THE FLOOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 9

THE FLOOD.

"vTh© las); number of/.tho "Publishers' Circular" gives its usual- analytical table showing tho number ■of , books recorded as published . during ; tho; past • year, divided up into the various classes of .literature, and separating. new. books -from..new editions; It is worthy of. noto that, in spite ,of :.a small .decrease. of 'niiiety-tlireo- in '1908 as compared-with .1907, ; there has been, air;incrcaso 0jT.2473 .ity the annual output of books since, tho commencement of- tho year; 1906. ; V'riie : figures for tho ten years previous to 1909 ju'e interesting; as showing the.: development of publishing during the ; period. . Wo give the figures for, 1899.and-1909:— ;,. r - , • Tear. 'New BooksiiNew Editions.- Total,'' • 1899 / 5,971' '1,596. - . 7,567 : '1909 ; .8,446 ". ' 2,279 "10,725 This year, for. the first .time,, the number of books -recorded is over 10,000, the actual figures;; as shown being 10,725.:/ This •is an increase of 904 upon- last year's figures;;* : "-" v r It. may be, noted that the number, of new, editions has. decreased. .. In .1903.;.t1i0, percentage, of editions was 23.5} this year, it is doVm-'to 21".2iTaking this -year's outputKand comparing it; class by class : with .iSst .year's, 5 there, are. the 'following increases: Religion-and philor sophy, 100; ; and 94; .' political a^d}.' ; social, : 81»' art 9: < -and sciences, . 37; voyages and travels, 20; history and biography,; 53;•year books and serials, 76; medical science, 37 • belles 1 lettres, 47; and . miscellaneous,;47B ; while •there 1 are '. decreases ;in : y :the 'following Educational,; 8;' law, - 17;. and poetry, and drama, 94.The, spring publishing .season was .unusually prolific and prolongedy ;• but tho . autumn season was marked by stiU greater , activity.'^