T the outset, an important question presents itself. How many magazines are there in America?

The writer thought to solve the problem by simply turning to the Century Dictionary for the definition of "magazine," and then counting up the number of American publications that answered to the description. Here is the definition verbatim from the Century Dictionary: "A pamphlet periodically published, containing miscellaneous papers or compositions."

Evidently, the editors of the Century Dictionary reached that word when it was time to quit for the day and made the definition as brief and inclusive as possible. Let's try the Standard:

"Magazine; a periodical publication, generally issued monthly, containing stories, sketches, essays and the like, and often illustrated."

Well! the lexicographers were evidently in league to make it as difficult as possible for the advertising man to decide what a magazine is.

According to the dictionary definition of Magazine, there are a sufficient number of such published in the United States to require a magazine-beg pardon!-a publication the size of AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING to merely contain a list of them.

Even the leading monthlies that might be classed under the definitions given, number over one hundred and seventyfive, beside the score or more of semimonthlies and weeklies; for size, shape, or frequency of issue offer no bar to the legitimate classification.

Excluding all agricultural, religious and trade publications, but including

mail order journals, the list of the leading ones only have a combined claimed circulation exceeding thirty-one millions per issue.

What about "usage"?

Can we say that any definite understanding has been established?

We hear more or less about "regular magazine size."

This refers to the size of the printed page, 51⁄2 inches wide by 8 inches long.

According to this, The Ladies' Home Journal, "The Magazine With A Million," and all other publications whose pages are not of "regular magazine size," are ruled out of the magazine class.

Some publishers of high class monthlies would rule out weekly publications, such as The Saturday Evening Post, which, according to the dictionaries named, are as much entitled to be classed as magazines as are the high class monthlies of "regular magazine size."

The writer is wise enough to confess his inability to render an opinion. Here is a subject worthy the A. A. A. or the I. A. A., or even the Sphinx or Quoin or Agate Clubs, and we submit it to these excellent bodies for consideration. It is high time that the dictionary definition of the word "magazine," as applied to a publication, were revised.

In considering the subject "The Wonderful Growth of American Magazines During the Past Fifteen Years," the writer will include:

First, the leading monthlies of "regular magazine size."

Second, leading monthlies, such as The Ladies' Home Journal, Woman's Home Companion, Delineator, etc., and,

Third, leading monthlies not of "regular magazine size," and of a literary

Outing.

Overland.

Scribner's.

The combined circulation of these fifteen magazines has more than trebled during the past fifteen years, and all of them have been greatly improved, both mechanically and editorially.

The increase in the volume of advertising during the period named has more than kept pace with the increase in circulation, while in all the magazines the quality has been greatly improved, and as will be seen by referring to the Symposium, "The Elimination of Objectionable Advertising by Magazines," which appears on another page, the reform still goes on.

The year 1886 marked a new era in the development of American magazines of "regular magazine size."

It was in that year that Frank A Munsey established the first successful tencent magazine. In the face of universal prophecies of failure and difficulties unsurmountable only to a determined and resourceful genius, Mr. Munsey demonstrated that advertisers were ready to join him in making a first class magazine a splendid paying venture, even though the selling price were far below the cost. The advertisers not only paid

the deficit, but soon made Mr. Munsey a millionaire.

To-day, there are a number of creditable ten-cent magazines; one of the best being McClure's, established in 1893. This magazine ranks among the highest from both an editorial and mechanical standpoint, and is another notable illustration that a ten-cent magazine rightly conducted can be made a financial suc

cess.

The list of leading magazines of the "regular magazine size" established since 1890, are as follows:

Booklovers.
Black Cat.

Everybody's.

Four Track News.

McClure's.

Metropolitan.

National.

Out West.

Pearson's.

Review of Reviews.

Reader Magazine.

Red Book.

Strand.

Smart Set.
World's Work.
World Today.

Sunset Magazine,

In 1883 Cyrus Curtis established The Ladies' Home Journal. For a number of years, the subscription price of this publication was fifty cents per annum.

Mr. Curtis determined from the outset to exclude from the columns of The Ladies' Home Journal all objectionable, unreliable remedial and medical advertisements, he being the first publisher to rigorously exclude from the columns of his publication advertisements of this character.

Much credit must be accorded Mr. Curtis for raising the standard of advertising and demonstrating that a publication could be successfully conducted without admitting to its columns anything of an objectionable nature. In fact, his theory that the exclusion of the objectionable would be a benefit rather than a detriment, from a financial standpoint, proved to be correct.

For over twenty years, Mr. Curtis has held firmly to the principle enunciated in his contribution to the Symposium, “The Elimination of Objectionable Advertis

ing from Magazines," which he briefly states as follows:

"The eliminating of objectionable advertising was simply a straight business proposition. It is perfectly absurd to have one policy for editorial utterances and another in what you admit into paid advertising columns. The confidence of subscribers is not only necessary, but vital; and when they know that the Almighty Dollar won't influence you to put before them objectionable advertising, they will read your advertising columns; otherwise, they won't-at least, not with any confidence."

The following publications, usually classed as "Women's Magazines," were, with the exception of the Designer and New Idea Woman's Magazine, and Madame, established prior to 1890: Delineator. Designer. Housekeeper.

Harper's Bazar.

Ladies' Home Journal.

Ladies' World.

Madame.

Modern Priscilla.

McCall's.

New Idea Woman's Magazine.
Woman's Home Companion.

To-day, the combined claimed circulation of these ten publications exceeds 4,400,000. It is safe to say that the cleanliness of their advertising columns is, in a large measure, due to the good example set by the publisher of The Ladies' Home Journal, "The Magazine with a Million."

