The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-09-19
NOT MUCH ASH LEFT
FOR BASEBALL BATS
Selected Timber Used by Home Run
Kings Is Becoming soarcer
Each Year .i.

~ 'ff..
According to the United States de-
partment OF agriculture, Babe Ruth
and his associates who specialize in
@alloping the horsehide out OF the
base bal grounds may well begin to
ask what kind of bat they viii use
when the diminishing supplies of ash
make 1t less easy for them to obtain
their hitherto fayorite material. Dur
ing the last few years several sport.
ing goods factories have attempted
to introduce hickory bats as a substi.
tute for the traditional ash. THIS has
been unsuccessful however, because
hickory, although it possesses greater
shock absorptive qualities than ash,
is too heavy
One of the greatest curiosities at
lead ng bat factory is model.room
where more than 1900 bat patterns
are kept on display. Each model EN-.
bodies the individual likes and dis.
likes of the various players. There
are thin bats. portly bats. heavy
clubs, light bats, some with handles
of unusual shape and design. and
some with bodies that resemble bot.
ties. Whenever a professional player
orders new consignment of bats
this factory Is able to refer 10 the
special model desired and to pattern.
the new bats after that part cular de.
sign. The bats of the big league
players are turned out BY hand great
care and skill being employed in their
! production
The majority of the white ash tim.
i Der used in making baseball bats is
cut from farm. woodlots and timber
tracts in Kentucky, o., and the Lake
and Lower Mississippi states, The
timber is cut in the winter, logged.
and hauled TO the railroad. whence it
Is transported to the factories. a nun.
her OF which are located az Louisville.
Ky. The ash is cut up in bolt form.
each bolt being ultimately converted
into a finished bat
After arrival at the factory. the
bolts are stored in curing sheds for
form several months up to a year in
order that the wood may season thor.
oughly Skilled workmen ultimately
work the bots up into bats for all
grades of ballplayers from the stars
OF the big leagues to the sandlot
champion and school players.
Accord NC to a standing timber sur.
vey made by the United States for.
est Service at the request of Con-
greSs, present ash resources. aggre
gate approximately 99SS 900 00C
hoard feet. For the mo part. these
ash assets are scattered oyer a wide
range OF woodlands. the ash trees
being prevalent in mixed forests Of
/ Ia~dwood timber.
Obviously if ash were used so'el,
Tor the manufacture of baseball hat.
our leading national game would have
no need to concern itself about euh
4 Stitutes for long time to come But
the industries which use ash are al
ready beginning to find II hard to oh
. tain highSrade material in suthcie
quantities to meet their needs .ant
its price prior to the recent slacken
, ing in industrial activity rose rapidly
4 The entire quantity of ash used 70,
. sporting and athletic goods forms :
T. very sma ] part of the yearly con
sumption of this valuable wood whlcl
I po sesses properties that give il pre-
!. eminence for several industries. II
. particular the vehicle and handle IN
A dustries have been fierce competitor
S for ash Over half the annual Gu
t gees into handles vehicle parts. WOO
$ enware and novelties.
4 All is unquestionablv one of tn
J. woods in connection with which tn
1 effects of forest depletion will earlis
S be felt IN the form of actual deart
of material. There are two possible
!. remedies-to grow more ash. and L
II resort to substitutes. Already tn
G search for substitutes has begun. A
Z for growing more ash. foresters sa
). that with the warning of the virgil
|. supplies the farmers woodot Is con
: ing to play a larger and larger par
). In filing market needs and tina
/. farmers whose woodland Is suitabl
- for a"h production will do we'll to ii
4 vor this species.