100.—"By hitting a ball as hard as I can on our table it will only travel just over three lengths. What is the best way to remedy this?"
The table is exceptionally slow. Perhaps the cushions are made of moulded, instead of strip, rubber. Or the rubber may be in a perished condition. Possibly, also, the ironing and brushing are neglected. It is practically useless endeavouring to play billiards on a table on which you cannot get at least four lengths. In stringing for baulk on a good table the necessary two lengths should be covered by merely dropping the weight of the cue upon the ball.
101.—"Having seen Miss R. Roberts's photo in The Billiard Monthly, could you let me know her record break, also her age?"
Miss Ruby Roberts is in her 21st year. Her highest break, made in Australia, is 168, all off the red ball The Bibliography of Billiards.
102.—"Is there a bibliography of billiards published? That appearing in the Encyclopaedia Britannica is a good deal out of date, and to the student of billiards a complete list of works and periodicals published from, say, the days of Kentfield would be useful. May I suggest your publishing one in your valuable monthly?"
A bibliography running to several pages and dating back to 1642 was published in John Roberts' Billiards Annual, 1909 (Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co.), but it does not appear to have been included in the 1911 Annual.
103.—"Is there any book published explaining such expressions as 'scratch,' 'off the balls,' etc.? If so, will you please let me know where I can obtain it?"
We do not know of such a book. "Scratch" means starting to score from zero without either receiving or giving points. "Off the balls" is really another expression for "break." We think we will give in The Billiard Monthly a list of the less usual expressions in billiards, and which are not to be found in ordinary billiard glossaries. Such expressions or descriptions usually have their origin in the billiard reports appearing in the sporting press.
104.—"Can you inform me what are the standard sizes and weights for ivory, crystalate and bonzoline balls severally? Also what is the permissible margin of error in weight and how the weight is taken?"
The different makes are not supposed to vary in weight or size, but it is, of course, more difficult to obtain a universal standard weight for ivory than it should be for composition, as ivory is a substance of varying density. The really essential thing, however, is that the three balls comprising a set of whatever make or substance should be of absolutely the same weight and size. The standard size is 2 1/16 in. in diameter and the usual weight is between 4½ oz. and 5 oz. The balls intended to comprise a set are weighed one against the other.
105.—"Being a constant reader (Canadian) of The Billiard Monthly, allow me to put a few enquiries regarding life pool; (1) Why should cannons not count? (2) Is the push stroke barred? If so, why is it not so stated in the rules of the B.C. Club? (3) After the game commences when should anyone else be allowed to enter, and under what condition? This question comes up every day here, and after the first round I place the ball of the new arrival on the billiard spot when the white makes his stroke on the last ball, and give the lowest number denoted on the marking board. Am I right? (4) How should a marker call a game in billiards?"
(1) The only pool games in which cannons count are Russian or Indian pool. (2) The push stroke is barred in all games played on the billiard table. The B.C.C. rules refer to billiards only. (3) If late arrivals must be included, and the other players agree, your system seems to be as good as any. (4) Both scores are called at every stroke, that of the striker first, the hundreds being omitted except when reached.
106.—"What distance should the baulk line be from the face of bottom cushion; what size should the D be; and what are the places for the billiard spot, pyramid spot, and centre spot, on a table measuring 6ft. 4in. by 3ft. 4in.?"
The pyramid spot on all tables should be at the point of bisection of two lines drawn from the centres of the middle pockets to the centres of the top pockets. The centre spot should be at an equal distance from the two end cushions and at an equal distance from the two side cushions—in other words, in the exact centre of the table.
On a full-size table the baulk line is drawn 29 inches from the face of the bottom cushion and the half-circle has a radius of 11½ inches from the centre of the baulk line. The billiard spot is 12¾ inches from the face of the top cushion. The size of the bed of a full-size table is 12ft. by 6ft, 1½ in., and the dimensions between faces of cushions, allowing two inches overhang to each, are 11ft. 8in. and 5ft. 9½ in. If the dimensions given by you also relate to distances between cushions the proportional result as to the billiard spot, baulk-line, and baulk half-circle, would be: Billiard spot, 6 7/8 in.; baulk-line, 15in.; radius of baulk half-circle, 6 5/8 in. The relative sizes of the balls and pockets, however, may still affect the game.
107.—"Can billiard cloth be cleaned and dyed?"
It can, of course; but it would shrink and there would be considerable doubt about getting it on again satisfactorily.
108.—"Some time ago there was a suggestion in The Billiard Monthly that not more than 25 consecutive cannons or winning or losing hazards should be the limit and that the spot stroke should be re-instated to this extent. Would not a still better and simpler rule be that not more than fifty points may be scored consecutively from one class of stroke, otherwise a premium would still be unfairly placed on red ball play?"
Your suggestion is a good one, but billiard rules—and all rules for the matter of that—would seem to be nothing if not complicated and there would be little chance of one comprehensive and common-sense rule such as you suggest being adopted.