The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-20

The immense number of improved
gardening tools and implements that
have been placed on the market of re-
cent years has resulted in much confu-
sion as to the best for certain purposes,
says E. Mckinley in an exchange. AS
l have used some of them, seen the
working of others, and noted their va
rious advantages and uses, a descrip-
ton of some of the most important
and also the most necessary, may be
of interest. There are many different
styles and sizes of the same imple
ment and though they are most val
liable to the extensive gardener, the
farmer and amateur will find that hand
cultivation in most of cases pays best
in the garden. The most important of
these labor saving implements are
what is known as Wheel noes or hand
cultivators. They consist of a wheel
attached to the rear of which are sew
eral spring teeth. which when the tool
is pushed through the rows by the
operator loosens and stirs the soil. hav-
ing the same beneficial effect as the
larger horse cultivators, only on d
much smaller scale. They are a great
improvement over the old fashioned
fiat or scuffle hoe, and their compare
lively low price should not prevent the
successful gardener from obtaining
one. Seeding attachments are also sold
with the wheel hoe, if required, at an
extra price, but / think, from my own
experience, that in anything less than
half acre garden the seed can be
more satisfactorily sown by hand, es
pecially as it usually is of different
shapes and sizes. Fertilizer distributors
are also furnished with the more eX-
| pensive implements of this class which
| apply the fertilizer when seeding, and
on the large market gardens where
they are extensively used and highly
| appreciated these combinations are IN
doubtedly of the greatest advantage.
The soil must be in a we'll titled state
and free of Jumps and stones, however
before these tools can be easily and eff
fectually used. In the ordinary far
mer's or amateurs garden the ordi
nary steel rake should be considered
much more. important tillage instru-
ment than the hoe. When drawn be-
tween the rows or around the plants
after they are we'll up it kills small
weeds and prevents the loss of mois-
ture by evaporation in a very satisfac-
tory manner; while at a later stage of
growth, when the weeds begin to be
troublesome, use a tool known in this
locality as the Crescent cultivator,
which is nothing more or less than a
| piece of thin steel in the shape of q
half moon. attached to a handle, so
that, when using, the blade lies fiat
on the ground in the manner of the old
dutch or scuffle hoe. This tool, when
kept sharp by the use of a file, or
what is better, ground on a grind
stone will fairly work wonders in ex-
| terminating the weeds and breaking
the crust which forms after a rain A
| roller, which can be easily made of
the round of a log placed between two
| handles in the form of a wneelbarrow,
is a very essential thing when sowing
| seed in early spring. 1t will compact
| the soil. and thus. by holding the mois-
! ture, make il easy for the seeds to
! terminate, and, besides. 1t levels the
/ ridges, breaks the small Jumps, and
| gives the garden rows or beds a very
neat appearance. A good wheelbarrow
| is most essential, large size watering
! can-galvanized is best and lasts long
| est-the ordinary hoe. a four pronged
| digging fork which besides being less
| laboriouS to use than a spade pulver-
| ICES the soil thoroughly, which is so
| conducive to an increased crop. A
! sprayer or poison distributor which
| need not be very expensive. very
! handy one with plunger action can be
| bought from so cents to ST. and even
a tin can punched full of holes and
attached to a handle gives good salts
faction where the poison is diluted with
| dry lime and flour. But no matter how
many tools and implements you have,
| success in gardening for home use even,
! depends on the man every time Some
men will grow fine crops with no 9TH