No. II. Eight Ball Arrangement.
In the diagrams the dotted lines indicate the order in which the bridges are to be run, and show the course of a ball making the "grand round."
The balls should be perfect spheres, about three inches in diameter, the size depending upon the weight of the wood from which they are made. Maple or beech is a very good material, but the best are made from the buttonwood or American sycamore. They should be boiled in linseed oil to give them the requisite weight and firmness. If boiled too long, however, they will become too heavy. Six ounces is about the proper weight, and a light ball is infinitely preferable to a heavy one for accurate play at long distances. Eight balls constitute a full set. They must be painted different colors, as the individuality of each ball is an important element in the game. As there is no necessity for the exercise of great strength in croquet, a set of balls made from seasoned wood and prepared as I have described ought to last a generation.
A variety of mallets should be provided, as different players prefer different sizes. One of the surest hitters I have ever known uses a mallet about fourteen inches long with a heavy head. The wood of the apple tree is the best material for the heads, and straight-grained ash for the handles. The standard handle is thirty-two inches long, one inch in diameter at the upper end, and five-eighths of an inch at the lower, tapering gradually. The head should be a cylinder about two inches in diameter and four inches long. It is best to make the faces square; for if they are convex, it renders it necessary to strike the ball exactly with the centre of the mallet head to insure an accurate stroke.
The stakes should be about two feet long, and one and one-half inches in diameter. At least one of them should have rings painted on it corresponding to the colors of the balls. This is merely to aid in recollecting the order of play.
Nine bridges are required in the four-ball arrangement, ten in the other. Firkin hoops, or hickory withs, about as large as the ramrod of a rifle, will answer the purpose very well. If soaked a day or two they can easily be bent into the required shape. The best, however, are made of three-eighths round iron. The span of the bridges should be rather less than three times the diameter of a ball. Eight inches is enough. If the ground is small so as to necessitate placing the bridges closer than in the standard arrangement, the span should be narrowed, and "vice versa," on the principle that too much difficulty protracts the game, too little renders it devoid of interest. The height and form of the arch is immaterial, but the pier or side of the bridge should be straight for at least three inches from the ground, and the centre of the arch from seven to nine inches high. The bridges should be driven firmly into the ground, in a plane perpendicular to the horizon and to the line joining the stakes. An inspection of the diagrams will furnish all needful information as to position.