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NEW YORK, APRIL 1875. 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MONTH. 
The Italian Garden, illustrated on the first page of 
this number, is rather one of architectural display and 
statuary. This is one of the gardens of the Villa 
Albani—Castle Careo, and it is an object of interest as 
bringing to light one of the peculiar fancies for garden¬ 
ing which prevail in the old world. The vegetation is 
a subordinate feature, yet here there are vases filled 
with beautiful flowers, and along the walls grow vines 
and perhaps moss, which, in old gardens going 
to decay, make the ruins romantic and sugges¬ 
tive of historic interest. On page 52 is a pretty 
little sketch of a garden vase and border } 
within it are planted ornamental plants— 
Ferns, Caladiums, Gannas, Amaranths, and 
broad-leaved plants generally. The design is 
an excellent one for any lover of gardening to 
copy. Also on page 52 is a sketch of a beauti¬ 
ful hanging-basket, or rather little house, which 
we recently saw at a florist's in this city. Its 
cost is but $6, and at a glance any one can 
understand how to fill it up, and even how to 
make it. By fitting a zinc pan in the bottom, 
all dripping from vrater will be avoided, and 
plants will thrive far better than in ordinary 
pots. Page 56 suggests the delight with which 
every lady will gather her first spring blossoms 
of flowers loved and anxiously waited for. 
Speed the pleasant days of spring! Page 57 
introduces a beautiful illustration of the new 
conservatory now being erected on the horti¬ 
cultural grounds of the Centennial Exhibition 
at Philadelphia. It is a model of beauty and 
taste, and is only one of many fully as grand 
which are to contain treasures of art and science. 
Without question it will be the grandest Exposition 
ever seen in America,' and will be finished by 1876. 
Upon page 61 a little pair are learning the mysteries of 
the photographic art— u Getting her picture took!" 
The little girl sits patiently too, regardless of all 
knowledge of mysteries about cameras and positions, 
while the little artist is fully as absorbed as many 
older ones who have a difficult task to solve. . 
PUBLISHER’S ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
Ladies’ Fancy Work, Household Ornaments, Ele¬ 
gancies, Parlor and Hall Decorations. —Any lady having 
hints, suggestions or ideas on the above topics, is invited to send | 
them to us for publication. We want all articles on household topics ; 
of this nature that we can get. 
Answers to Correspondents.— Correspondents to literary 
departments must not expect immediate reply in next number of 
paper. We pay respectful attention to every letter, and select those I 
most important for publication. Yet do not stop your bits of gossip. 
Tell us something useful, something which will benefit other readers. 
We never leave out* anything good. Many questions are already 
answered -when sent to us. Correspondents should consult previous 
numbers before sending to us. We cannot answer inquiries by per¬ 
sonal letter. 
Missing Papers. —Before writing to publisher for missing copies, 
ask your postmaster if any paper came without an address; if so, claim 
it as yours. The labels are printed and pasted on the paper by a machine, 
and a copy of the Cabinet is stamped for every address. Sometimes 
these labels slip off; still the paper reaches the post office. 
Arrest of a Post office Swindler.— From Dec. 1 to Feb. 2 
a large number of letters were stolen from our F. O. Box, of which we 
had no knowledge till the numerous letters and complaints from our 
subsciibers led us to give formal notice to the Postmaster of this 
city with request to employ detectives to ascertain the cause. On the 
25th of February they effected the arrest of a young man, who had 
procured a triplicate key and was caught in the act of opening the 
box and taking out the letters. He confessed that he had taken 
out many letters the past three months in this way and kept all the 
money. Search was made at his home, and over 2,000 letters were 
found, all directed to Henry T. Williams. The prisoner was at once 
committed to jail, where he is now suffering penalties of imprison¬ 
ment for robbing the IT. 8. mails, and will probably spend a good 
many years in reflecting on his villainy The total loss of money 
taken is not precisely known, but it probably exceeds $3,000. W'e 
have filled all orders contained in those letters, although the expense 
to us has been greater than the money recovered, while as much 
more damage has been done in interrupting our business, destroying 
confidence in our credit. Our friends who had much trouble during 
this time will now know the reason why their letters did not reach 
us. Few can know the embarrassment or anxiety we were subjected 
to, and we hope our friends and agents will make a special effort this 
spring to send us business to help us. We never mean our friends 
shall lose a dollar in their dealings with us. 
