June, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



287 



T 



Turf edgers are really needed, and the home-made 

 concrete path edger, on the right, is a boon 



The right hand tool shown in the same 

 figure is constructed somewhat like an 

 agricultural mowing machine, having similar 

 cutting blades. It is operated by a crank 

 and gears and moves about on two small 

 wheels. The operator grasps the pistol- 

 like handle with the left hand and turns 

 the crank with the right. Thus the knives 

 cut whether the machine is in motion or 

 not, and it can be used close up against 

 copings, under fences, bushes, etc. It 

 makes a cut seven inches wide. The manner 

 of operation will be found tiresome, how- 

 ever, if continued for any length of time. 



The first named tool excels in ease of 

 operation, while the second can be used for 

 purposes and in situations which could 

 not be reached otherwise. 



EDGING TOOLS 



Where the sod of the lawn abuts flower 

 beds, borders, walks or drives it must be 

 evenly cut or edged. If the border or path 

 be straight, this edge must be a true straight 

 line; if curved, the sweep must be graceful 

 and regular and not a series of irregular 

 ragged edges. To maintain this with the 

 least possible attention and labor, the abut- 

 ting edges of the sod must be higher than the 

 flower bed or walk. The rapid spread of 

 grass depends to a large extent upon a level 

 surface; the roots first grow horizontally 

 just beneath the surface and if they meet 

 with an abrupt break or depression their 

 growth is checked. Advantage can there- 

 fore be taken of this natural tendency to so 

 arrange the surfaces of flower beds and 

 paths that they will be about one or two 

 inches below the level of the adjoining sod. 

 The least difference between levels is possible 

 where the sod abuts hard gravel or cinder 



paths which are crowned or raised in the 

 centre to the lawn level to prevent flooding 

 during heavy rains. Where the sod adjoins 

 flower beds or borders, particularly where 

 the soil is loose and mellow, grass will more 

 quickly pass the obstruction than where it 

 has to take root in a hard, packed surface. 

 In some formal gardens as much as three 

 inches or more between levels is maintained, 

 but for all practical purposes two inches will 

 be sufficient. The action of rain and wind 

 naturally tends to level the two surfaces by 

 gradually filling in the depression. 



A tool must therefore be used that will 

 trim the edge of the sod (thereby counter- 

 acting its tendency to slowly pass the 

 obstruction) and at the same time push back 

 any soil that may have collected. 



All edgers are used by pressing or forcing 

 them into the sod and thus trimming or 

 slicing off a small amount and making a 

 clean sharp edge. In hard soils they are often 

 used with a chopping motion, which soon 

 wears the blade out of shape. These tools 

 merely cut down the sod — a hoe and rake 

 are generally necessary to complete the work. 



The crescent-like shape of the first one 

 shown in the illustration makes it much less 

 useful than either of the other two tools; if 

 the blade of the second one is sharpened all 

 the way around it may, under some con- 

 ditions, be used by drawing or pulling. 

 The long, sweeping curve of the latter 

 makes it very easy working. I consider 

 this the best of the three, as it gives a greater 

 range of angle in using it; the shaping 

 and finish of the blade is better, being thin 

 along the cutting edge and tapering to the 

 heavier connection at the shank; it is fur- 

 nished with socket handle connection only 

 and with 8 or io inch blade. The blades 

 of the first two are from seven to eight inches 

 wide, of nearly the same thickness all over 

 and are furnished with either socket or 

 shank connection. There are several modi- 

 fications of these shapes, most of which are 

 made of sheet steel and are of poorer quality. 



Where sod adjoins concrete or asphalt 

 walks, the tendency of the grass to grow out 

 over them is often checked by maintaining 

 a narrow V or U shaped channel or gutter 

 between the sod and the walk. This may be 

 done with the edgers just described, or the 

 disk may be used. In either case the strip 

 of sod cut away is afterward removed. The 

 right hand tool in the illustration will both 

 make it and keep it open. Draw it along 

 the edge of the path, walking t backward, 

 and by cutting a few inches at a time, the 

 machine can be used to lift out the sod that 

 is cut away, as it will cling together. Run it 

 along the walk occasionally and then sweep 

 out the channel with a broom. This tool is 

 home made and while constructed slightly 

 different from the one on sale by dealers, does 

 the work about as well. The U-shaped 

 cutter is made of 14-gauge steel and sets at 

 an angle of about 45 degrees to the handle, to 

 which both the blade and an old castor wheel 

 are bolted. This handle is four and one-half 

 feet long and 1 x i\ in. in cross section. 



The disk edger attachment for the machine 

 trimmer is a very useful addition for the 



users of that tool. Anyone owning a wheel 

 hoe may increase its utility for a very small 

 outlay. The disk-edger is strongly con- 

 structed to withstand hard usage. When 

 an edging tool is to cut tough hard soil, it 

 requires considerable weight or pressure 

 to hold it down, and here the wheel hoe 

 frame is valuable because a weight may be 

 clamped to it by a bolt. When using this 

 edger operate it the same as the wheel hoe, 

 taking steady strokes. When edging gravel 

 or cinder paths that are hard and dry, if it 

 fails to go deep enough the first time draw 

 it back and repeat the stroke. 



The disk is six inches in diameter and the 

 scraper five and one-half inches long. They 

 may be used together and adjusted to suit 

 the work, or either disk or scraper can be 

 used separately. 



Do not forget the use of the wheel hoe itself 

 for edging, as illustrated and described in The 

 Garden Magazine for May, 1908. The peat 

 land hoe (which has extra high fenders) is 

 the best edging tool for flower borders, al- 

 though it will not produce as perpendicular 

 a face on the sod edge as can be obtained 

 by the use of the edging tool or disk edger. 



LAWN WEEDER3 



The stretches of soil between the rows in 

 the vegetable garden allow free use of cutting 

 and tearing tools which loosen and pulverize 



For light weeding on lawns 



Side views of the weeder shown above 



