CHAPTER V GARDEN TOOLS

Are so important in the proper care of the garden and for the ease with which it may be worked that only the best should be considered; the best, however, need not be the most expensive, but they should be the best adapted to the work to be attempted. It is not necessary that their number be large, indeed, the number of tools really indispensable is relatively¹ small, but definite. A good steel garden rake will be one of the first tools required and this should be of the steel variety, neither too light nor too heavy. Get a good spade with a "D" handle that fits the hand and foot. A wheelbarrow of the wooden sideboard construction will also be required; to these will be added a garden line and a hand cultivator and as this is the most expensive and important tool its selection is of much moment. There are54 three forms of wheel hoes on the market: the high single wheel, the medium wheel and the low double wheel made to straddle the rows. The double wheeled machines have the advantage of working each side of the row, close to the plants as well as between the rows and if the hoes or cultivator teeth are properly adjusted will do twice the work of a single wheel. Some of the double wheeled cultivators are readily changed into single wheels by removing one wheel. Too high a wheel is not desirable, and as the wheel is the part of the cultivator that bears most of the strain it should be of substantial construction. Most of the machines on the market have as attachments² a set of plough blades, four harrow teeth and hoe. My own—a Planet Junior, two-wheel cultivator has also an attachment³ for creating a dust-mulch, similar to a scuffle-hoe, but this was made especially for the machine by a local blacksmith and is a very useful addition to the outfit⁴.

If one does not object to the extra expense a seeding attachment can be added that will minimize55 the work of planting the garden. A good machine with seeder that will plant in rows and with all the attachments can be purchased for $16.00 or the same machine which will sow in rows and also in hills 4, 6, 8, 12, or 24 inches apart can be purchased for $19.00 and is a good buy, for a good machine of this kind, if properly cared for, kept under shelter when not in use, oiled occasionally, the attachments kept sharpened and given an occasional coat of paint as required is good for twenty years at least. There are still cheaper machines on the market, single wheel implements⁶ with the usual attachments, that will do good work, for as little as $5.25 and $7.50, and two wheelers at $10.00 and one single wheel that is especially designed for wear, with an iron instead of wire wheel, built for service at $7.00.

To this assortment⁷ of tools should be added a straight edged garden hoe, or any preferred shaped edge, and a scuffle-hoe. This last is obtainable in 6, 8, 9, and 10 inch blade and costs ninety cents for the 6 inch and $1.00 for the 9 inch size; the ten inch does more rapid work56 and can be run between rows planted twelve to fifteen inches wide, clearing the entire space between in one operation so that one goes over the ground very rapidly. Useful in any one's hands it is pre?minently a woman's tool, no lame⁸ and aching back accompanies its use as one does not lean over in hoeing as with the common garden hoe. If I could have but one tool to garden with I think it would be a scuffle-hoe, for no other tool will keep the garden so free from weeds. With the common garden hoe my paths through the garden are usually marked by the wreckage⁹ of plants, for use as much care as I can sooner or later I get to hoeing too vigorously and off goes a cabbage, tomato or onion. The scuffle-hoe does not seem to arouse an excess of energy; one goes along smoothly¹⁰ and serenely¹¹, leaving clean tilth and undepleted rows of vegetables in one's wake and looking back at the end of each row sees that it is good.

A trowel—or a number of them is better—is a very necessary implement⁵ and because one is prone¹² to mislay trowels, or leave one at the hotbed57 when going for plants it is well to have one for each place and either to attach it to a string to one's belt—if only one is possessed¹³, or to attach a bright red cloth to the handle that it may be identified if dropped among weeds, loose earth or grass for the trowel seems to have a chameleon¹⁴ like nature and takes on the color of its surroundings and becomes invisible to the eye once it has left one's hand. The bright color will save many moments wasted time in looking for it and has proved its worth on more than one occasion. In purchasing a trowel selection should be made of the sort that has the blade and handle in one; this construction, if of steel, will insure a tool that will last until worn out by use, the trowel with a wooden handle has usually a flimsy blade and a handle that is not dependable.

A garden line and reel that may be purchased for $1.75 is a convenient thing to have when laying out lines for planting, but a very good substitute can be produced from an old broom handle and a ball of butcher's twine¹⁵ by sawing the handle into two eighteen inch58 lengths, boring a hole in one end of each piece and sharpening the other end, passing the ends of the cord through the hole and making a knot too large to slip through the hole, makes the line more convenient to handle than if tied around the stick, as it cannot slip in winding¹⁶, or any ingenious boy with simple tools can copy the regular reel in a short time. A very simple, home made tool for marking rows equal distances apart consists of a straight pole of wood with a cross piece at one end, fifteen, eighteen or twenty-four inches on each end from the center pole and provided with triangular¹⁷ pieces at the ends and in the center for markers, or wooden rake teeth may be set in holes provided for them. This is drawn¹⁸ along the ground and makes one, two or three rows at one operation. The construction of two or three of these markers is a short job and they save a considerable amount of time in laying out the garden. The twenty-four inch marker can also be used for marking the twelve inch rows by adjusting the pegs¹⁹. The hand cultivators with seeding attachments have also a marker59 which while seeding one row marks out the following one.

