Book III. 



IMPLEMENTS OF GARDENING. 



275 



1340. The scythe (Jig. 129.) is a sharp blade of steel attached to the end of a crooked 

 wooden handle. It varies somewhat in size and in the angle made by the plate or knife, 

 which is so contrived as to be varied at the pleasure of the operator ; and in mowing very- 

 short thick grass, is generally placed so as the plane of the blade may be parallel to the 

 plane of the surface to be mown. 



1341. Of the garden-scarifiers, or bark-scalers, there are several sorts. They are gene- 

 rally hooked edge-tools or blunt knives, used for removing the already scaling off external 

 epidermis of the stem and branches of fruit-trees of some age. They vary in size and 

 strength, in order to suit different sorts of trees, and different parts of the same tree. 

 The two-handed instrument (Jig. 1 30. ) is for removing the bark from the axillae of the 

 branches, or other angular parts difficult to be got at. The small hook (^g. 131.) is for 

 lateral branches of one and two inches in diameter ; and the knife-hook (fig. 132.) for 

 the trunks of the largest trees. This operation should be performed in the middle of 

 winter ; and to guard against accidents, the whole of a tree should seldom be done in 

 one season. 



130 131 132 133 134 135 



1342. The'moss-scraper, for standards, is a sort of horse curry-comb (Jig. 133.) ; and 

 for wall-trees, is a sickle-like instrument. (Jig. 134.) In either form it is used to re- 

 move moss from the branches, or woody parts of trees ; the existence of which is a cer- 

 tain indication of the commencement of decay. It must be confessed, however, that 

 such instruments seldom remove the moss completely, and that the scarifier, by removing 

 a portion of the outer bark, does the business much more effectually, and is greatly to be 

 preferred. 



1343. The blunt knife (Jig. 135.) has a lanceolate, double-edged blade, somewhat 

 obtuse on the edges, and is used for the removal of decayed wood from hollow wounds 

 in old neglected trees. It can never be wanted where there has been any thing like good 

 rp.anagement. 



137 138 



140 



1 344. Of forest baring-irons there are two species and several varieties. They are used, 

 not to scarify or remove the scaly decaying epidermis, but to remove tiie entire mass of 



T 2 



