BOOK TRADE. The publisher of the Cyclopedia of Industry' has made various computations, from time to time, of the pro duce of the Press in this country. The data for such estimates must necessarily be inex act, and the results can only be considered as approximations to truth. They are, how ever, abundantly sufficient to shOw the prodi gious increase of readers.
We may exhibit the rapid growth of the publication of new books, by examining the catalogues of the latter part of the eighteenth century, passing over the earlier years of the reign of George III. In the Modern Cata logue of Books,' from 1792 to the end of 1802, eleven years, we find that 4,096 new works were published, exclusive of reprints not altered in price, and also exclusive of pam phlets : we have thus an average of 372 new books per year.
The number of new publications issued from 1800 to 1827, including reprints altered in size and price, but excluding pamphlets, was, according to the London catalogue, 19,860, showing an average of 735 new books per year, being an increase of 363 per year over the last eleven years of the previous cen tury. The demand fol- new books, even at the very high cost of those days, was princi pally maintained by Reading Societies and Circulating Libraries. When these new modes of diffusing knowledge were first established, it was predicted that they would destroy the trade of publishing. But the Reading Socie ties and the Circulating Libraries, by enabling many to read new books at a small expense, created a much larger market than the desires of individual purchasers for ephemeral works could have formed ; and a very large class of books were expressly produced for this market.
But a much larger class of book-buyers had sprung up, principally out of the middle ranks. For these a new species of literature had to be produced,—that of books conveying ster ling information in a popular form, and pub lished at a very cheap rate. In the year 1827 Constable's Miscellany' led the way in this novel attempt; the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge commenced its opera tions; and several publishers of eminence soon directed their capital into the same channels. Subsequently editions of our great
writds have been multiplied at very reason able prices. This circumstance will explain how the number of works published of late years does not exhibit a proportionate in crease in the number of volumes. One com pact volume may now contain as much matter as three octavos of the beginning of the cen tury.
The ' London Catalogue of Books published in Great Britain' from 1814 to 1846—a pe riod of thirty-three years—contains about 36,600 titles of works, shelving an average of 1100 new books per year, being an increase of 371 over the number in the former catalogue.
The Catalogue of New Books for 1849, ar ranged from ' Bent's Literary Advertiser,' ex hibits the titles of above 2000 works—an enor mous number for the issue of one year, and that not particularly favourable to publishing enterprise. In looking over this catalogue we cannot help remarking that the range of price is perhaps more extreme than at any former period, from the Shilling Railway Volume to the Five Guinea Illustrated Book. Luxurious and expensive books, for a few purchasers, are not less frequent than in times when dear books formed the greater portion of the Book Trade. Taking the cheap and the dear we find that a single copy of each of these 2000 books would amount to about I000/.
But the most remarkable characteristic of the Press of this country is its Periodical Li terature. The number of weekly periodical works (not newspapers) issued in London on Saturday December 21, 1850, was 87 ; in this number we include the 'Athenmum," Builder,' Chambers' Journal' and ' Papers," Church of England Magazine; Eliza Cook's Journal,' ' Dickens's Household Words," Expositor,' ' Family Herald," Hogg's Instructor," Home Circle,' Knight's Half-Hours,' London' and ' Industry," Lady's Companion," Lamp,' ' Lancet," London Journal,' London Labour,' ' Mechanics' Magazine,' ' Punch,' Working Man's Friend,' (U.; the total issue of the 87 is fully400,000 weekly,or upwards of 20,000,000 yearly.