MODERN FARRIER. 595 



should be of white deal. The stocks or bats of rods 

 are generally of ground hazle, ash, or willow, about 

 two or three feet long; and every joint should gra- 

 dually taper to the top. Hazle tops are preferred, 

 though some use the Bamboo cane, and say it ex- 

 ceeds the best hazle. For ground angling, especially 

 in muddy waters, the cane or reed is preferred for a 

 stock ; with a hazle top, consisting of one, two, or 

 three pieces, and a small piece of round, smooth, 

 taper whalebone, which is whipped to the hazle 

 with strong silk, rubbed with shoe-maker's wax; 

 the whole length of the rod being five yards or five 

 and a half yards. The best method of piercing hazle 

 and bone, is first to whip tiie end of the hazle with 

 thread, and to bore it with a square piece of iron of 

 a proper size; and then make the thick end of the 

 bone, first dipped in pitch to go into it; after which 

 let it be scraped, filed, and neatly whipped. How- 

 ever, the neatest rod may be thus made : get a thick 

 white deal or fir- board, free from knots, and seven 

 or eight feet long; let this be divided by a joiner 

 into several breadths, and with his planes let him 

 shoot them round, smooth, and taper. To one of 

 these fasten an hazle rod, six or seven feet long, 

 which may consist of two or three pieces ; to the top 

 of which fix a piece of yew, about two feet long, 

 made round, taper, and smooth, and to the yew a 

 piece of small, round, smooth whalebone, five or six 

 inches long. The fir may be coloured by warming 

 it at the fire, and with a feather dipped in aquafortis, 

 stroking it over and chasing it into the wood, which 

 will make it of a pure cinnamon colour. 



It is found useful to have rings or eyes made of 

 fine wire, and placed upon the rod from one end to 

 the other, in such a manner as that when the eye is 

 laid to one you may see through all the rest : through 

 these rings the line is made to run, which will thus 

 be kept in a due posture; and you must have a 

 winch or wheel affixed to the rod about a foot above 



