How Not To Do It F. A. SOUTHWICK T HERE was once a man who had dogs. Some men go to the dogs, but this man had dogs come to him. He wanted to sell the dogs, but as they were fine bred hunters and worth $250 per, his friends were not enthusiastic. When he had begun to despair an ad solicitor came along and without the thought of any serious result the man mentioned dogs. Now, the ad solicitor was born several days before yesterday and was not surprised at any new idea. So he at once said "sure I can sell your dogs, " and made an appointment for the following day. Now what the ad. solicitor did not know about dogs would, if printed, have the Alexandrian Library skinned to death and enough to spare to supply several problem novels. But he refused to be lost, and he put in several hours looking up, so that next day he was on hand at the appointed time with a list of fine sporting papers. and a bunch of ads that made the dog owner envious of his stock. A contract was soon arranged for five insertions. The ad. was a beauty, and a puller, and wound up by asking 10c for photo of the dog. Result, first deal 250 answers each with a 10c piece or stamps. No sales. Investigation showed that the dog seller had his young boy take a snap shot at the dog in whatever position it happened to be, and this was sent with a letter something like this, "Enclosed find photo., price $250."' No mention of pedigree, markings, weight, measurements, training, age or any of the points a dog purchaser wants to know, and so the cupboard was bare.'' Next time the ad. solicitor turned up there was a row. When the air cleared he procured a good picture, fixed up a letter and went to work upon the names. Result: Three sold on first call. This is just the way some people treat inquiries and say advertising don't pay. It is better to let the ad. man suggest the way to do it. che che che che che ofe The Greatest Time The lowa HOMESTEAD makes a weekly 60,000 homes, most of them in the banner state of Iowa, where it is read with eager interest by the whole family. It sells goods because it circulates among people who are prosperous and progressive. There is no other agricultural paper that is so well thought of or that receives so much substantial support from wealthy farmers. .. ........ Saver Any Man Can Buy And It's Free To You But we are getting ahead of our story. This little box of cards is called the Perpetual Reminder. "Worth forty-seven pigeon holes," as one user says, and any number of note books. Placed on your desk it is a receptacle for the miscellaneous mattersall the memoranda-now scattered about the ofhce. It is a complete desk and pocket card system. It has guide cards by months and days and a quantity of fine heavy linen two by five inch record cards. The cards are in an ingenious vellum covered board box-ingenious because of a peculiar arrangement which keeps the TODAY cards always to the front and the guide cards always in sight. On the front of the handsome box is your name embossed in gold letters. The other fellows in the office will soon see the great value of the Perpetual Reminder and they might "borrow" it if it weren't for your name staring them in the face. The way to get the Perpetual Reminder for nothing is through SYSTEM. System is essential to business success. And so is SYSTEM, the magazine. It tells every month all the new business tricks that save time-all the little office wrinkles that save worry. Through SYSTEM you can learn all that any one can possibly tell you about system and business methods. Nintysix or more pages monthly cramful of business ideas for YOU. The regular reading of SYSTEM will solve your business perplexities-but if it does not, SYSTEM has a staff of experts-practical business men-who will answer your questions gladly and cheerfully and promptly. This service will cost you not one single penny-if you are a subscriber to SYSTEM. The price of SYSTEM is two dollars a year. It is worth a great deal more than that to any alert man with his eyes on the main chance. The president of a large lumber company says: "It is absolutely necessary to us in the conduct of our business to have before us such information as SYSTEM gives. Our entire office system has been made up from suggestions contained in your publication." Special Offer to Agricultural Advertising Readers. We said the Perpetual Reminder would cost you nothing. Here is the way. Send us two dollars for a year's subscription to SYSTEM and we will send you, every cost prepaid, a Porpetual Reminder with your name in gold on the front. Write your name and address in the white space opposite: tear out this advertisement and mail it to us. Write plainly, so that we will make no mistake insetting your name. Inclose the money and we will enter you as a subscriber-send you an expert consultation certificate-entitling you to free advice-and ship you the Reminder. Act at once. We have only a few Reminders on hand, and we believe they will be snapped up in a hurry. Act. Write Name and Address Here. THE SYSTEM COMPANY, 952 First Nat. Bank Building, Chicago. Among Publishers and Advertisers What Farmers Use to Some clever work in the way of supplying to advertisers evidence designed facilitate the placing of advertising appropriations has been done by P. V. Collins, of the Northwestern Agriculturist. The results are compiled in a book of statistics of sixty-four pages. The cover is in three color process designs. The object of the book is to prove that the power of advertising is not confined to the city population, but that it extends with equal force to the agricultural element. Mr. Collins says: "The mammoth mail order houses which have developed within the last decade, and whose trade is almost exclusively with farm buyers, are tangible evidences that trade conditions have changed mightily in recent years. "Yet few who have not given the subject special investigation have any conception of how the farmers of today (constituting over one-half of the population of the country) have learned to demand, not merely the bare necessities, but the recognized luxuries of civilization. For us to make that statement unsupported by the statistics contained in this booklet, would be of little force, but the result of our