AMONG SCHOOL GARDENS 



and that they use both the tool and their muscles 

 properly. The strong, shallow spade is not a 

 crowbar to pry with nor is it a shovel which is 

 made to lift earth from place to place. The spade 

 is to loosen relatively soft earth and to turn it 

 over. To use the spade, start with one hand 

 grasping the top of the handle, the opposite foot 



Proper Use of the Spade 



on the blade, and the other hand holding the 

 handle a fifth of the way down. The weight of the 

 body should be used to drive the blade its full 

 length into the earth; the hand should be slid 

 down nearly to the blade as you lift and with a 

 light toss ahead completely turn over each spade- 

 ful of soil. When returning the spade for the 



140 



i 