The Advertising Manager of the Butterick Publications claims that in following the good example of Mr. Curtis they went a step further, making a rule that extravagant phrasing would not be allowed and that comparative values must always be conservative and, in fact, not admitted unless absolutely a necessary part of the advertisement.

Of the following list of weeklies and monthlies not of "regular magazine size," The Youth's Companion, Companion, Harper's Weekly, Leslie's Weekly, Outlook and Public Opinion were established prior to 1890, but the combined circulation of the five publications probably did not exceed 400,000:

Collier's Weekly.

Country Life in America. Harper's Weekly.

Leslie's Weekly.
Literary Digest.
Outlook.

Public Opinion.
Success.

Town and Country.
Men and Women.
Saturday Evening Post.
Youth's Companion.

To-day, the combined claimed circulation of the twelve publications in the list exceeds 2,500,000.

The fifty-five publications named in this article have to-day a total claimed circulation exceeding 12,000,000 copies, an average exceeding 220,000 for each publication. Fifteen years ago, the average circulation of the magazines did not probably exceed 50,000 each. According to this, the gain in average circulation has been more than four-fold, but the gain in circulation does not tell the whole story as to the increased efficiency to the advertiser.

The average standing of these publications with their readers is much higher than it was fifteen years ago, and the added fact that the advertising columns are more closely guarded, coupled with the fact that the interest in advertising is far greater to-day than it was in 1890, and that the advertising rates are lower, -circulation considered,—than ever before in the history of American Magazines, must be taken into account in considering "The Wonderful Development of American Magazines During the Past Fifteen Years."

What is true of the increased efficiency to the advertiser, of American Magazines, is true also of nearly all other publications of national circulation. During the past two or three years, there has been a marked weeding out of objectionable advertisements in the columns of all classes of publications. This is notably true of agricultural publications and even Mail Order Journals have, to an encouraging degree, excluded from their columns many of the objectionable advertisements.

There is little doubt that this reform is permanent, and the next few years

will witness a thorough cleansing of the columns of publications generally.

The United States Government has, through the Postoffice Department, done much to bring about a needed reform in the exclusion not only of malicious advertisements, but also "Guessing Contests," and many of the "Get Rich Quick" schemes.

There seems to be a tendency in the direction of increasing the selling price of magazines of the ten-cent class. Within the past year, the price of The Ladies' Home Journal has been advanced from ten to fifteen cents. This is also true of Everybody's Magazine.

In both of these publications, however, the value of the magazines to the reader has been largely increased since the price of ten cents was established.

In nearly all of the Magazines, it is safe to say that the subscribers cannot complain that they are not getting their full money's worth; the large volume of advertising carried in these publications makes this possible.

It is not claimed that all the publications in the United States that belong under the headings designated are named in this article. The attempt has merely been to give the leading publications.

A number of worthy magazines devoted to scientific subjects, business, outdoor sports, humor, etc., were not included in any of the lists considered.

In the list that appears under the heading of magazines and women's publications in the American Newspaper Annual for 1905, one hundred and twenty-two publications are named.

It is little wonder that the inexperienced advertiser is hewildered on account of the large number of worthy publications from which he is obliged to choose when considering his advertising appropriation. The only safe course for him to adopt is to consult an experienced agency, that can give him valuable advice, not only as to the best publications, but as to the avoidance of unnecessary duplications, and many other features that must be considered in the wise use of an advertising appropriation.

B. W. B.

UBLISHERS of many of the leading American Magazines were asked to contribute to a Symposium on the above named subject, and the views of those heard from are given herewith.

A number of publishers who were asked to contribute did not respond. AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING invites comment from both advertisers and publishers on this important subject.

As stated in the article, in this number, entitled "The Wonderful Development of American Magazines During the Past Fifteen Years," the Publisher of The Ladies' Home Journal was the first to exclude all remedial and medical advertisements, as well as objectionable advertising of all kinds.

At the time that Mr. Curtis took this stand patent medicine advertising of a certain class was not considered objectionable, and AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING is not attempting to establish any standard regarding this, but desires to furnish a means of freely discussing this subject both pro and con.

As Mr. Curtis was the man who "set the pace" in excluding everything from his columns that could possibly fall under the head of "objectionable," his views on the subject are given precedence. They certainly are terse and to the point.

Ladies' Home Journal and Saturday Evening Post.

As to what you ask for, it seems to me that it doesn't need any two hundred words to cover that subject. Eliminating objectionable advertising is simply a straight business proposition. It is per

fectly absurd to have one policy for editorial utterances and another for what you admit into paid advertising columns. The confidence of subscribers is not only necessary, but vital; and when they know that the almighty dollar won't influence you to put before them objectionable advertising, they will read your advertising columns; otherwise, they won't-at least, not with any confidence.

CYRUS CURTIS, Publisher.

Everybody's Magazine.

I am sending you herewith the circular we got out at the time we took hold of Everybody's Magazine, and we have followed the plan ever since in declining fraudulent, objectionable and fake financial advertising:

"A great opportunity, but we let it pass.

"A prominent advertising agent told me of this opportunity. He is highly respected and a man of long business experience. I have often asked his advice in the years that have passed, and profited by it. He recently called at our office and incidentally inquired what our policy was to be concerning the acceptance of various kinds of patent medicine and other objectionable advertising.

"In a few brief words, I stated what our policy would be.

"He then told me of the opportunity that we would miss. Went on to say that it had always been the custom of a magazine publisher to begin the elimination of objectionable business after the magazine had become very profitable and had a surplus of advertising.

"Why not wait?' he said. 'As you know, two or three of the very successful magazines are beginning the process of elimination, and if you will take