CHAPTER NINE 



TOOLS FOR THE GARDEN 



When putting away the tools for winter, lay aside those 

 which need repairs so that they will not be forgotten. 



Old Farmer's Almanac 



IN buying the first tools for gardening work, it is best 

 to select the kinds most commonly in use. Buy only 

 those that are strongly made and of good material. Poor 

 tools break easily and wear out quickly, and are there- 

 fore a source of discouragement. Most hardware stores 

 carry well-made sets of the most important garden tools ; 

 especially sets consisting of a hoe, a spade, and a rake. 

 These may be had in small sizes suitable for women and 

 children. Many of the " combination " tools (two or 

 more tools attached to one handle) are poorly made and 

 are so clumsy to use that they are not to be recom- 

 mended. 



Tools for spading. For the work of spading, a fork 

 with four or five flat tines is the best tool. It should be 

 strongly made, and the tines should be of good steel to 

 stand the strain of the work. Even then, care must be 

 used not to break or bend the tines, especially if the 

 ground is stony. An ordinary square or round-pointed 

 spade may be used when sod is to be spaded under ; 

 it may also be used for any spading work, but it is 

 harder to force into the soil than a fork, and it does not 

 break up the earth so finely. 



The rake. After the spading fork, an iron or steel rake 

 with numerous fine teeth is the most necessary tool in 

 the garden. It is used for making the soil fine after 

 spading and also for cultivating the growing crops. The 

 rake is the best tool for making a good surface mulch on 



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