366 



SCIENCE OF GARDENING. 



Part II. 



additional object, that of producing a level from an irregular surface is desired. In this 

 case double care is requisite to avoid forming subterraneous basins or hollows, which 

 might retain water in the substratum, at the bottom of the moved soil, and also^to mix 

 inferior with better soil, &c. where it becomes requisite to penetrate into depositions of 

 inferior earthy matters. 



1871. Ridging is a mode of finishing the surface, applicable either to dug or trenched 

 grounds, which, when so finished, are called ridge-dug or ridge-trenched. Instead of 

 being formed with an even surface, ridged grounds are finished in ridges, or close ranges 

 of parallel elevations, whose sections are nearly equilateral triangles. Hence, supposing 

 the triangles to touch at their bases, two thirds more of surface will be exposed to the 

 influence of the atmosphere and the weather, than in even surfaces. 



1872. Forking. The fork is composed of two or three separate, parallel, and uniform 

 wedges, joined so as form one general blade, which is acted on like the spade, by 

 means of a shoulder or hilt, for thrusting it into the matters to be forked, and a lever or 

 handle for separating and lifting them. In gardening, forking is used for two pur- 

 poses ; for pulverising the soil among growing crops, and for moving vegetable 

 manures. In the first case the operation is similar to digging, the only difference being 

 that pulverisation is more attended to than reversing the surface ; in the other, the fork 

 separates chiefly by drawing and lifting ; hence for this purpose a round-pronged (or 

 dung) fork {Jig. 85. ) produces least friction during the discharge of the forkful and re- 

 insertion ; and in the other abroad-pronged (or garden) fork {Jig. 86.) separates and 

 lifts the soil more readily. Dry weather is essentially requisite in forking soils, and 

 most desirable for spreading manures ; but dunghills may be turned, and hot-bedii 

 built, during rain, with no great injury. 



1873. Hoeing is performed by drawing or thrusting the wedge or blade of the draw or 

 thrust hoe along the surface of the soil, so as to cut weeds at or under the surface, and 

 slightly to pulverise the soil. It is used for four purposes, sometimes together, but 

 commonly separate ; first, to loosen weeds so as they may die for want of nourishment, 

 or be gathered or raked off, for which purpose, either tlie thrust or draw hoe may be used ; 

 the second, to stir the soil, and for this purpose, when no weeds require killing, the 

 pronged hoe is preferable, as being thrust deeper with less force, and as likely to cut the 

 roots of plants ; the third, is to draw up or accumulate soil about the stems of plants, for 

 which purpose a hoe with a large blade or shovel will produce most effect ; and the 

 fourth is to form a hollow gutter or diill, in which to sow or insert the seeds of plants, 

 for which a large or small draw-hoe may be used, according to the size of the seeds to be 

 buried. The use of the hoe for any of the above purposes requires dry weather. 



1874. Raking is performed by drawing through the surface of the soil, or over it, a 

 series of small equilateral wedges or teeth, either with a view to minute pulverisation, or 

 to collecting weeds, stones, or such other extraneous matters as do not pass through the 

 interstices of the teeth of the rake. The teeth of the rake being placed nearly at right 

 angles to the handle, it follows that the lower the handle is held in performing the 

 operation, the deeper will be the pulverisation, and on the contrary, that the higher it is 

 held, the interstices being lessened, the fewer extraneous matters will pass through the 

 teeth. The angle at which the handle of the rake is held must therefore depend on the 

 object in \iew ; the medium is forty-five degrees. For all raking, except that of 

 new-mown grass, dry weather is essentially requisite. 



1875. Cuffing is a mode of excavating used in preparing a surface for seeds, and in 

 covering them when sown ; the surface being well pulverised by digging and raking, is 

 laid out into beds with alleys between, at least three times the breadth of the operator's foot. 

 Then take a wooden -headed or cuflfing-rake (1314.), stand on the alley of the opposite 

 side of the bed j turn the rake on its back, and push off the earth from the one half of the 

 bed to the purposed depth, as far as the side of the alley marked by your feet, being 

 careful to keep the earth so pushed off quite straight. ^\Tien one side is finished, turn 

 round and do the other in the same manner. After the seeds are sown take the rake, 

 stand on the alley on the opposite side of the bed ; put in the teeth of the rake imme- 

 diately beyond the cuflflng or ridge of earth pressed off, and, by a sudden pull, draw it 

 on the bed so as to cover its own half equally. And having finished this half, turn 

 round, and finish the other in the same manner j and the operation is completed. 

 {Sangs. Plant. Kal. 242.) 



1876. Scrajnng is drawing a broad and blunt wedge along hard surfaces, in gardening 

 generally those of lawns or walks, to remove excrementitious matters thrown out of the 

 soil by worms. Moist weather best suits the operation on lawns, and dry weather on 

 gravel. 



1877. Siveeping, mechanically considered, is the same operation as scraping. In gar- 

 dening, it is chiefly used after mowing, and for collecting leaves ; for both which purposes 

 dewy mornings are preferable, as at such seasons the leaves or grass being jnoist, conglo- 

 saerate without adhering to the dry soil. 



