THE USES OF WOOD 



435 



ball suddenly developed, upon 

 signal, into a rush through the 

 gate of the fort, and the garri- 

 son was immediately massacred. 



For the manufacture of base- 

 ball bats no substitute for wood 

 has been found, and the many 

 kinds tried have one by one been 

 rejected till very few remain. 

 Ash has won the leading place. 

 Several qualities must be consid- 

 ered in selecting wood for bats, 

 but the most essential are weight 

 and strength. The shock and 

 strain are severe at the moment 

 of impact when the well aimed 

 blow meets the flying ball in mid 

 air and almost instantly stops it 

 and sends it in the opposite di- 

 rection. If the wood is not ex- 

 cellent, the blow shatters it. 

 Ash stands better than any oth- 

 er wood that possesses the other 

 necessary qualities. 



The weight of the bat is im- 

 portant. The striking force is, 

 to a large extent, in proportion 

 t(i the weight, and ash seems to 

 niwct that requirement. The 

 oiainary ball player may not be 

 hypercritical of his bat. If it is 

 fairly good, he uses it; but it 

 is not so with the professional. 

 He must have a bat made to 

 order, precise in shape and 



WOOD IN BILLIARD CUES 



Tile wood worker does some of his best displaying on 

 billiard cues, and it is not unusual to employ several 

 kinds of woods, some of them finely colored species from 

 foreign countries, such as ebony, mahogany, padouk and 

 box wood. (Photograph by courtesy of Albert Pick & 

 Company ] 



weight, and of course it must be 

 of a specified wood. 



Woods other than ash are used 

 for bats, for many players are 

 not particular. Willow is very 

 tough and it stands much rough 

 treatment, and it has held its 

 place. Small bats for boys may 

 be of maple, birch, beech, elm, 

 and many other woods. 



Wood supplies the principal 

 apparatus for playing a num- 

 ber of games where rolling balls 

 have a part to perform. The 

 bowling alley is well known. 

 The specially-made floor of the 

 alley is generally of maple or of 

 longleaf pine. The balls are 

 supposed to be made of lignum- 

 vitae, and formerly nearly all of 

 them were of that wood, but 

 composition has been largely 

 substituted for wood because it 

 is cheaper. Lignum-vitae is re- 

 garded as the best wood for 

 bowling balls. It possesses the 

 requisite weight and is exceed- 

 ingly hard and tough. 



The pins which are set up to 

 be knocked down by the impact 

 of the balls are generally of 

 maple. This wood is sufficiently 

 hard to stand much pounding, 

 and no other of equal cost is so 

 satisfactory. Many games of 



BILLIARD TABLE 



Wood has no substitute in the manufacture of billiard tables. It is chosen not only for its beauty, but because well-seasoned wood holds its 

 shape better than any other available material for this use. (Photograph by courtesy of Albert Pick & Company, Chicago.) 



