BEST LAWN TOOLS AND THEIR USE I33 



regularites of the surface or of the sod can be 

 straightened out. For instance, if a sod of 

 uneven depth is laid down it is easy with the 

 turfing iron either to cut out the ground from 

 below at one end or to distribute properly 

 the quantity of loose soil at the other end — 

 soil which is always kept handy in the wheel- 

 barrow when working on the lawn, and from 

 which a handful is taken and thrown under 

 the sod. 



THE NEGLECTED SCYTHE 



Just because so few people nowadays under- 

 ^stand its manipulation, the scythe — the ideal 

 cutting instrument — has fallen into disuse. 

 For newly made lawns it is infinitely superior 

 to the lawn mower as it cuts without tearing, 

 without pulling. And a lawn mowed by an 

 expert shows no signs whatever of having 

 been cut. The inevitable streakiness which 

 follows the use of the lawn mower operated 

 in different directions is not seen after the 

 scythe is used. Another advantage of this 

 instrument is that the depth at which it will 

 cut can be graded to a nicety, and there is no 

 necessity to follow it up with trimming 



