THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



163 



rather awful to look at. Spite of that, how- 

 ever, we regret we did not have it engraved, 

 and must do so for next month. It con- 

 sists of huge claws instead of a blade, and 

 tears up weeds by the root wholesale. 



In the way of mowing there are many 

 improvements, and Green's lawn-mower 

 proves to be the perfection of them all. But 

 a poor man must still trust to the scythe, 

 and pretty work is mowing, though trying 

 to the strength of those not used to it. The 

 old-fashioned scythes are fast being dis- 

 placed by improved instruments, and of these 

 we ought to name at this mowing season of 

 the year at least three, two of them Boyd's, 

 and one Otway's. The cheapest of these is the 



is the snath ; B, B, are the handles mounted 

 thereon ; C, is the blade, which has a por- 

 tion of the heel, D, turned up at or about 

 right angles to the blade ; in the end of the 

 tumed-up portion, D, an eye is formed. 

 The several parts are better seen in rigs. 2 

 and 3, which are different, and detatched 

 views of the jointed parts. Fig. 2 is a plan 

 of a portion of a scythe blade with the parts 

 for fixing it to the snatti attached thereto ; 

 fig. 3 is a view of the same looking towards 

 the heel of the scythe from behind. 



To set the blade, C, in a proper position 

 relative to the snath, A, and to the surface 

 of the ground, the screws, I, and M, are un- 

 screwed, the blade is then at libertv to be 



Vulcan, or poor man's scythe, sold at 4s. 6d. ; 

 the other two are folding and adjusting 

 scythes, and are sold at half-a-guinea each. 

 There has been a little contention between 

 the inventors as to respective merits ; we 

 pronounce them very much alike in con- 

 struction and excellence. Boyd's we know to 

 be a first-rate implement, but Otway's is the 

 one we habitually use, and for that reason 

 have chosen it for illustration — not, how- 

 ever, we hope, to the prejudice of Boyd's. 



Fig. 2. 



The objects attained by both are, that 

 the blade may be set at any required angle 

 with the ground ; the position of the blade, 

 with respect to the handle or snath, may- 

 be altered and fixed in any position desired ; 

 and, thirdly, the blade will fold and lie in 

 a line with, or be protected by 7 the handle, 

 for portability. 



Fig. 1 of the annexed engravings repre- 

 sents the scythe complete and folded. A, 



moved into the position required, when the 

 screws, I, and M, are tightened, and thus 

 the snath, and blade are secured as they have 

 been set. When the scythe is not required 

 for use, both the screws, I and M, are un- 

 screwed until the blade, C, is capable of 

 receiving a vertical movement on the screw, 

 I, and likewise the blade, C, and quad- 

 rant, F, a horizontal movement on the 



Fig. 3. 



pivot, J. The blade, C, is then made to 

 approach the snath, A ; the screw, M, thus 

 traverses in the slot, G, until the blade and 

 snath, assume the position shown in fig. 1, 

 when it is more easily and safely carried from 

 one place to another, and also more readily 

 stowed away. Messrs. Dray and Co. are 

 the agents for Boyd'g, and Messrs. Burgess 

 and Key for Otway's, the one here figured. 



