Learning to Strike a Ball without the Aid of a Pitcher or Fielder
A boy with a very great desire to make a good ball player found that he could not hit a ball tossed to him. Try as he might, the bat never hit the ball. Some one suggested that a ball hung by a cord would help to a great extent, and it was tried out with excellent results. An inexpensive ball was suspended from the limb of a tree so that it would be at the proper height for the batter. In striking at the ball it was not necessary to make home-run hits, as this is liable to break the cord, or get it tangled to its support. If the strikes are made properly, the ball will swing out and come back in a perfect curve, or can be made to come back bounding and in no straight line. This will teach the eye to locate the ball and make hits where it cannot be taught by having some one toss the ball to the striker.
Making Impressions of Leaves
A very true and artistic impression of a leaf, or similar object, can be made as follows: Grease a piece of heavy writing paper with linseed oil, and smoke the surface well by lighting a small piece of camphor gum and holding the paper over the flame. Place the leaf on the smoked surface of the paper and cover it with several thicknesses of newspaper, then press the leaf into the blackened surface. Remove the leaf and lay it with the blackened surface on a piece of white paper, then cover again with the newspaper and press evenly and thoroughly. A beautiful and permanent impression of the leaf will be transferred to the paper.
Care should be taken not to move the leaf the least bit either in coating it with the smoke or in transferring it to the paper. Be careful not to use too much oil. This process can be used to stamp cloth for embroidery. A candle can be used in place of the camphor if care is exercised, but the camphor gives a very dense smoke with a minimum of heat.—Contributed by J. H. Beebee, Rochester, N. Y.
Making T-Squares
By J. B. Murphy
The making of a single article of any kind presents a distinct problem in itself, but the production of a large number of the same article must be done in a different way, if efficiency and uniformity in the product are desirable qualities. Taking, for instance, the making of a large number of T-squares, the material is not made up in the same manner as for one. Where a number of these instruments was required, they were made as follows, with no other Equipment than bench tools and a band saw. The squares were made of mahogany having both stock and blade edged with maple. The blades were fastened to the stock with five ³⁄₈-in. button-head screws.
