OCR Text |
Show COTTAGE M Need Only Simple Tools for Garden Spade, Rake and Hoe Will Be Sufficient for Your Small Space. Nearly every hardware store and practically all of the seed houses keep a supply of garden tools for sale. The amateur gardener Is often tempted to purchase a larger number of tools than Is justified by the results obtained in a small garden. The three' most essential es-sential tools recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricul-ture are a spade or spading fork, a hoe, and a rake. The question as to whether a spade or spading fork should be purchased will depend upon the character of the soil. If the soil is heavy and of a clay nature a spade will be best for turning it up, but If it is gravelly, sandy or loamy, the spading spad-ing fork will put It in better condition condi-tion than will the spade. When It comes to the selection of a hoe, just a plain, thin-bladed hoe about 6 or 7 inches In width is best. A pointed or marking hoe may be rather desirable, but the marks in which to plant seeds can practically all be made with the corner of the regular hoe. A rake is needed for pulverizing the soil, and here again the plainest and simplest type of steel rake is best. In selecting any of these tools the quality of the material in the blade or metal part and a good, straight-grained, straight-grained, smooth handle are the essentials. es-sentials. To these tools the gardener can easily add a few simple implements of his own manufacture. These may consist of a couple of wooden stakes and a line of any strong cord, a paddle made from a shingle or thin piece of board and a little scratcher made by driving three wire brads through the end of a piece of lath. The line should be used for all planting in order or-der to have the rows straight, the paddle pad-dle Is suitable for setting the plants, and the scratcher Is useful for working work-ing between small plants. When the tools such as spade or spading fork, hoe and rake are purchased pur-chased from the store, the metal parts will be bright and new, and, as a rule, the handles have no paint or other dressing upon them. It Is a good plan to give the handles a thorough coating with shellac, as this will help keep the moisture from penetrating them. The blades should be kept bright and clean I L to me lOt ur-he ur-he st he old ls eft al ?ly ay in he ed :ite mt ng the die een ua- |