The Harvard Stroke.

In the April number of Outing appears the second part of "Evolution of Form of Rowing" by E. M. Garnett.

Mr. Garnet, in speaking of the Harvard Stroke, says: "The Storrow stroke is from beginning to end one big smooth heave, and from the moment the oar enters the water until it reaches the air, the oarsman is almost standing on the stretcher. In direct contrast to the English stroke, his weight is not resting heavily on the seat, or at eight angles to the direction of the boat. Moreover, the boat is rigged close; the stretchers are not more than twelve inches from the end of the slide; the slides are lengthened, too, from twenty-six to twenty-eight inches, and thus give the calves and thighs additional possibilities. To guard against the seat running away before the oar enters the water, and to facilitate its movement on the recover, the runners are laid of an inclined plane. In order to attain something like uniformity of power and space between the first and the last half of the stroke, the pins are placed in front of the end of the slide. It should be understood that this stroke, properly rowed, is devoid of all jerking movements. Although the oar is actually "yanked" into the body, in order to toss the water from the blade and keep the boat jumping between the strokes, all jerking appearance is avoided by the simultaneous heave of the shoulders at the end of the stroke. Indeed, the dominent virtue of this system of rowing is its smoothness and freedom from all apparent effort. Even in the excitement of a race, when the men are trying to pull the blades off the oars, the continuous pendulum-like motion of the body at the end of the stroke effectually veils their frantic efforts.

"The only difference between the Yale stroke of today and the Harvard stroke of '85, is that Yale practices a slightly stronger "catch" than was used by the latter, and in this respect, the former is superior."