References. —As so many correspondents now dealing witji 
us, who are new, naturally hesitate to entrust money to a stranger, 
we give a few references. One lady (whose letter was among the 
above stolen lot), writing to a party in this city, received the follow¬ 
ing reply: 
“Mr. Williams is a very reliable man, and if he has received 
your money, you may depend upon getting the articles you ordered/’ 
Millers Falls Co. 
In addition, another party in this city, having received an order for 
$2,000 of chromos from us, went to B. K. Bliss’and made inquiries, to 
which Mr. Bliss promptly responded: “I will take Mr. Williams’ 
order for $10,000 or more, and be glad to get it. He stands first-rate 
in every respect.” 
The Commercial Agency of J. M. Bradstreet & Son have the fol¬ 
lowing to say of us: “Mr. Williams has excellent business credit, and 
ranks high in commercial dealings.” 
Mr. Williams has been for /eight years and now is the business 
agent and agricultural editor of the Independent, and of him 
Mr. Henry C Bowen, the publisher, once said: “There is one man 
with me whose place I cannot fill. He is the most trustworthy man 
I ever had.” 
The Orange Judd Co., in response to inquiries, said : “Mr. Williams 
has our highest personal esteem. He has done business with us for 
Ornamental Designs for Fret Sawing, Fancy Carv¬ 
ing, and House Decorations —A new book will be issued 
from our office April 15, containing 125 or more designs of fancy house- 
11014 ornaments, which will be sold at the very cheap price of 60c. 
The interest in the use of the Fret Saw which we offered in our Pre¬ 
mium List has made the subject of fancy carving and the making of 
household ornaments wonderfully popular. Ladies and young people 
everywhere are making dozens of beautiful fancy : rticles at so small 
cost that they can decorate their homes profusely with hosts of 
charming ornaments. The demand for new designs is becoming very 
great, and to meet this demand we commence the publication of a 
new book of designs, in convenient and cheap form, at moderate 
price. Will be ready about April 15. Price, 60 cents, sent by mail. 
Newspaper Postage. —Congress has made another foolish 
move by increasing the rate of postage. When will they ever learn 
that this rebounds upon the people, their own constituents, in the 
shape of _ extra taxation. Publishers can no longer give away speci¬ 
men copies of their paper free. The rates of postage on books and 
parcels are doubled, and thousands of articles subscribers have been 
used to buy from distant cities and which the Post office has landed 
at their doors with little trouble must now be charged additional 
prices to cover the additional postage. Bound volumes of the Floral 
Cabinet, which we expected to sell under the old law for $2, now 
cost us 50 cents postage, which we must add to the price. We cannot 
bear it. Specimen colfies of Floial Cabinet —hitherto we have 
given free—now cost 6 cents postage. We must charge for them ; we 
cannot give away so much. Bookb that formerly cost 10 cents postage 
now cost 20 cents. Seeds, that formerly cost 8 cents postage per 
pound, and seedsmen willingly paid, now cost so much that the extra 
postage has to be added to the price. To show the foolishness of the 
postal law, a copy of the Floral Cabinet can be sent to Liverpool, 
England, 3,000 miles, for 2 cents, but to Philadelphia, only 90 miles, 
6 cents. A reader in San Francisco can send his copy of Cabinet 
when done reading it to a friend in London. England, for 2 cents, but 
to a friend in Hew York, 6 cents, although the former goes through 
Hew York and 3,000 miles beyond to get to its destination. Every 
mernber of Congress who voted. for such a bill deserves critici in. 
The matter of trifling with postage to please their spiteful whims is a 
positive injury to the commercial interests of the country and the 
reading interests and privileges of the people. The people are obliged 
to pay the extra price for all they want. For whom has all this been 
done? We answer, in the interest of the express companies. They 
sent a lobby to Washington to fight against cheap postage, because 
many parcels now were sent by mail which they wanted sent by their 
agencies. Hannibal Hamlin, a former Yice President of the United 
States, first introduced the resolution to increase the rates of postage, 
and in the confusion of the last da t A s of Congress the bill slipped 
through. Ho Congressman who votes like that can be a friend of the 
people. The beautiful complacency with which Congressmen favored 
themselves in the same postal law is splendid to contemplate. Copies 
of their own paper, the Congressional Record, containing their own 
speeches, are permitted to go free through the mails to the address of 
any of their friends by franking with their names on the wrapper In 
other words, Congress taxes newspapers and the people twice over; 
first, to pay their salaries, and second, adds an extra rate of postage 
on all articles the people buy so as to pass their own documents free, 
vhich nobody wants. The name of a Congressman just now is not 
half as reputable as the character of a first-class Justice of the Peace 
in a country town. 
