryant and Parke God¬ 
win, assisted by the strongest talent that can be 
engaged, has for more than half a century main¬ 
tained the same principles of Freedom and Pro¬ 
gress through all changes of parties and policies. 
The Evening’ Tost is equal to any other 
journal as a newspaper, and is complete in its 
Political, its Literary, its Scientific, its Agricul¬ 
tural, and its Commercial Departments. 
Weekly, $1.50: Semi-Weekly, $3.00. 
Specimen copies, containing liberal clubbing 
terms, sent free. Address 
WM. C. BRYANT & CO., New York. 
