RAFFIA, OR R APR I A. 



414 



RAKE. 



GARDEN RAKE. 



Raffia, or Raph'ia. 



A material used much now as a substitute 

 for bast or the inner bark of the linden in 

 tying up plants and flowers. The long 

 strips, in which form it is sold, are ob- 

 tained from the leaves of the Raffia Palm. 



Rake. 



The rake is a tool that is not so much 

 required in the flower garden as in the 

 vegetable garden, where its use is neces- 

 sary in order to bring the surface of the 

 soil to some uni- 

 formity of fine- 

 ness, and to draw 

 the earth over 

 seed that has 

 been newly sown, 

 either in drills 

 or in patches. 



It is also necessary for drawing weeds, 

 stones, &c., together in a heap prior to 

 removal. The rake itself consists of a 

 straight flat bar of iron from inch to f 

 inch wide, in which teeth, resembling 

 round pointed nails, are set at right angles 

 to the under surface of the bar. The teeth 

 are usually slightly curved, as shown in 

 Fig. i, but sometimes they are 

 straight, and sometimes, instead of 

 being like a cylindrical curved peg, 

 they are flat, and as wide as the bar 

 of the rake, but set in the bar with 

 the width of the tooth tranversely to 

 the bar, so that the edges of the teeth 

 meet the soil, &c., when the rake is 

 in use. The teeth of rakes are gene- 

 rally i inch apart, and the rakes are 

 made in sizes containing from four 

 to twelve teeth in light rakes, and 

 from four to sixteen teeth in strong 

 and extra-strong rakes. A socket is 

 attached to the bar at right angles to it, 

 and in this a round, straight ash or deal 

 handle, of about 5 feet in length, is inserted. 

 There are other varieties in rakes used in 



gardening, such as the ordinary haymaker's 

 wooden rake, and the wire lawn rake, 

 represented in Fig. 2, which are used for 

 the removal of grass, &c., from lawns. A 

 new and light steel rake for lawns, illus- 

 trated in Fig 3, hac been introduced of late 

 years. Being constructed entirely of steel, 

 it is both strong and light, and though 

 costing is. gd., or nearly three times as 

 much as an ordinary hay rake of wood, its 

 durability, strength, and lightness, render 

 it a far more desirable implement to possess 

 than the wooden rake. The prices of 

 garden rakes are regulated by the number 

 of teeth in them, and may be stated as 

 follows : 



45678 



s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



Light .. ..04 05 06 07 08 



Strong ..06 o 7^ o 9 o 10^ i o 



Extra strong 08 oio 10 12 14 

 Solid Teeth for 



Roads . . 3640 



9 10 12 13 14 



j. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 



Light .. ..090 10 10 



Strong . . i ij i 3 i 6 i 20 



Extra strong i 6 18 20 24 28 

 Solid Teeth for 



Roads ..46 50 



Handles for garden rakes are charged at 

 from 8d. to is. extra, according to size ; 



FIG. 2. WIRE LAWN RAKE. 



FIG. 3. PATENT STEEL HAY RAKE. 



for handles for road rakes is. 6d. is 

 charged. The patent hay rake of Bes- 

 semer steel, with 6-feet handle, is sold at 

 is. 9d. ; the wire lawn rake at about 2s. 3d. 



