HALF-BUTTS
Half-butts and long-butts, on account of their length, have to be made of pine for lightness’ sake, and little need be said about them. They are cumbrous things, and a disagreeable necessity.
It is a good plan to wipe the upper end of the butt every day with a damp cloth, and then with a dry one, because they always collect a quantity of dirt, and are apt to run stickily through the rest. If these butts were not varnished, but well polished with boiled oil, they would be much pleasanter to play with.
RESTS
Rests are now usually made in the shape of a diagonal cross, the upper drawing of fig. 32, the old-fashioned pattern being very seldom seen.
Fig. 32
The chief objection to the cross pattern is that it is troublesome to manipulate in the neighbourhood of the cushions, and some years ago Messrs. Burroughes & Watts brought out a rest which gets over the cushion difficulty very cleverly. As will be seen in the annexed drawing (fig. 33), the height can be regulated at will, and a firm rest on the cushion can be made. For some reason or other this rest has never become popular, and the cross-shaped rest still holds the field.[[11]]
Fig. 33