. r . i :
i:'l tai
n a f e w s e c o n d s , b y rem oA d n g t h e b o l t ( b ) ; t h u s e n a b l i n g t h e A v o rkm e n t o h a v e t l i c
k n i v e s i n g o o d A v o rk in g o r d e r a t a l l t im e s : a n d , t h i r d l y , b y t h e a d j u s t i n g scrcAv ( c ) ,
p l a c e d a t t h e b a c k o f t h e k n i f e ( d ) , i t c a n b e s e t t o c u t a n y d e p t h ; a n d , c o n s e < iu e n tly ,
o n e g r e a t d i s i d e r a t i im i s o b t a i n e d , a s a n y r e q u i r e d t l i i c k n e s s o f t u r f c a n b e t a k e n n p ;
a m a t t e r o f m u c h im p o r t a n c e w h e r e v e r y n e a t Avork is r e q u i r e d .
1724. The turf-beetle {fig. 327. p. 518.) is a c y lin d r ic a l p ie c e of w o o d , o f o n e h u n d
r e d o r tAvo h u n d i-e d p o u n d s ’ w e ig h t, Avith an u p r ig h t h a n d l e a n d tAvo c ro s s lia n d lc ts
a t t a c h e d ; it is u s e d ch ie fly fo r p re s s in g doAvn a n d le v e llin g n ew - la id tu rf.
1725. The turf-scraper is a p late o f Avood {fig. 329. p. 518.) o r iro n {fig. 330.), fixed
a t rig h t angles across the end o f a lo n g handle, a n d is used chiefly to scrape off earth,
o r th e exuviai o f womis, snails, &c., from lawns, grass verges, o r walks, early in spring.
In some cases, teeth, lik e those o f a saw, a re formed in th e edge o f th e blade o f such
scrapers, in o rd e r to tea r o u t th e moss from laAvns; in m an y situations, hoAvevcr, a m o s s y
laAvn is m u ch to bo prefe ired to gi-ass, as softer, a n d requfring less frequent mowing.
W fre besoms a re used Avith good effect for this puiqiose, as AveU as for removing moss
from walls, o r th e tru n k s o f lai-ge trees.
1726. The dock-weeder {fig. 331. p . 518.) h a s a n a r r o w f r o n b l a d e a t t a c h e d t o a
s p a d e - l i k e h a n d l e , w i t h a p r o tm d i n g i r o n s t a y j o i n e d t o t h e loAvcr e n d o f t l i e h a n d l e , o r
t o t h e ii-o n s h a n k o f t h e b l a d e , t o a c t a s a f n l c m m . I t i s u s e d f o r d i g g i n g u p l o n g c o n i c a l
r o o t s o f Aveeds i n p a s t u r e s o r c lo s e c r o p s , A v h c re t h e s p a d e o r t h e tw o - p r o n g c d f o r k
c a n n o t b o i n t r o d u c e d ; o r f o r
t a k i n g u p c r o p s o f f u s i f o rm
r o o t s , a s t h e p a r s n e p , s c o r z
o n e r a , & c . T h e F i* e n c h
w e e d e x t i r p a t o r {fig. 359.)
d i f f e r s f r o m t h e c o m m o n
Aveed e x t i r p a t o r c h i e f ly i n
liaA d n g t h e k n o b (Ji), i n s t e a d
o f a p i e c e o f f r o n id v e t t c d o n i n t h e f o rm o f a n i n v e r t e d a i- c h . T h e s u c k e r e x t i r p
a t o r {fig. 360.) s h o u l d liaA’e a h a n d l e o f t h e l e n g h a n d . s h a p e o f t h a t o f a s p a d e
i n s e r t e d i n t o t h e h o s e , w h e n i t AviU. h e f o u n d e x t
r e m e l y u s e f u l i n A v r e n c h in g o f f s u c k e r s o f g o o s e b
e r r i e s a n d o t l i e r s l i r u b s .
1727. A thistle extirpator, and wceding-piercers
Avill b e f o u n d f i g u r e d a n d d e s c r i b e d i n o u r E n cyclopedia
o f Agriculture, § 2466. a n d § 2467.
360
1728. The Guernsey weeding-prong. The head of this implement is in the shape of a
claAv-hammer, Avith the one end flattened into a chisel, one inch Avide ; and the forked,
or claAvcd end, consisting of tAvo shai-p flat prongs, by which the Aveeds are grabbed up
and lifted at the same time. The length of the head, from the extremity of the chisel
end to that of the prong end, is nine inches, and it is attached to a handle five feet long.
A great part of tho labour of weeding may, in most gai'dens, be perfoi-med by women
and children; and it Avill not only be lightened, but their hands Avill be kept clean, by
the adoption of the Guernsey prong. {Gardiners’ Chronicle, vol. i. p. 66.)
