98 WOOD AND GAKDEN 



the summer days, only beginning to cool between six 

 and seven in the evening. One or two evenings I go 

 to the upper part of the wood to cut some fern-pegs 

 for pegging Carnation layers, armed with fag-hook and 

 knife and rubber, and a low rush-bottomed stool to sit 

 on. The rubber is the stone for sharpening the knife — 

 a long stone of coarse sandstone grit, such as is used 

 for scythes. Whenever I am at work with a knife 

 there is sure to be a rubber not far off, for a blunt 

 knife I cannot endure, so there is a stone in each 

 department of the garden sheds, and a whole series in 

 the workshop, and one or two to spare to take on out- 

 side jobs. The Bracken has to be cut with a light 

 hand, as the side-shoots that will make the hook of the 

 peg are easily broken just at the important joint. The 

 fronds are of all sizes, from two to eight feet long ; but 

 the best for pegs are the moderate-sized, that have not 

 been weakened by growing too close together. Where 

 they are crowded the main stalk is thick, but the side 

 ones are thin and weak ; whereas, where they get light 

 and air the side branches are carried on stouter ribs, 

 and make stronger and better -balanced pegs. The cut 

 fern is lightly laid in a long ridge with the ends all 

 one way, and the operator sits at the stalk end of the 

 ridge, a nice cool shady place having been chosen. 

 Four cuts with the knife make a peg, and each frond 

 makes three pegs in about fifteen seconds. With the 

 fronds laid straight and handy it goes almost rhyth- 

 paically. then each group of tnree pegs is thrown intQ 



