ers is reached.

Then operate over the whole surface on these lines, taking little or
nothing from the extreme edges, because I want you to reserve your
strength there in case your pine turns out very active--that is to
say, very sensitive to vibration, in which case, mark me, you must
keep up your strength of wood, as this extreme activity will not be
in harmony with the regulation mass of air in the violin, and the
steadiness of tone will suffer in consequence.

And, that you may very clearly understand the reason of this
occasional activity, I must tell you that sometimes the wood, in
being cut by the saw at the mill, gets a trifle _off the quarter_ on
to the slab; and this, coming to the edges, is less able to
withstand the strength of the air in its action of 512 beats to the
second, say of responsive C; whereas, all being properly and fairly
on the quarter, a slight diminution is allowed, and I consider
necessary. And I think the above remarks will very fully explain
_why_ we so insist on the upper table being _never_ on the slab or
near it.

So we will consider the wood roughened out as I directed, and now I
must get you to follow me closely whilst I arrange the thicknesses
so that I get that tone which I have found the fullest, the most
rich in quality, and of the finest carrying power.

I work at the part of the belly which I call the centre, as it is
the place where the bridge stands and answers to central node,
consequently the middle of the whole construction and of the mass of
air: I scrape and level here until I get a fraction, a hair or two
less than one-eighth of an inch thick. This I continue along the
breast until I arrive at both upper and lower nodal crossings, when
I gradually thin off to both ends, the final thickness being at the
flat left for the end block when the belly is attached to it,
one-thirty-second of an inch less than the centre. And I reduce from
the centre of the breast to half-way towards all four edges, top and
bottom, about as at the centre, barely, and to the edges, till they
register a fraction thinner than at the upper and lower ends.

The above, be it understood, is when finally finished and smoothed
down. I now show you with the calipers how accurately the work
corresponds with the theory advanced; and on this, my favoured mode
of working for the tone so highly spoken of by my numerous admirers,
I have no more to say, except to tell you that the wood so finished
corresp