Willmar tribune., 1906-09-05

at OuCc Iudt dill 1OIulS VI dSI4Cutulo
are still laboring in the depths of ig-
norance and superstition. For garden
work, light hoe is especially desir-
able. Those forms with narrow blades
are usually better than those with
wide blades. In few places one is
able to buy hoes from which the up
per corners of the blades have been
cut away, leaving sharp angle at the
outer. end of the blade. This is great
convenience in hoeing small crops,
such as lettuce, beets, carrots, etc:
The sharp point at the corner of the
hoe is particularly convenient for get
ting in close about the small plants
and removing weeds from the rows
where the plants stand thickly to-
gether.
There are still some gardeners, and
many general farmers, who do not
know what scufhe hoe is, says the
Country Gentleman. 1t is barely pos,
sible that there are some farms on
which the scuffle hoe will be super
fuous tool, but it is hard to imagine
what the circumstances of those farms
would be. A scuffle hoe will work on
very stony or very trashy ground, but
everywhere else it will do good serv-
ice. For the best work the soil must
be smooth, level, free from stones and
grass, and in first-class condition. This
is the proper, and one might say the
ordinary, condition of garden land.
Wherever such crops as beets, man.
gels, parsnips, carrots, onions and the
like, are grown in narrow rows, the
scuffie hoe is a great labor-saver.
There are several different types of
the scufae hoe, but as a rule the SIM
pie ones are better. A very popular
sort has a toe or gauge running ahead
of the knife-blade. BY this contrivance
one is able to gauge more accurately
the depth to which the blade cuts.
The same contrivance helps also in
steering the hoe and in giving it
steady motion. Considerable practice
is required to do the best kind of
work with this implement, but it is
practice which every farm hand and
farmers boy ought to have. Milking
is an art which every farm boy ex-
poets to learn by long practice. Scuf-
fe-hoeing is another art worthy of
just as much attention.
The line of distinction between
scuffle hoes and wheel hoes is rather
hard to draw. A wheel hoe is simply
a scuffle hoe with wheel on, which
of course is a simple definition. The
various kinds of wheel hoes that have
been used in this country, however,
have been considerably improved in
recent years. AS a rule, it is best to
select those machines having wheels
of the largest diameter. The one
which the writer finds altogether best
/ has wheel 80 inches in diameter, the
ordinary size being 16 or 1S inches.
/ The large wheel runs more steadily
cumstances the double-wheel hoe is
still employed for working on two
sides of the row of plants at once,
In very clean ground with straight
| rows of small plants this tool can be
used to considerable advantage; but
as rule, the single-wheel hoes are
easier to operate and do better work
In using all these tools it must be
remembered that their purpose is
chiefly to keep the top soil stirred Il
they are used with sufficient frequen
cy-that is to say, at least once a
week, they will prevent weeds from
becoming established. AS rule these
tools, with the exception of an or
dinary hoe, are not very satisfactory
in dealing. with large weeds after they
become established. The principle o1
which their successful use depends i.
early, frequent and thorough work. y