36 GARDEN TILLAGE. 



simple and can be made by any handy blacksmith. It cannot 

 be recommended to take the place of the improved wheel 

 hoes for large gardens, but in a small garden it may be used 

 for the work of shallow cultivation to good advantage. 

 It does not work the soil deep enough for the best summer 

 cultivation. 



Plank Drag, or Smoothing Board. — The form of this is clearly 

 shown in figure 13. It is used for crushing lumpy soil and 

 smoothing off and levelling the land preparatory to seed sow- 

 ing or planting, and will be found very useful. It can be 



Figure 13.— Plank drag for smoothing the surface of land. 



made by any one. The planks are two by ten inches 

 on the ends and eight feet long, lapped two inches and 

 nailed. These are strengthened by two six-inch cleats securely 

 bolted on. It is drawn by a chain fastened at the front cor- 

 ners. 



The Zephaniah Breed's Weeder is an excellent implement for 

 cultivating young corn, potatoes, etc., for which purpose a 

 fine toothed harrow is often used. 



Potato Diggers. — Of the cheaper forms of potato diggers, 

 probably the Hallock Improved is the most perfect. It does 

 very good work and where not over five acres of potatoes are 

 to be dug, it is probably all that is needed. Where the potato 

 is raised on a large scale, however, it is generally desirable to 

 use an elevating digger. Of these the Hoover and the 

 Dowden are probably the best to be had. They both work 

 on the same principle. 



Spray Pumps. — Almost every farmer and gardener needs a 

 good spray pump for applyingParis green to potatoes and vines 

 and for spraying trees, vines, etc.. with fungicides or insecti- 

 cides. For this purpose some form of the knapsack spray pump 

 is most desirable, where the work to be done is not very exten- 

 sive. For applying these substances on a large scale, some 



