83 



The same plan, slightly varied as to the shape of the splints, 

 is adopted by Mr. Frederick Malleson, of Brooklyn, U.S.A., in 

 the manufacture of his ' Hexagonal split cane rods,' for which 

 the wholesale agents in this country are Messrs. William 

 Bartleet and Sons, Abbey Mills, Redditch, and 53, Gresham 

 Street, E.C. (Henry Walker & Co.) 



The " serrated ferrule," as it is termed, ought to obviate all 

 danger of the edge, or rim cutting through the bark or enamel of 

 the cane. 



' A ' in the wood-cut shows the upper ferrule before being 

 lapped over, and ' B ' the lower one after the process is complete. 

 This joint, it is needless to say, is not a "lock-fast." 



It will be noticed that in all the three patterns of joint illus- 

 trated in the preceding pages the larger ferrules of the upper 

 joints, which slip into the ferrules of the lower joints, are made 

 for their entire length perfectly parallel with the sockets into which 

 they fit. The old form of ferrule, especially in inferior rods, used 

 generally to be made more or less tapered downwards, which 

 certainly effected a saving of time and attention on the part of 

 the maker, but resulted in a gross mechanical imperfection, by 

 which the strength of the joint was lessened, and the facilities for 

 its * coming apart ' increased. If, as Mr. R. B. Marston observes, 

 the object of a ferrule was to enable the fisher to cast his rod- 

 joints instead of his line, nothing better could be designed to 

 insure the result, ' the action of casting levers the joint out of 

 place.' 



When the joint is properly made, with a perfectly parallel 

 socket fitting absolutely throughout, not only is the ' homogeneity ' 

 of the rod at the point of juncture increased, but also, owing to 

 the joint holding by suction as well as by contact, the dangers of 

 impromptu partings are greatly lessened. This is the true 

 ' Philosophy of the ferrule '; as recently observed by the Editor of 



