142 GARDEN PROFITS 



Make a cylinder of sheet iron, riveting it securely. 

 Run an axle shaft through the centre and fill the 

 cylinder with cement. After the cement hardens 

 put on a handle and it is ready for use. A roller 

 for seeds should weigh about 150 pounds per running 

 foot. The size can be easily figured out, as cement 

 weighs a trifle over 100 pounds per cubic foot. 



The roller is especially use- 

 ful in dry seasons, when the 

 soil needs more than ever to be 

 brought into close contact with 

 the seeds. At this stage how- 

 ever, the usefulness of the hoe 

 becomes apparent. The sur- 

 face of the ground should be 

 kept loose and the scufHe-hoe or 

 scarifier (illustrated on page 

 172) is the tool with which to 

 keep it so. Some like the rake, 

 but I revel in the action of the 

 scuffle as it rips under the 

 young weeds, cuts away their 

 —, ^ , . . roots, and leaves them exposed 



Three usefiil forms of ' ^ 



hoes for garden work to the Sunlight. While Under 



its influence the surface soil crumbles to a powdery 



mass. Other styles of hoe are equally useful for other 



kinds of work. The heart-shaped blade, shown at 



the left, can run a drill of any desired depth and 



width: the narrow-bladed form reaches in among 



the bushes and plants even where the scuffle will not : 



while for heavier weeding and hilling what can take 



the place of the old-fashioned, broad-headed article ? 



