IMPROVEMENT OF SOILS. 8/ 



smooth and straight, and the crotch of the tree turned 

 into a flat blade of steel. This is another tillage- 

 tool, as old as and perhaps older than the plough, 

 come down to us from pre-historic men and times. 

 No doubt, for centuries and in many countries it was 

 used before the first modern plough was made. It 

 can be used by hand, and for this reason it is useful 

 in many places where horses cannot be used. It is a 

 stirring and breaking tool for opening the soil, and 

 making it light and loose. It is also used to cut down 

 and destroy small plants that are so impolite as to 

 spring up where they have not been asked to appear. 

 Some plants are very rude at times ; and the hoe is 

 used to remonstrate with them, and show them that 

 the way of the transgressor is hard. There are several 

 different kinds of hoes ; but all are essentially alike, 

 and are used to stir and break up the soil, and expose 

 it to the air. A kind of plough with many small 

 shares under the beam has been used as a hoe : that 

 is, it is used to break up, stir, and pulverize the soil 

 after ploughing; and, as it is used somewhat like a 

 hoe, it has been called a horse-hoe. Still other forms 

 are called cultivators. 



When the land has been broken up by the plough, 

 and the sod turned over, it is still rough, and in clay 

 soils is often full of hard lumps. The tender roots of 

 plants find it difficult to push through these lumps in 

 search of food and water; and consequently they 

 grow slowly, and produce poor crops. The finer and 

 softer the soil can be made, the better the plants like 



