Most canvassers were selling complete works, but publishers occasionally broke down some large and expensive works into more easily affordable pieces, to be sold as parts in an effort to reach wide audiences.

"The work will be completed in twelve single sections at twenty-five cents each, and twenty-eight double sections at fifty cents each . . ."

The ultimate cost of the work, of course, is high: Seventeen dollars just for the parts in paper covers. The additional cost probably kept many purchasers from having their copies of this work bound.