ROAD INSTRUMENTS AND TOOLS.

26 L

Hedging Knives.

These instruments have been long used in Scot­ land , where they are called plashing tools: theyare made of different sizes; that represented inPlate VII. fig. 14. is the most useful. When alabourer is a little practised in the use of them, hecan trim a hedge as well as a gardener with a pairof shears, and much more expeditiously. Theyshould be made sufficiently light to enable a manto use them with one hand, and care should betaken by the maker that they are properly balancedon the handle, otherwise a workman will not beable to wield them with proper effect. The greaterror in making these instruments in England isthat of making them too heavy, and curving theblade too much.

Working Levels.

Working levels are absolutely necessary in layingout new works, and in repairing old roads. Theseinstruments are easily used by common workmen.One of the best kind of these levels is representedin Plate VII. fig. 8., in which ABC represents thelevel, upon the horizontal bar of which are placedfour gauges, a, b, c, d, made to move perpendicu-larly to the line A C, in dove-tailed grooves cut inthe horizontal bar. When any of these are adjustedto project a proper depth below the line A C, itmay be fixed by a thumb screw, which will retainthe gauge in the desired position.

Fig. 9. shows a section of the horizontal bardrawn to a larger scale, as marked upon the edge