Rods and Rod Material. 147 



wood so closely in grain and color as to make it difficult 

 to distinguish between them. It seems, however, inclined 

 to take on a browner shade from exposure to the air, so 

 that it is probable this resemblance will diminish with 

 time. The grain was very straight, altogether free from 

 knots, especially those small knots sometimes called 

 " pins," which are the bane of the worker of lancewood. 

 Though apparently not perfectly seasoned, yet a degree of 

 stiffness, elasticity, and freedom from set was shown which 

 would be considered remarkable in any wood. It broke 

 with great difficulty, and then with a wiry fibrous fract- 

 ure resembling hickory in this respect. Compared with 

 a stick of approved greenheart of equal size, the Dagame 

 showed no inferiority that I could detect, while it was 

 certainly much lighter, and I thought decidedly stronger. 

 Should I praise this wood in terms as high as I believe 

 this sample would justify me in doing, I fear I might be 

 deemed extravagant. 



I presented the well-known physicist, Professor Alfred 

 M. Mayer, of the Stevens Institute of Technology, au- 

 thor of that superb book, " Sports with Gun and Rod," 

 with some which he converted into a light minnow cast- 

 ing-rod, believing that in this manner the quality of the 

 wood could be better tested than in a fly-rod. He in- 

 forms me that he has used the rod extensively in black- 

 bass fishing, and purposely in the most unsparing man- 

 ner. He speaks in the highest terms of its performance, 

 emphasizing particularly its ability to endure the heavi- 

 est strains strains which doubled it up so as to cause his 

 boatman again and again to beg him to spare so good 

 a rod, and not doom it to certain destruction and this 

 with perfect impunity and entire apparent freedom from 

 set. Should I express myself in its favor in as decided 



