TOOL-HOUSE. SPADES. EAE:ES. HOES. 15 



useful. Almost any spare corner out of sight will do 

 for the tool-house, but it should be dry, or else shears, 

 knives, saws, and bettermost tools of that kind must not 

 be kept in it. Spades, shovels, rakes, hoes, forks, and 

 trowels, are too well known to need many words respect- 

 ing them. With regard to these and all other tools, it 

 is the best economy to buy the best of their kind. All 

 eccentric unions of two tools in one I reckon more dan- 

 gerous than useful. 



Spades are made of three sizes, and it is best to have 

 two for a medium-sized flower garden. The largest, 

 or the second size, may be chosen according to the 

 strength of the hand which will have to use it, for the 

 chief of the digging ; and the smallest will be useful 

 among the flowers in rather crowded borders. There is 

 also a deep spade much scooped, which is very good for 

 getting up plants with a good ball of earth. A really 

 good spade will wear with a good edge throughout. A 

 shovel is a kind of spade, broad in make, and rather 

 hollowed in form, and is used for removing earth and 

 such like jobs. 



It will be found convenient to have rakes of three 

 sizes : one of a rather large size, for the main portion of 

 the raking ; quite a small one for raking in amongst the 

 flower roots ; and a third, with short teeth, for surface 

 tidying. A wooden rake is useful for getting together 

 the cut grass on the lawn, but in its absence the large 

 iron one will answer the purpose. A daisy rake is an 

 implement for removing daisies and other intruders of 

 the kind from lawns. 



The hoe is used for cutting up weeds on the surface 

 of the ground, and for earthing up plants, by drawing 

 earth up round the roots. The Dutch hoe is fixed 

 straight on the handle, whereas the common hoe is placed 

 at an angle ; thus the gardener works from himself with 

 the one, and towards himself with the other. They are 

 tools of constant utility, as the surface of the ground can 

 scarcely be too often stirred. A small and a medium - 

 sized hoe, and a medium-sized Dutch hoe, will find 

 plenty of work in a flower garden. The spud is a little 



