174 FARM APPLIANCES. 



TOOLS FOR KILLING WEEDS. 



Weeds are easily killed when they are first seen, and 

 more easily still, before they are seen at all. A heavy 

 rake is better than a hoe for this work, and will do more 

 in ten minutes, than can be done with a hoe in an hour. 

 An implement made as in figure #04, will do this work of 



Fig. 204. RAKE FOB WEEDING. 



weeding in an excellent manner. This is made of a 

 heavy rake head, with a handle attached as shown, and 

 furnished with a number of teeth placed about an inch 

 apart. The teeth may be made of forty-penny nails, or 

 one-quarter inch round iron, the weight of which will 

 bury them in the soil without any effort. It is much 

 more easy to work with this implement, than with a 

 lighter rake. . The beds may be cleaned close to the 

 plants, and it should be used as soon as the weeds begin 

 to appear. 



For killing perennial weeds, a spud is a convenient im- 

 plement with which to cut off the roots below the surface. 



Fig. 205. SPUD FOB KILLING WEEDS. 



A good spud may be made from a carpenter's chisel of 

 large size. This should be attached to a handle sufficiently 

 long to allow it to be used without stooping. By thrust- 

 ing this diagonally against the root, that may be cut off 

 as far below the surface as desired. Some weeds, how- 



