One of the best of these is the Langdon Horse Hoe, which is a shovel-shaped plow, to be run one or two inches deep. It has a wing on each side to prevent the earth from falling on to the plants in the rows. At the rear, or upper edge, is a kind of rake or comb, which allows the earth to pass through, while the weeds pass over the comb and fall on the surface of the soil, to be killed by the heat of the sun. It is a simple and cheap tool, and will perform the work of twenty men with hoes. The hand hoe will be necessary only in the rows.
CULTIVATOR.
The cultivator, which was described in the preceding chapter, and of which there are various patterns in use, is excellent for weeding, and for loosening the soil between the rows of corn, etc. The one called the universal cultivator, having its side bars made of iron, curved so that at whatever distance it is placed the teeth will point straight forward, is a much better tool than those of the older patterns, which had the teeth so arranged that when set for wide rows, they pointed towards the clevis. It is difficult to keep such a cultivator in its place, while the "universal" is as difficult to move out of a straight line.
IMPROVED HORSE-HOE.
What is the improved horse-hoe?
The improved horse-hoe is a combination of the "Langdon" horse hoe and the cultivator, and is the best implement, for many purposes, that has yet been made.[AO]
Fig. 9