A watering pot and some kind of spraying apparatus²⁰ for the use of insecticides will also be needed. A rubber bulb with perforated metal top and bent²¹ neck, such as is used for spraying house plants is an excellent thing to use where the use of wood alcohol is indicated. Paris green may be applied²² from a fine-nosed watering pot if liquid form is used or if a dry application is preferred a common mason quart can with the porcelain²³ lining²⁴ of the top removed and the latter punched full of holes makes an effective distributor when filled with dry lime or flour and Paris green or hellebore. I have never seen a hand atomizer or spray pump or powder blow gun that was a particle of use; the tyrian sprinklers, however, are practical and useful for spraying in a small way for aphis, red spider and for squash bugs²⁵. A knapsack or auto-sprayer with galvanized iron reservoir can be purchased for $6.25, with brass²⁶ reservoir for $9.50 and is a good investment where there are small fruits—currants,60 gooseberries, and small trees—and is profitable for a neighborhood garden investment if one does not wish to go to the entire expense for a small garden. Something of the kind is indispensable where potatoes are grown, though for a small patch hand picking of bugs is preferable. A garden fork will be needed in the fall when the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and other root vegetables are to be dug and as wide a one as available should be purchased as the more roots one can lift at a time the more quickly the work will progress. A spading fork is very useful in the garden in loosening the earth about plants, planted a considerable distance apart, when heavy rain has beaten the earth down hard and is especially useful for cultivating about berry plants, young fruit trees and grape vines, where the use of a spade would injure the roots of the plant.

A manure²⁷ barrel, while not a tool, is a valuable accessory of the garden and its use will notably²⁸ increase the yield of certain vegetables. A large lard barrel is a good sort to use and it must be prepared by burning out the lard which will61 likely adhere to it, or it may be washed out with strong soapsuds or lye—a more tedious process. A hole large enough to receive a wooden spigot should be bored a couple of inches above the bottom of the barrel. The barrel should be placed on a firm support—a heavy wooden box answering the purpose, high enough to allow a watering pot to stand beneath the spigot; three or four inches of straw are then placed in the bottom of the barrel for drainage and should come well above the spigot hole; the barrel is then filled full of manure and water turned in until brimming full; a close cover to exclude flies completes the preparation. When the manure liquid is required it is only necessary to place the watering can in position, open the spigot and allow the liquid to run until the can is full. After drawing off a supply of liquid an equal amount of water should be returned to the barrel to keep it always full and ready for use. When first established the liquid will be very strong and it will be best to dilute²⁹ it, using half water and half liquid, and liquid manure should never be used when the62 ground is dry, but always after a rain or artificial watering.

A barrel once filled can be used over and over again until the liquid begins to appear pale in color, when the manure should be removed from the barrel and fresh supplied. If there is only a limited demand for this fertilizer, one filling will last out the summer, but where there are a number of uses for it it will need one or more renewals³⁰. Any kind of animal manure may be used—that from the horse stable being usually the most available but use may be made of the manure from the cow stable, the sheep pen or the rabbit hutches, but not from the poultry³¹ houses as this form is too strong to be used in liquid form, though its use in dry form is excellent for many vegetables.

Tomato supports are among the useful adjuncts of the garden and very good home made ones can be provided by utilizing³² the wire hoops³³ that come around barrels, stapling³⁴ them to four stout³⁵ stakes; by their use a considerably³⁶ larger63 number of plants can be grown in a given area and the care and gathering³⁷ of the fruit will be far pleasanter than where the vines are allowed to lie on the ground.

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。

3 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

4 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

5 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

6 implements   

n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• Primitive man hunted wild animals with crude stone implements. 原始社会的人用粗糙的石器猎取野兽。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They ordered quantities of farm implements. 他们订购了大量农具。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。

8 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

9 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

10 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

11 serenely   

adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地

参考例句：

• The boat sailed serenely on towards the horizon.小船平稳地向着天水交接处驶去。
• It was a serenely beautiful night.那是一个宁静美丽的夜晚。

12 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

13 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

14 chameleon   

n.变色龙，蜥蜴；善变之人

参考例句：

• The chameleon changes colour to match its surroundings.变色龙变换颜色以适应环境。
• The chameleon can take on the colour of its background.变色龙可呈现出与其背景相同的颜色。

15 twine   

v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕

参考例句：

• He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
• Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。

16 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

17 triangular   

adj.三角（形）的，三者间的

参考例句：

• It's more or less triangular plot of land.这块地略成三角形。
• One particular triangular relationship became the model of Simone's first novel.一段特殊的三角关系成了西蒙娜第一本小说的原型。

18 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

19 pegs   

n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• She hung up the shirt with two (clothes) pegs. 她用两只衣夹挂上衬衫。 来自辞典例句
• The vice-presidents were all square pegs in round holes. 各位副总裁也都安排得不得其所。 来自辞典例句

20 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

21 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

22 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

23 porcelain   

n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的

参考例句：

• These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
• The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。

24 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

25 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

27 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

28 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

29 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

30 renewals   

重建( renewal的名词复数 )； 更新； 重生； 合同的续订

参考例句：

• Number of circulations excluding renewals. 7th out of 10 libraries. 借阅数目（不包括续借）。在10间图书馆中排行第七。
• Certification Renewals shall be due on July 1 of the renewal year. 资格认证更新在更新年的7月1日生效。

31 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

32 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

33 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

34 stapling   

n.网衣装网法v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I was quite taken with your line of photocopiers with collation and stapling capability. 我被贵公司能够自动整理和装订的系列复印机吸引住了。 来自辞典例句
• Bariatric surgery includes procedures such as gastric bypass, stomach stapling and banding. 手术治疗肥胖包括胃绕道、胃吻合和胃带等。 来自互联网

36 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

37 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。