GARDEN TILLAGE. 39 



should be made out of tool steel and any good blacksmith can 

 make them. The length of blades may be made to suit the work. 



The Scuffle Hoe, shown in Pig. 13, is an excellent old-fash- 

 ioned implement for shallow cultivation, such as is needed in 

 early spring in the garden. Besides, it is very cheap and simple 

 and can be made by any handy blacksmith. It cannot be recom- 

 mended to take the place of the improved wheel hoes for large 

 gardens, but in small gardens it may be used for the work of 

 shallow cultivation to good advantage. It does not work the 

 soil deep enough for the best summer cultivation. 



Fiofiire 14. — Plank drag" for smoothing' the surface of land. 



Plank Drag or Smoothing Board. — The form of this is clear- 

 ly shown in Fig. 14. It is used for crushing lumpy soil and 

 smoothing off and levelling the land preparatory to seed sowing 

 or planting and will be found very useful. It can be made by 

 any one. The planks are two by ten inches on the ends and 

 eight feet long, lapped two inches and nailed. These are 

 strengthened by two six-inch cleats securely bolted on. It is 

 drawn by a chain fastened at the front corners. 



Potato Diggers. — Of the cheaper forms of potato diggers, 

 probably the HallocK Improved is the most perfect. It does very 

 good work, and where not over five acres of potatoes are to 

 be dug it is probably all that is needed. Where the potato is 

 raised on a large scale, however, it is generally desirable to 

 use an elevating digger. Of these the Hoover and the Dowden 

 are probably the best to be had. They both work on the same 

 principle. 



Spray Pumps. — Almost every farmer and gardener needs a 

 good spray pump for applying Paris green to potatoes and 

 vines and for spraying trees, vines, etc., with fungicides or in- 

 secticides. For this purpose some form of the knapsack spray 



