

R A K 



which is more apparent wlicn lie trots, than when he 

 paces. 



Rake, or Vein, in Geology, the molt common repofilory 

 of mctalhc ores. Thefe veins interieft mountains nearly 

 vertically, or more or lefs inclined from the perpendicular. 

 They are filled with ores, intermixed with tin- peculiar 

 minerals accompanyinp; each kind of metal. They vary 

 from a few inches to fome feet or yards in widtli, and ex- 

 tend to a very confidcrable depth and dlitance. The upper 

 fide of the vein is provincially called the hangar, and the 

 lower fide the ledger ; and the inclination from the perper.di- 

 cular is called the hack of the vein. For a particular ac- 

 count of the ftrufturc and formation of veins, fee Veins, 

 Metalltc. 



RAKEL, in Geography, a town of Dobru/./.i Tartury, 

 on the Danube ; 15 miles W. of Ifakzi. 



RAKESBUIIG, or Rakklsi-ukg, a town of the duchy 

 of Stiria, fituated on an ifland in the Muehr ; the inhabitants 

 of which carry on a confiderable trade with Hungary and 

 Croatia; 36 miles S.E. of Gratz. N. lat. 46^45'. E. 

 lonj^. 15^ 36'. 



RAKING figniiies floping or winding, as when a wall 

 is not built up right or (Iraight. 



Raking, in Agriculture, the operation of performing 

 Work with a rake. It is a fort of work that requires little 

 art or trouble in its execution ; but whether performed with 

 the common or horfe-rakes, it fhould always be done in an 

 effeftual manner. In the bufinefs of hay-making, clean 

 raking not only affords a ueatnefs in the appearance, but, 

 over a great extent of furface, a confiderable faving of hay. 

 See Hay -Mailng. 



In raking hay lands, where horfes are employed, fome 

 degree of care is necelfary in direfting the work, and driving 

 the animals, in order that no inconvenience of delay may be 

 experienced, and that every part of the laud may be gone 

 over in the moft regular manner. Small boys may ferve to 

 direA the horles by riding upon them, and fome faving be 

 made in that way. 



In raking cut corn crops with horfe-rakes, efpecially 

 thofe of oats and barley, it is fometimes the bell method to 

 proceed in a crofs diredlion of the ridges, drawing up the 

 produce into long rows at fuilable dillanccs ; the horfes 

 being driven by the men, who know the management of the 

 handles of the rake;;, by means of whip reins brought from 

 the horfes to the ftilts of the implements. It feldom hap- 

 pens that fo good W'Ork can be made in going the length- 

 ways of the lands, particularly where they are much 

 rounded, and of a fmall fize in breadth, as the tools will 

 not fit well to their rounded form, unlefs where they are 

 conttrufted in feparatc' parts in their heads, fo as to admit 

 of motion by means of joints. In this mode of raking, the 

 corn may fometimes be readily tied up into Iheaves. 



But in the raking of ifubbles, it is more ufual to pafs in 

 the direftion of the ridges, though the contrary method is 

 not unfrequently had recourfe to. In thofe cafes, as well 

 as in the others, the ftrawy grains or (lubbles are always 

 brought together into lines or rows, in order to be more 

 readily taken up by the carts either bound or unbound. 



In the raking of the roots of weeds together upon lands, 

 it is conftantly the bcft pratlice to perform the work in 

 both directions ; as, by fuch means, the whole of them may 

 be laid hold of in a more complete and effeftual manner than 

 ■could othervvife be done. See Rake. 



Raking, in GariUning, a neceffary operation in the gar- 

 den, to break the furtace of the foil fmall, and render it 

 fine for the reception of particular forts of fmall feeds and 

 plants, previous to fovving and planting, as well as to render 



R A K 



it neat and even to the eye. It is alfo employed in raking in 

 feeds, as being an expeditious mode of covering them in. 

 In all kinds of finall feeds, or hardy plants, the ground 

 being dug, &c. and the furface remaining rough after the 

 fpade, the feed is fown, and then raked in with an even 

 hand, once or twice in a place, as a back and a fore ftroke, 

 or more as may be neceffary. 



And this operation is ufeful alfo among growing plants, 

 that fland diflant enough to admit the rake, particularly 

 where the furtace is inclinable to bind, or wlicre numerous 

 fmall feed-weeds appear, as it loofens the foil, and retards 

 tlie growth of the weeds, and promotes the growth of tlie 

 young plants. It is alfo good culture at particular feafons, 

 to annoy Hugs, efpecially in kitchen-gardens, to rake be- 

 tween tile rows of fmall plants in autumn and winter, &c. 

 The raking of the beds, borders, and other compartments 

 of pleafure-gronnds, now and then, fmooth and even, like- 

 wife gives an air of culture and ncatnefs to the whole. 



It may be obferved, that this fort of work fhould gene- 

 rally be performed in dry weather, and when the ground is 

 alfo moderately dry ; as when done in rainy weather, or 

 when the ground is very moift and cloggy, the furface is 

 apt to cake and bind hard. This fhould be well attended 

 to in fowing feeds. Rough dug ground docs not rake well, 

 wlien it is become very dry at top, efpecially if it was dug 

 wet, and fuffered to lie till the clods have become very dry 

 and liard ; in whicii cafe it will not rake well, until mel- 

 lowed or pulverized by a fhower of rain. But common 

 light garden ground generally rakes befl when frefli dug, 

 perhaps the fame day, or day after at the farthell, before 

 dried too much by the fun and wind, or rendered wet by 

 rain, &c. The operation fhould, however, be performed 

 when the ground is in fuch order as the clods will readily 

 break and fall to pieces under the rake, without clorrging 

 mucii to it, or the mould become even without running into 

 lumps. 



Raking of a Horfe, is the drawing his ordure with the 

 hand out of the fundament, when he is collive, and cannot 

 dung. In order to do this, the hand mufl be anointed with 

 fallad-oil, or butter. 



Raking a Ship, is the aft of cannonading a flilp on the 

 ftcrn or head, fo that the balls fliall fcour the whole length 

 of her decks, which is one of the moft dangerous incidents 

 that can happen in a naval aftion, fo much fo, that the men 

 are ordered to lie down at their quarters. This is frequently 

 called raking fore and aft, being the fame with what is 

 called enfilading by engineers. See Enfilade. 

 RAKiNG-Awfcj. See Knees. 



Rakinc-/<7iJ/», or Rahd Table, among Arch'itep.s, a mem- 

 ber hollowed in the fquare of a pedeftal, or elfewhere. See 

 Cavetto, and Scotia. 



RAKOKIE, in Geography. See Racii-koke. 

 RAKONITZ, or Rakownitz, a town of Bohemia, 

 and capital of a circle of the fame name, which is moun- 

 tainous and covered with forefts, but fertile in corn, and 

 affordnig fome excellent horfes. It was made a royal town 

 in 1588. It is celebrated for its beer, which is the princi- 

 pal article of its commerce ; 22 miles W. of Prague. N. 

 lat. 50°/. E. long. 13^57'. 



RAKORA, a town of European Turkey, in Bulgaria; 

 40 miles S.S.E. of Viddin. 



RAKOW, or Racow, a town of Auflrian Poland, in 

 the palatinate of Sandomirz, formerly populous ; the Soci- 

 nians had a college and printing-houie here, but were ex- 

 pelled in 1643; 40 miles W. of Sandomirz. See Racow. 

 RAKOWEENA, a harbour on the coaft of Kamtf- 

 chatka, in Awatlka bay, tliree miles long, and one and a 



half 



