568 HORTICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, ETC. 



appeared a ridiculously antiquated thing to me^ but after- 

 wards I often saw it in efficient use. Where materials have to 

 be carried through houses, and in positions where barrows of 

 any kind could not be employed, it might be useful^ and 

 there is no way by which one man can carry so many 

 vegetables as by using it. 



Plough-hoe. — This is nsed for cleaning the numerous 

 long straight avenues in the imperial demesnes. A few 

 men^ each guiding one of these^ clean the weeds from an 



avenue almost as 

 quickly as they 

 can walk along it, 

 but the texture 

 of many walks 

 would not permit 

 of its use at all. 

 At St. Cloud and 

 other places where 

 it is used^ the 

 surface is quite 

 sandy, and wher- 

 ever this is the 

 case it may be used with advantage,, particularly in 

 places where many wood-walks and drives have to be kept 

 in order. They could not be used on such firm walks as 

 we have about London. 



The Binette. — This is a handy implement that I think 

 would prove more useful for stirring the 

 earth between crops than anything we em- 

 ploy. It serves as a draw hoe^ and the 

 forked portion is very efficient in loosening 

 hard ground. There are various slight modi- 

 fications of the one here figured. The handle 

 is usually about as long as that of the common The Binette. 

 draw hoe. 



Frames for Forcing. — The French market gardeners use 

 an immense quantity of frames, and it is by their aid they 

 procure most of the tender and excellent forced vegetables 

 sent to the markets in early spring. These frames are made 



Fig. 320. 



The Plougli-hoe. 



