54 



AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



The grass-hook (Fig. 48) resembles the old sickle, or reap- 

 Fig. «. ing-hook, except in being some- 



what shorter, and having a plain 

 instead of a toothed edge. It 

 is used for cutting the grass 

 I from 'edgings or other limited 

 spaces Tvhere the scythe can not 

 be Tvorked. 

 Gra=s-hook. The gi-ass-edger (Fig. -if!) is 



, strong, crescent-foi-med steel plate, with a socket for the han- 

 dle extcndino- from its inner centre. It is used 

 foi cutting the edges of grass-paths, plots, or 

 edgings, either -with a stretched line or hj the 

 y eye, the handle being of sufficient length to ena- 

 'l ble the operator to throw his weight on to it as 

 ' he presses it Ijcfjre him. A slight change is 

 f n 1., r sometimes made in the form of the knife, and a 

 small wheel geared to rrm ahead of it, which has the advan- 

 tages of giving it gautre and steadiness. 



Fig. «. 



K 





FriRES. 



All pronged and toothed im})lements for working in the earth, 

 &c., should have their prongs or 

 teeth of steel, and neither round 

 nor flat, but either oval or fjm'- 

 sided, the thickness or depth of 

 the prong or tooth being made 

 greater than its width, so that its 

 greatest strength may always be 

 opposed to the greatest strain. 



This is of special importance in 

 the implements figiu'ed above and 

 in the potato-hook. In rakes it 

 is desirable, though not essential. 

 The spade-fork (Fig. 50) is simply a 

 strongly-made, square-headed, fom-- prong- 

 ed steel fork, of which the prongs should 

 Spadf:-fork. iianiirc-.fnrk. bc about ten inchcs long, from one half to 



H.ind-fork. 



