Many things will spoil a bow which a little care and attention would
prevent. Amongst the most fatal enemies to the bow are chrysals (see
Glossary), which, unless noticed in time, will surely end in a
fracture. A chrysal should at once be tightly lapped with fine string
saturated with glue; this, if neatly done and then varnished, will
interfere but little with the appearance of the bow. Care should be
taken not to scratch or bruise the bow. When shooting in damp weather,
the bow, especially if a backed one, should be kept well wiped, and
perfectly dried with a waxed cloth before putting away. A backed bow
is always the better for a little lapping round each end just by the
horn, which prevents the bow from breaking if by any chance the glue
is softened by damp. A bow should always be kept as dry as possible;
when going to shoot at a distance, a waterproof cover is advisable. Do
not unstring the bow too often while shooting; once in every six
double ends is quite enough, unless there are many shooters.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]