investigation has not merely confirmed the statement', but has brought overwhelming evidence which astonishes us, familiar as we were with farm conditions before our census." The manner in which this information was gathered demanded a great deal of time and work. A year ago in the January 15 issue of The Northwestern Agriculturist there appeared fifty-two questions with an announcement to the effect that all who sent in answers to the questions before the last of that month would receive a present for their trouble. Notwithstanding the short time limit, there were 2,621 answers received, thoroughly representing the territory covered by The Northwestern Agriculturist. The questions were selected with a view to discovering the grade and, as far as possible, the quantity of goods used in the country districts. They were principally of a domestic character, but included articles Missouri Valley Farmer TOPEKA, KANSAS 110,000 Guaranteed Circulation in the best agricultural district in the world. In all the territory west of Ohio no other farm paper has so large a circulation. Rate only 40 cts. a line. Published monthly. for cream separator and hay press manufacturers. Out of 1,351 replies only 281 use separators, and there are but 6 out of 1.753 who replied who use hay presses. The list of questions included not only farming implements, but nearly everything that is advertised to the farmer. Subscribers Relate Experiences The American Agriculturist combination has published the results of its "Business Experience" contest, which was announced in its issue of November 28. Its subscribers were asked to answer the following questions: First-With what advertisers at present in our papers, or that have previously patronized our advertising columns, have you done business at any time, or all the time during the past few years? Second-About how much money have you probably paid for their goods, as nearly as you can estimate? Third-Have you been pleased with their dealings with you? Fourth-What did you buy mostly, and how do you like what you bought? Fifth-In what way, if any, could the articles you bought be improved, or your dealings with these people be made still more satisfactory? Sixth-Do you always state in writing to advertisers that you saw the advertisement in our paper? Prizes to the amount of $200 were offered and the winner of the first prize was to be given $50. He proved to be W. H. Riddle, of Fork, Md., who as a result of an advertisement in the combination has bought and has contracts for future delivery of goods amounting to over $10,000 from a single firm. The advertisements of D. Y. Hallock & Sons, York, Pa., attracted Mr. Riddle's attention, and, following corresondence, the present highly successful business relations were begun. The results of the contest together with facsimile letters showing the accuracy of all statements, has been printed in pamphlet form for distribution among advertisers. The Indiana Farmer, one of the veterans of the agricultural press, starts out the new year with all the vigor of a yearling. In a letter from Mr. W. F. Barrows, the vice-president of the company, he says: "Our business was never better." The issue of January 2 started the 59th volume. The Indiana Farmer was founded in 1845, and has always maintained high rank with advertisers. THE FOUR-TRACK NEWS An Illustrated Magazine of Travel and Education MORE THAN 128 PAGES MONTHLY Its scope and character are indicated by the following titles of illustrated articles that have appeared in recent issues: Footprints of Columbus in Spain.. Frederick A. Ober A Watch with a History.. .N. S. Olds A Journey Among the Stars...... Frank W. Mack Ancient Prophecies Fulfilled. H. M. Albaugh ..Howard W Coggeshall ..Alfred Holman .George H. Daniels The Stories the Totems Tell...... Luther L. Holden A Little Country Cousin. When Mother Goes Away-Poem. Old Fort Putnam... Kathleen L. Greig Charles B. Wells Jane W. Guthrie Mary L. Austin Marin B. Fenwick ..Orrin E. Dunlap William J. Lampton Bessie H. Dean The Press and the Plow A little more than a year ago, Farm Journal, Philadelphia, was awarded a silver sugar bowl for the reason that it "best serves its purpose as an educator and counselor for the rural population of the United States and is the most effective and economical medium for communicating with them through its advertising columns." As a result of this distinction, a little booklet has been issued by Farm Journal giving a list of the agricultural papers of the world and reproducing in half-tone the title pages. These are through the courtesy of Farm Journal, shown in this issue of AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING. An interesting table closes the book, which bears the significant title, "The Press and the Plow." In one column, arranged alphabetically, are the foreign countries with their leading farm papers and circulation. In another, is given the states of the Union with the circulation of Farm Journal. With but one exception the circulation of Farm Journal in that state is shown to be excess of the total circulation of the leading farm papers of the country on the opposite line. The total circulation is given as 530,724 for Farm Journal, and 455,000 for the combined circulations of the leading farm papers in each foreign country of the globe. The Farmers' Advocate, Winnipeg, Man., and London, Ont., issued an extremely handsome Christmas edition. The title page, in three color process, shows Miss Canada watching the dawn of Canada's golden era The issue contains 120 pages and cover. and every page is filled with readable matter or excellent advertisements. The sworn statement sent out by Farm and Home, giving its circulation for the year 1903, places it right up among the leaders of the agricultural press. Every issue exceeded 350,000 and the average for the year was 367,437. The colonization agency for the Southwest has been abandoned as a result of disagreements among the railroads themselves. As a result of their action, Farming in the Great Southwest, a most successful farm paper issued by the bureau, has been discontinued. Mr. J. W. Alvis, formerly with the Inland Poultry Journal, has purchased the American Fancier, and will move it to Indianapolis. |