The most important requisite for a croquet ground is smoothness of surface. Very good sport may be had on a ground slightly inclined; indeed a little practice will enable the players to make allowance for the inclination, so as to play with as much accuracy as if the surface were horizontal. But if the turf presents small inequalities, the direction and force of the stroke can never be accurately estimated. If the stroke is gentle, the ball may fall short or be turned aside. If the stroke is forcible, the ball will bound along the ground, and may jump entirely over another ball which it was intended to roquet. A croquet ground can always be brought to the requisite degree of smoothness by having the surface beaten with a spade after a rain; or, better still, thoroughly rammed with a paver's mallet. Rolling is not so effective, unless the ground is very soft or the roller very heavy. The size and shape of the ground is a matter of much less importance. The boundaries within which a ball can be placed should be traced or agreed upon; still better permanently defined by a ditch or slight embankment; and should, if possible, form a parallelogram of eighty feet by fifty. The turf within them should be kept as short as possible. The best arrangement of bridges for the four-ball game is that given in Figure I. For the six or eight-ball game Figure II. is preferable. A ball meets with two kinds of obstructions in making the "grand round"—it is obliged to pass through all the bridges, and again it may be croquetted and driven out of its course by an enemy. In the six or eight ball game, the dangers being much increased, it is well to diminish the difficulties, or the contest may be tediously protracted. This is accomplished by removing the central bridge and straightening the course. The channel is less tortuous, but "roving" privateers, clothed with "belligerent rights," are more frequently met, and the risks and excitement of the passage are equalized in both cases.

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.