LABOURS ON THE SOIL. 



201 



Fig. 162. 



which is used for general purposes, and more especially for hoeing 

 between rows of drilled crops; and a, a socket with the blade, 6, 

 inserted, which is used chiefly for 

 thinning turnips. For working in 

 strong soil, a hoe with a narrow stout 

 blade is required ; and for very stiff 

 soil, the Spanish hoe is the best tool. 

 Some of these hoes are made with a 

 small three-tined fork on the back, and 

 are useful implements. For hoeing, 

 with a view to cut weeds, the different 

 descriptions of thrust-hoes are the most 

 effective tools, especially among tall 

 plants, but they are not calculated for 

 stirring the soil to any depth. A thrust- 

 hoe with a shifting blade, like the 



The Leicestershire or shifting- 

 blade draw-hoe. 



Fig. 163. 



Leicestershire draw-hoe, would doubtless be a valuable implement. 



Kaking is an operation used for separating the surface of soil from 

 stones, roots, and other extraneous matters ; for rendering even dug 

 surfaces or gravel ; for covering seeds ; for collecting weeds, leaves, or 

 mown grass ; and, in general, for smoothing, covering, collecting, and 

 finishing off surfaces. The teeth of the rake are placed at nearly a 

 right angle to the bar to which they are riveted, and somewhat bent 

 towards the handle, so that when the operator keeps the handle at an 

 angle of 45, the teeth will pass through the soil at nearly that angle, 

 and consequently penetrate to nearly the whole length. The teeth of 

 the iron rakes should be made with a small shoulder, neatly formed, 

 so as to rest flatly against the under side of the bar in which they are 

 riveted. The holes made ia this bar for their reception 

 should be widened below to admit a thickening next the 

 shoulder of the tooth, as shown in fig. 163, for there the 

 stress lies, and there, in nine cases out of ten, the break- 

 age occurs in the teeth. The rest of the perforation 

 should be narrow, in order not to weaken the head-bar, 

 a slight countersink only being required for the rivet or 

 clench on the upper side. The neck of the tooth is ex- 

 posed to a force, tending to bend or fracture it across ; but 

 when once the neck is secured, the remaining part which 

 passes through the head-bar has only a longitudinal ten- 

 sion. One. of the most common purposes to which . 



raking is applied, is covering small seeds sown broad- s * ctl< ' f the 



, i . . . , , .,, neaa of a, 



cast ; and this operation requires more care and skill g ar den - rake, 



in the operator than any other which is performed shouting ftow 

 with the rake. If the ground has been raked pre- the teeth should 

 viously to sowing the seeds, its surface will be ribbed * ^serted in 

 or covered with very small furrows left by the teeth 

 of the rake, at regular distances and of uniform depth : the seed 

 being scattered evenly over the surface, will fall one-half in the 

 furrows, and one -half on the small ridges between them : if in 