Special Premiums of Flower Seeds. Plants, Ftc — 
Lntil June 1, we will give the following special premiums to any 
one who will j-end us new subscribers during Ax>ril and May : 
For 2 subscribers, 10 packets of seeds. 
For 3 subscribers, 20 packets of seeds, or 6 plants. 
For 5 subscribers, $1 worth of flower seeds and plants. 
For 10 subscribers, $2 worth of flower seeds and plants. 
Fori5subscribers,$2 worth of flower seeds and plants, with extra 
copy of paper free one year. 
Choice of seeds may be left to us, or club agent may select 
a list, according to price, as published in any catalogue adver¬ 
tised in our paper. 
The First Rose of Spring-. 
years to our utmost satisfaction. Wc have full confidence in him.” 
A Justice of the Peace in Ohio (a letter from his wife having been 
taken in above lot of stolen letters) wrote to the Chief of Police in 
New York, and hinted about looking after swindlers, the Chief re¬ 
plied: “ Mr. Williams is all right; we don't interfere ioith honest men." 
Another Publisher says: “I have known Henry T. Williams many 
years; traveled thousands of miles with him : paid him hundreds of 
dollars; have always found him strictly reliable and exact, and in 
business integrity worthy of the highest confidence.” S. R Wells. 
Now we hope every one will recover their courage and not stop 
correspondence, and we propose to give them their money’s worth, 
and their letters we are now able to attend to promptly. 
Cheapness.— The Floral Cabinet contains every year reading 
matter which if put into books would cost $10: its music would cost 
$5. and its art premium, a chromo, at modest estimate, $1; total, $16, 
for only $ 1 .30. Who is there that cannot afford it ? 
WILLIAMS’ ILLUSTRATED PUBLICA¬ 
TIONS. 
The “Ladies’ Eloral Cabinet and Pictorial 
Home Companion.” —Devoted to Housekeeping. House¬ 
hold Elegancies. Fashions, Music, ladies' I ancy Work. Social 
Amusements, Home Pets, Flowers, Window Gardening, Cot¬ 
tages, Garden Decorations, and Illustrated Home Literature. 
Price, $1.30 per year, including chromo, “My Window Gar¬ 
den,” for 1875; for chib of 10, extra copy of paper and chromo 
to agent. 
The “Little Gem and Young Polks’ Favorite.” 
also Successor to “What Next?” —A beautifully 
illustrated journal, published monthly, devoted to the 
amusement, improvement, and instruction of children at 
home and at school; specially adapted to the needs of the 
schoolboys and girls of America. Subscription t. rms, 60 
cents per year, including chromo “ In Mischief.” For a club 
of ten one year, extra copy oi paper and chromo free to agent. 
Premium Lists free to any address. 
Williams’ Illustrated Catalogue of Kural and 
Household Books, Social Games and Home 
Amusements. —The prettiest catalogue ever issued. Full 
of attractions to the young folks, and invaluable to every 
family. 64 pages, beautifully illustrated. Over 500 hooks 
and games fully described. Every family that likes games 
will find hundreds of the best here described. Price, 10 cents. 
Window Gardening. —A new book, with 200 fine 
engravings and 800 pages, containing practical information 
about plants, and flowers for the Parlor, (onservatory, 
Wardian Case, Fernery, or Window Garden. Tells all about 
Bulbs, Geraniums, Hanging Baskets, &c. Price, $1 50, by 
mail postpaid. 
Every Woman Her Own Flower-Gardener —By Daisy 
Eyebright. A delightful little Treatise cn out-door Gardening for 
Ladies—practical. timely, charmingly written. Price, 50 cents, post¬ 
paid. Bound in cloth. .$1.00. 
The Horticulturist. —Devoted to Cottare Gardening; Home 
Embellishments; Flowers; Fruits; Ornamental Trees, Shrubs and 
Plants. On trial, 3 months, 30 cents. 
Ladies’ Cabinet Initial Note Paper.— Rose or Violet 
Tinted. Your own Initial. Pretty Chromo in each box. Price, 50 
cents. 
Address 
HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Publisher, 
46 Beekman Street, N. Y. 
