The amateur base-ball arena, as best represented by the college nines, has really done nothing to make the game interesting this season, and as a result small figure and pitching contests may be expected. Their rules encourage wild pitching as much as ever and handicap the batsman, and were adopted, apparently, without a thorough study or acquaintance with the principles of the game or the innovations made by the professional organizations. It is a fact that at the meeting held in this city to form a new college league, there was scarcely a representative who had any positive information about the new rules - information that could have been readily obtained weeks before the meeting.

The league did a really great thing in responding to the imperative cry for more batting, base running and fielding, and less strike-outs. The result will be less strike-outs in the professional contests, while the condition of affairs in the colleges will be as unsatisfactory as ever. Nothing has been done to prevent any tyro from entering the pitcher's box and depending upon mere speed for effectiveness. Last year the Yale, Harvard and Princeton pitchers averaged over 10 strike-outs to a game. The average may be somewhat less this year, but will be doubtless disproportionate to the batting and fielding, and college out-fielders will have as little to do as ever.

It was a splendid idea to have Princeton, Harvard and Yale in one league. Columbia is entirely a new factor. The team has but two of its nine of 1886, and enters the new league under the most unfavorable conditions. If it makes a good showing, it will be contrary to expectations. The impression prevails that the Columbia nine will be the weak member of the quartet, inferior to the Dartmouth and Williams nines surely, and perhaps to the other two clubs of the old league. The triangular league would have undoubtedly been the best in every way, for the objections that were made to the "weaker" college nines remaining in the league surely appertain to Columbia. As for the old league, it is in every way better apportioned than the new one, and the members - Amherst, Williams, Brown and Dartmouth - will enter for the championship well matched, each feeling that it has an excellent chance for championship honors.

College base-ball has spread in every direction. The Maine clubs are remarkably strongly manned, captained and managed. Vermont has a league this year for the first time. In this state, Technology, Tufts College, Boston College and Holy Cross College have excellent organizations, and from the present outlook the material was never better. - Herald.