The Portland daily press., 1898-02-09
THE BOOK CROP OF 1897.
A Marked Decrease from the Preceding
Year and til Reasons for 1t.


An early number of the Publishers
Weekly gives each year resume of the
book trade Of the preceding year, which,
though intended primarily for publishers,
yet contains matter of interest to readers
in general.
In 1897 the number of books issued by
the publishers of the United States was
1898, q less number than had been issued
in any previous year since 1898. In that
year 4,484 books were published. "The
promise of still increasing volume of
publication with which 1896 so hopefully
closed,'' says the Publishers Weekly,
twas not fulfilled 1897" That it was
not, the editor sscribes to the delay over
the tariff; when the Dingley bill was
passed, the general tension being relieved,
there was perfect flood of books during
the last six months of the year.
The number of books of permanent
value is reported as unusually large:
s'indeed, few other years in the history
of the book trade have SO many good
works to their credit. 1t is pleasant to
learn that this increase in the number Of
really good books was accompanied by
continued prosperity for the booksellers.
In 1896 the publications amounted to
s, 7O3 volumes; in 1897 to 4, 928 only. The
shortage was due largely to decrease in
the numper of English novels republished
here. In 1896 these amounted to $50; in
1897, to barely half, 352 all told. The
importations of all classes of books were
Internationally the same as hitherto; but
the number of American books manufac-
tured was much larger in proportion to
the total output, being $500 out of 5, 703
in 1896, and 3,13S out of 1923 in 1S97-not
only larger actual number, but an in
crease from So to 67 per cent. of the total
number of books published.
publications of the year into nineteen
principal departments. In each OF these,
except theology and religion juvenile,
physical and mathematical SCIENCE and
1neutal and moral philosophy, there was
a falling off in the number of books pub.
lished from the number published in 1896.
''The figures in fiction are most note
worthy. Novels from all sources printed
or imported in. 1897 were only 500 to ia
in 1897. 10 these, however, might be
added the 1863 juvenile works, as the ma
jority of them were wholly unsuitable
for children's reading"
The principal changes in the other de-
partments may be set forth briefly. On
theological and religious subjects 400
books appeared in 1926 and 492 in 1897;
553 law books were published in 1896, as
against 500 in 1897; $50 books on literary
history, as against AIS; 1893 books of poe
try in 1896 and 247 in 1897; 2O9 books of
memoirs and biography, as against 2O5;
III on fine arts, as against 1888, and 2S4 on
political science, as against 1856 OF the
1928 different publications, 3,3l8, as has
been said, were produced by American
authors and manufactured here; and
] ,ll5 were English works, imported here
in sheets or bound. More than oue-quart--
er OF the English importations were OF
novels.
In Great Britain the number of publ
cations of 1897 exceeded that Of 1896 by
1853. OF these 6,244 were new books, ana
1852 new editions. In the departments
of law, art and science, voyages, travels
and research, and miscellany, including
pamphlets, but not sermons, there were
losses; in every other department. there
was decided gain in 1897 over the output
Of 1896. In fiction SO new novels were
published every week, or more than SIX
"a day.
France, as well as Great Britain, re-
cords an increase in book production,