THE TURFING IRON. 167 
ture, and one warm enough for them above, withort 
much covering. 
The building of these turf pits can be done by any 
man. Late in the autumn, say November, cut the 
turves from a moist place on a moor, or common where 
the sward is old and tough ; cut them with the turfing 
iron, a tool well known to gardeners; but as of late 
some new kinds have made their appearance, I give 
a sketch below of what I consider the best. 
Fig. 32.—THE TURFING IRON, 
a; with a section of the turves, lined into three feet by one foot divisions, 8. 
The crank in this tool brings up the handle to the 
knee of the man cutting the turves, and obviates the 
necessity of stooping so low as becomes necessary if no 
crank is made to it. The operator has more power by 
this means, by placing the back of the hand holding 
the handle against the knee, and thus giving the power 
to drive the tool with ease under the sods; the blade 
should be of the best steel, and seven inches long by 
six wide; the stem from the blade to the crank should 
