Bicton Gardens, their Culture and Management. 539 



Art. III. Bicton Gardens^ their Cidture and Management, in a Series 

 of Letters to the Conductor. By James Barnes, Gardener to the 

 Right Honourable Lady RoUe. 



{Continued frovi p. 497.) 



Letter XX. The Crane or Goose-necked Hoes : Objections to them ansivered. 

 Miisdi Cavendishu, M. Dacca, and M. sapientum. 



The objection you think likely to be made against the crane 

 or goose-necked hoes, that the workman is obliged to stoop, and 

 take one in each hand, is the very same the West-country man 

 makes to the spade used in every other part of the kingdom I 

 have seen. It is no trouble to a workman with a good eye- 

 handled spade to work double with them ; and with much better 

 effect, too, than he could with one long-handled, ugly-shaped 

 spade. I am glad you noticed them in Devonshire, and the 

 manner of using them. The woi'k done with these hoes is evi- 

 dently far supei'ior to that executed with any thing in the shape 

 of a long-handled two- or one-handed hoe, amongst small crops 

 requiring to be hoed and thinned out with the greatest regu- 

 larity ; and for this reason, that the workman has both his eyes 

 and his strength close to his work, and his hands to make short 

 quick strokes ; and, when tired of using both hands at once, he 

 can change about, hoe right and left, resting one hand alter- 

 nately on his knee, by which means one side is getting rest, 

 whilst the other side is working. Every man, when young, 

 should learn to use, not only the spade and the hoe right and 

 left, backwards and forwai'ds, but also every other tool that he 

 employs. He would not only find great ease from such a practice, 

 but would not be so liable to have different complaints and dis- 

 eases settle on him, besides getting more work done in a 

 superior manner. Is it natural for us to throw our whole 

 strength on one side more than another, to impose more on one 

 eye, or on one limb, than another ? I am aware that great pre- 

 judice has existed against using the above hoes in gardens. I 

 believe they are not well calculated for fat or gouty people ; but 

 I often fancy it would be good for their health, if they could 

 only be persuaded to make use of them of a morning for three 

 hours before breakfast. I have used them many times sixteen 

 hours a day in a London market- garden, and with interest too. 

 I am often sorry to see men, in this enlightened country, make 

 use of tools in a very awkward back-handed way, for the want 

 of being shown how to use them better ; and many masters, 

 from want of practice themselves, do not know how to show 

 their men the proper way to take hold of a tool, nor at which 

 end of the job to begin. 



Agreeably to your wish, I take the present opportunity of 

 informing you respecting the fruit of the Miisa CavendisheV, 



