38 BALANCE OF RODS. 



choice in the matter of quantity of elasticity. For 

 instance, with half a pound weight, if eighteen 

 feet droops five feet ten inches, what will a sixteen 

 feet rod droop ? answer, five feet two inches and 

 a half near. And if with a quarter of a pound, 

 one of fifteen feet three inches droops five feetfou r 

 inches, what will a twelve feet rod droop? answer, 

 four feet eight inches and three quarters near. 



A bent rod describes in geometry more the 

 shape of a quarter of a very elongated ellipsis 

 than any other — the but end almost approaching 

 to a straight line. 



The Balance of a Rod. — Another thing I 

 must not forget to mention, is the balance of ajly 

 rod, when put together and placed horizontally 

 on the finger, for instance, as the fulcrum. In a 

 rod that is to be wielded by two hands, the 

 fulcrum, you must remember, should be rather 

 nearer the centre of it, than in one that is single 

 handed. In order to have experience on this 

 part of the subject, I examined my rods already 

 mentioned (trout and salmon), which are, I ven- 

 ture to say, as good in their kinds as can by pos- 

 sibility be made. I put them together, and affi.ved 

 the reels. The salmon-rod being exactly eighteen 

 feet long, I found the centre of balance at 

 three feet five and a half inches from the end 

 of the but. The trout-rod, which is fourteen 

 feet three inches and a half, has its balance 