1729. The besoms used in gardenmg are of tliree kinds. The first, which is the most
common, is made of a faggot of spray (generally that of bircli, or of broom), with a
handle inserted, and it is principally used in the open air; the second is formed of a brush
o f b r i s t l e s w i t h a s im i l a r h a n d l e , a n d i s m o s t ly u s e d i n h o t h o u s e s , s e e d - r o o m s , & c . ;
a n d t h e t h f r d , w h i c h c o n s i s t s o f a b u n d l e o f i r o n o r c o p p e r w i r e s , o f o n e tA v c n tie th o f a n
i n c h i l l d i a m e t e r , f i x e d t o a l o n g h a n d l e , i s u s e d f o r s i v e e p i n g g i- a v cU c d p a t h s w h i c h
h a v e b e c o m e m o s s y , m o s s y w ^ s , m o s s y t r a n k s o f t r e e s , & c . B e s o m s o f t h i s l a s t
d e s c r i p t i o n a r e v e r y s e ld o m u s e d , a n d w h e n t h e y ai-c, t l i e y r e q u i r e t o b e d i p p e d o c c a s
i o n a l l y i n o i l , t o r c t a x d t h e p r o g r e s s o f o x i d a t i o n . T h e r e a r e m a n y v a r i e t i e s o f b e s o m s
o f t h e f i r s t k i n d , a n d a m o n g o t h e r s m a y b e m e n t i o n e d t h e f a n b e s o m {fig. 361.) i n u s e
a t B i c t o n , A vhicb i s c o m p o s e d o f s e v e r a l b r o o m l e t s , a s t h e y m a y b e c a l l e d , b o u n d
to g e th e i - w i t h b r a s s w i r e , a n d w h i c h i s q u i t e s t r o n g e n o u g h f o r m o s t k i n d s o f g a r d e n
Avork, A v ith o u t u s i n g t h e Avfr-e b r o o m , w h i c h h a s m a n y in c o n v e n i e n c e s .
1730. Implement-cleaners axe small spatulas formed of wood, generally by the operator
himself. A small brash of wfre, like a painter’s large brush, is useful for cleaning
pots, and some have a particular description of knife for that pm-pose, and for spades,
1731. O f garden tools t h e essential hinds a i 'c t h e spade, t h e dung-fork, a n d t h e rake;
f o r Avith t h e s e , a l l t h e o p e r a t i o n s f o r w h i c h t h e o t h e r s a r e e m p l o y e d m a y b e p e r f o rm e d ,
t h o u g h Avith m u c h l e s s f a c i l i t y , e x p e d i t i o n , a n d p e r f e c t i o n . T h e r e a i-e d im i n u t i v e s iz e s
o f m o s t o f t h e m t o b e h a d i n t h e s h o p s , f o r i n i a n t g a r d e n e r s ; a n d p o r t a b l e a n d c o n v
e r t i b l e s e t s , f o r l a d i e s a n d a m a t e u r p r a c t i t i o n e r s .
S e c t . II. Instruments.
1732. The common character o f instruments is, tbat they require in tlieir use more
skill than physical fo rce: they may be divided into instruments for operations, as the
knife, saw, & c .; insti-uments of direction, as the measuring-rod, level, &c. 5 and iustra-
ments of designation, as nurabering-taUies, name-picces, &c.
Subsect. 1. Instruments o f Operation.
1733. Operative instruments are used in labours of a comparatively light kind. Tliey
may be used in general Avith one hand, and commonly bring into action but a part of the
muscular system; the scythe, however, is an exception. They are similarly constructed
to tools and act on the same principles, differing from those only in being generally
reducible to levers of a third kind, or those in Avhich the power or hand is between the
weight or matter to be cut or separated, and the fulcrum or ai-m, as in cutting off a
slioot with a knife. But in clipping, the fulcrum is between the hand and the weight
or object to be clipped off, and tliercfore shears act as wedges moved by levers ot
the second kind The materials of instruments arc in general the same as tools, but
the handles of knives are usually made of horn, bone, ivory, or a species of sea-Aveed,
instead of wood, and the greatest attention is requisite as to the iron and steel ot the
blades. , - • x- 1734. Goxi/ew/mfres are of several species and varieties:— , , .
The common garden knife consists of a blade of prepared steel, fixed without a jomt in
a handle of bone or horn, and kept in a sbcatli of leather or pasteboard. It varies in size
and shape, and in the qualify of the Hade ; the best in England are generally made m
London hut tho great mass disposed of in commerce are manufactui-ed at Shoihekl.
E v e r y working-gardener ought to carry one of these kmves m a side-pockot on his thigh,
that he may he always ready to cnt oif pieces of dead, decayed, or mjm-ed plants, or to
gather crops, independently of other operations. i « „ „ „
The common pruninq-hnife is similar to the fomcr, hnt less hooked at the point; foi
though the hook he useful in gathering some crops, and in outtiiig over or prmmig
herbtaeous vegetahles, yet, as aU knives cut on the same pnnciple as the saw, a hooked
knife is injimius when it is used to cut woody shoots ; therefore, wherever a clean section
is of importance, the praning-knife with a straight-edged Hade, and not the common
garden-knife with a hooked Hade, ought to bo employed. ^ ^
Tlm foUiru, vruninQ-knife differs from the other in havmg the blade jointed m the
handle, for theVuTO®« of rendering it portaHewith greater ease, and iii any description
of pockets; such knives me more especially used by master-gardenors.^ There aio
vai-fetics of these, with saws, cliisels, penknives, &c.; but, generally speaking, they aic
™°173? (fin- “ ta"® fro™“ *» common praning-knife, in having
a thinner and more narrow blade fixed in a
bone or horn handle. It is used for grafting, 3t>-
inarching, &c. The Erench use an instrument
(Jiq. 362.) having an angle (a) in the
opening of the blade, for scooping out the
Avood of the stock.