I had a conversation with a well respected qbuilder about Maple that grew during a mini ice age in the 17th. century. We both thought that the wood from that era would be the best possible for cues. This article, while about musical instruments, supports our hypotheses as well as sheds light on what to look for when searching for "good wood".
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/key-to-stradivarius-sweet-sound-found/20080702151609990001
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/key-to-stradivarius-sweet-sound-found/20080702151609990001