EDGING TOOLS. 



157 



EGG-PLANT. 



flat on the turf when held by the operator, 

 has a coulter-shaped knife or cutting-iron 

 inserted close to the bend. An iron ring 

 should be put over the handle on each side 

 of the blade, partly to strengthen the tool 

 and partly to keep the cutter in position. 

 When pushed along in front of the work- 

 man the blade cuts the turf in a line of any 

 length, and to the depth at which the knife 

 is set. It is useful only for cutting turf to 

 lay down on lawns. In Fig. 2, an ordinary 

 tool for cutting the edges of lawns, &c. , is 

 represented. This consists of a crescent- 

 shaped blade, with an iron socket in the 

 centre, into whfch the handle is put. The 

 manner of using it is obvious. 



Macintosh's Verge Cutter, sometimes 

 called the wheel verge cutter, although this 

 name is generally applied to a circular iron 

 plate with a sharp edge, set in the end of a 

 long handle, has a small flat stage, as 



After all, the edge of a sharp, well-worn 

 spade is as good a means as any for cutting 

 the edge of a lawn, verge, bed, &c., and in 



FIG. I. TURF RASER. FIG. 2. VERGE CUTTER. 



shown in Fig. 3, at the end of a handle 

 terminating in a bar set at right angles to it 

 or in a Q -formed handle, like a spade 

 handle. In the central line of this plat- 

 form is a slot in which a wheel works, as 

 shown in the illustration, and on either side 

 is a projecting piece, in which a coulter- 

 shaped iron is inserted. When this machine 

 is wheeled along close to the edge of a lawn 

 or a bed, the knife will take off all projec- 

 tions and rough grass and reduce the edge 

 to a well-defined line. The coulters, how- 

 ever, soon get blunt, and require frequent 

 changing and sharpening. 



FIG. 3. M INTOSH'S VKR 



nine cases out of ten a skilful gardener will 

 use this in preference lo any other, follow- 

 ; ing curved lines with his eye, and regulating 

 ! a straight line, especially when of consider - 

 ; able length, by stretching the garden line 

 from end to end of it. It is better to avoid 

 : the cutting of grass edges as much as pos- 

 ! sible, because an interval of bare earth, 

 which is scarcely ornamental, is thus left 

 between the grass and the path. It is pre- 

 ferable to see the edge gently rounded, so 

 that the grass may meet the gravel without 

 any break. Such an edge may not be so 

 easy to mow with the appliances ordinarily 

 used, but at all events it can be easily 

 finished with the shears, the appearance it 

 presents amply compensating for the small 

 amount of extra trouble and labour in- 

 volved. 



Edward'sia (naf. ord. Legumino'sse). 



Half-hardy shrubs and trees, beautiful 

 for their foliage and curiously-shaped 

 flowers. They are natives of New Zealand, 

 and flourish best in our climate under the 

 protection of a wall. They seed freely, and 

 in this way are easily propagated in sand in 

 June and July, under a hand-glass. 



Egg-Plant See Aubergine. 



Egg-Plant (not. ord. Solona'cese). 



A very singular and ornamental class of 

 fruit-bearing half-hardy annuals, especially 



