Patrick Foltz Jr., age 14, of Missoula, Mont., for his question:

WHERE DO WE GET EBONY?

Ebony is the heartwood of a number of kinds of trees of a group

called Ebenaceae. There are lots of different types and most are found in    Bengal, Ceylon, the East Indies, Angola, Zanzibar, Malagasy Republic, Mauritius and Jamaica.

Two kinds are found in the Americas, the common persimmon tree and the Texas ebony. The Texas ebony is one of the most valuable native trees growing in the Rio Grande Valley.

The best ebony wood comes from the tropical parts of the world. Logs two feet in diameter and from 10 to 20 feet long are used to turn out lumber that can accept a high polish.     Ebony varies in color but black is considered the finest. The wood is used in cabinetwork, for knife handles and    in the manufacture of instruments and piano keys.