218 CULTIVATION. 



and retiring as lie works, it leaves nearly all of the 

 weeds on the surface of the soil to be killed by the 

 sun. When used in this way, the earth is not 

 trodden on after being hoed as is the case when 

 the common hoe is employed. This treading, besides 

 compacting the soil, covers the roots of many weeds, 

 and causes them to grow again. 



The scuffle-hoe, however, except in very light soil, 

 will not run so deeply as it is often desirable to 

 loosen it, and must, in such cases, be superseded by 

 the prong-hoe (or potato-hook), which is a capital sub- 

 stitute for the common hoe in nearly all cases. 



Much of the labor of weeding usually performed 

 by men, might be more cheaply done by horses. 

 There are various implements for this purpose, some 

 of which have come into very general use. 



One of the best of these is the Langdon Horse 

 Hoe, which is a shovel-shaped plow, to be run one 

 or two inches deep. It has a wing on each side to 

 prevent the earth from falling on to the plants in the 

 rows. At the rear, or upper edge, is a kind of rake 

 or comb, which allows the earth to pass through, 

 while the weeds pass over the comb and fall on the 

 surface of the soil, to be killed by the heat of the 

 sun. It is a simple and cheap tool, and will perform 

 the work of twenty men with hoes. The hand hoe 

 will be necessary only in the rows. 



CULTIVATORS. 



The cultivator, which was described in the pre- 

 ceding chapter, and of which there are various pat- 





