62 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— October 28,1856. 
l 
IMPLEMENTS CONNECTED WITH GARDENING EXHIBITED AT THE ROYAL 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
One of the definitions to the question, “What is man?” 
maybe, “ He is a tool-maldng animal;” and it is a good 
distinction, for although the bee, the heaver, and other 
creatures erect edifices, yet they only employ their natural 
organs in performing their work; and neither they nor any 
other animal but man invent tools to facilitate their labour. 
Man began this invention at a very early period, for Tubal 
Cain was a worker of metals, and the workmanship must 
have been carried on by tools, and for the making of tools. 
Their improvement, the invention of better aids to manual 
labour, has occupied man’s attention ever since; yet the 
progress of such improvement was very slow until the com¬ 
mencement of the present century, and if we compare the 
spade of the last century with the spade of the Romans, as 
recently discovered in Shropshire, we shall see that, except j 
in material, it had hut little improved, but was still a 
clumsy implement. 
In the early days of gardening, Rakes, Garden Reels, 
Knives, Ac., were unknown, and having recently made some 
research into this branch of archaeology, we were the more 
struck by the contrast afforded at Chelmsford, in July last, i 
by the implements that were there congregated. A repre¬ 
sentation and description of these, we think, will facilitate 
their further improvement, and render more known what 
gardeners may now have to aid their labours ^therefore we 
are ready to place before our readers such woodcuts of tools 
as may be furnished to us by their makers, with the notes 
we may have to oiler upon the tools they represent. 
Messrs. Gidney and Son, of East Dereliam, in Norfolk, 
have furnished us with the following :— 
Sussex Truck Baskets.— These, made of laths of Birch 
or Lime, are the neatest and most durable constructions we 
know of. 
No. 1.—10^ in. by 5§ in. 
No. 2.—13 in. hv 6J in. 
No. 3.—II in. by 7| in. 
No. 4.—16 in. by 8£ in. 
Suitable for Ladies’ Work 
and Key Baskets, Flower 
Seeds, Children’s Toys, Ac. 
) Servants’. House Baskets, 
S gathering Flowers, Ac. 
Especially adapted for Gar- 
No. 5.—18 in. by 10 in. den Vegetables, Fruits, and 
No. 6.—21 in. by 12 in. every Horticultural pur¬ 
pose. 
Stables, Feeding Stock, &c., 
and for all Agricultural 
and other purposes. 
Some are made of a better description of cleaner wood, 
and others of very choice wood, with silver-headed nails, 
like those made by command of Her Majesty. 
No. 7.—24 in. by 13 in. 
No. 8.-27 in. by 14 in. 
Improved Housemaid’s Barrow.— 
For the purpose of receiving slops 
from the bedrooms, Ac., for distri¬ 
bution in the garden, or wherever re¬ 
quired. Messrs. Gidney have certainly 
supplied a want here. It is made of 
strong galvanized iron, with funnel 
at the top, and the distribution can be 
regulated by the man driving the 
barrow. We hail everything that pro- j 
motes the use of liquid-manure, for the j 
time is coming when all soluble fer¬ 
tilizers will bo applied in this form. 
Norfolk Sheep fold Hurdle.— 
This is one of the best and most easily 
moved hurdles we have ever seen, and 
we notice it here because these qua¬ 
lities, added to their neatness, render 
them peculiarly fitted for confining 
sheep, goats, or a cow upon grass in a 
garden, where, occasionally, these 
animals may be wished to pasture. 
