Ralph T. Hale is
co-editor with F. W. Beale, of the _Amateur Collector_, 11-1/2 Spring
Street, Newburyport, Mass., and Edward Lind edits the _Jug_, Box 633,
East Oakland, Cal., and is greatly interested in the National Press
Association. Both papers are models, the Table thinks, of what play
journals should be. Of course Sir Ralph may send us that natural history
morsel. He writes:

"When a person has decided to publish an amateur paper, he first
prepares a 'dummy' showing the size of his pages and their number,
the number of columns on a page, the place where he intends to
print his sub-heading and editorials, and the amount of space he
intends to give to advertisements. Then he goes round among his
friends and asks their subscriptions, and likewise solicits
advertisements from his business acquaintances. Having established
his paper on a comparatively firm financial basis, he next
proceeds to prepare copy for his first issue, first consulting a
printer as to prices which he should pay for a good job. After he
has published his first number it is much easier to secure
subscriptions and advertisements, as he has a paper to show to
doubtful persons.

"The prices for printing depend largely on the quality of work and
the size and number of papers printed. Printers will generally
print five hundred papers at about the same price as that asked
for one hundred. Remember that it is the amount of type which a
printer has to set which decides the price. Sometimes the price is
as high as seven or eight dollars per hundred, and again it is as
low as two dollars and a half for five hundred.

"Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a press of your own,
the cost of an amateur paper is not so large, but for a boy busy
with school-work it pays better in the end to hire the greater
part of his printing done. The size of an amateur paper is one of
the most important points to be considered. It should not be too
large, for then it has an overgrown appearance, nor yet too small.
A medium size is preferable. Good sizes are 8 by 5-1/2 inches, and
7 by 10 for each page. I am very much interested in botany, and
would like to correspond on that subject. May I write again on
natural history?

"RALPH T. HALE."

* * * * *

As there are amateur paper