FARM TOOLS AND THEIR USES

PICK AXE
The pick axe is made up of a long wooden handle with a double headed thick metal
blade that is attached to the handle through a loop. The head of the pick axe is
made up of two edges, one part of the end of the blade is pointed, while the other
end is flat and sharp edged. They are mainly used for breaking up of hard soil, and
digging up of roots and tree stumps.

HAND FORK
When it is viewed, the hand fork, looks like the kitchen fork we eat with, just that it
is a little bit bigger; it has a short wooden or metal handle with four prongs. It is
used in mixing manure into the soil, for breaking the surface of the soil, so that air
and water, can pass easily and it is also used for the removal of weeds on the seed
bed.

HAND TROWEL
It is boat shaped or it is either curved sloop metal blade that is attached to a short
wooden or metal handle. When using it, you hold it with one hand. It helps in the
transplanting of seedlings, for the application of fertilizer and also for the
application of manure to the soil, it helps in loosening vegetable beds, it can also be
used for light weeding, sampling or mixing up of soil and digging holes for the
planting of seeds.

THE SICKLE

The sickle has a curved metal blade that is fitted into a short wooden handle. The
inner part of the curved metal blade is very sharp while the other part has a blunt
edge. To recognize a sickle when been viewed, it has a structure like that of a
question mark (?). It used in the plucking of fruits. This can only be possible, when it
is tied to a long handle; it can also be used to harvest cereals like rice, wheat barley
because they possess thin stems. It can also be used in the harvest of grasses.

SECATEURS
The secateurs are made up of two metal blades of which one has a concave curve
while the other has a convex curve that are joined together at a point. It has two
short metal handles with a spring in between them when handling it; you handle
with one hand, while the plant branch to be cut is held with the other free hand. To
recognize the secateurs it looks like a pair of scissors. It is used for trimming flowers
and the pruning of the branches of shrubs and trees.

THE SHEARS
It is seen as a pair of an enlarged pair of scissors with two long blades, connected at
a point by a bolt and a nut of which the blades are sharpened at one edge not the
two sides in other not to injure someone. The handle of the shears may be made of
wood, metal, plastic or rubber. It is usually handled with both hands. Shears are
used to prune down trees or branches of shrubs, trimming of hedges and trimming
of Ornamental plants used in house decoration.

CUTLASS
It is a flat long metal blade with a short wooden or plastic handle with one edge
sharp while the other is blunt. It is used for the clearing of bushes around your
homes, for the felling of big trees. It is used in harvesting crops like sugar cane,
maize, cassava, yam and palm nut fruits. It is also used in the planting of melon
during the planting season, cutlass can also be used for the transplanting of
seedlings, weeding of crops, both in the digging of shallow holes and used in the
trimming and pruning of flowers.

THE SPADE
The spade is made up of a long rectangular flat blade which is attached to a fairly
long cylindrical handle that widens at the posterior end to form a triangular block
with a D-shaped whole for hand when used. It can be used for digging of holes and
trenches around us, for leveling the ground, for making seedbeds, ridges, mounds
and heaps, transplanting of seedlings like palm oil seedlings, turning the soil and
the mixing of manures, light weeding in the farm and at home.

WATERING CAN
It is made up of galvanized iron which prevents it from rusting. Some are also made
of very synthetic rubber. The water watering can is made up of a tank, a handle and
a spout. This spout is long with a perforated metal sheet over its mouth which is
referred to as the ROSE, but in case of the rubber made watering can the mouth is
covered by a rubber. It is used to apply water to crops like seedlings in a nursery
and vegetables. Sometimes it is used in applying liquid fertilizers to crops as well as
the watering of cement blocks used for the constructions of structures and
buildings.

THE MALLET

It is made up of a large head with a wooden handle that is similar to that of a

hammer. The entire body is made up of wood. It is solely used for the hitting of
woods like pegs, so that they would not be damaged in the process, when they are
been hit into the ground.

FARM EQUIPMENTS AND THEIR USES

TRACTOR
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive
effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery
used in agriculture or construction. Most commonly, the term is used to describe a
farm vehicle that provides the power and traction to mechanize agricultural tasks,
especially (and originally) tillage, but nowadays a great variety of tasks.

PLOUGH
A plough or plow is a tool (or machine) used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in
preparation for sowing seed or planting to loosen or turn the soil. Ploughs are
traditionally drawn by working animals such as horses or cattle, but in modern
times may be drawn by tractors. A plough may be made of wood, iron, or steel
frame with an attached blade or stick used to cut the earth.

HARROW
A harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil.
In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage.
Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing
operations. The purpose of this harrowing is generally to break up clods (lumps of
soil) and to provide a finer finish, a good tilth or soil structure that is suitable for
seedbed use. Coarser harrowing may also be used to remove weeds and to cover
seed after sowing. Harrows differ from cultivators in that they disturb the whole
surface of the soil, such as to prepare a seedbed, instead of disturbing only narrow
trails that skirt crop rows (to kill weeds).

SEEDER
You use a seeder to plant the seeds in the ground. There are many types of seeders
today. They range from small simple seeders on small farms all the way up to huge
air seeders. The most common seeder type you will see is a broadcast seeder. You
can see broadcast seeders seeding grass in residential areas. Some of the types of
seeders you will see are: box drill seeder, air seeder, and planters. Some seeders
can plant spread seed and fertilizer at the same time.

FERTILIZER SPREADER
A fertilizer spreader is a farm implement that spreads out fertilizer. You can do this
different ways. One of the most common spreader is a broadcast spreader. This is
very similar to a broadcast seeder. In many cases, people use them interchangeably.
Another common fertilizer spreader is a manure spreader. Manure spreaders use
solid manure from livestock. There are also liquid manure spreaders as well, which
are slurry spreaders.

COMBINES
Combines are usually the most expensive piece of equipment that farmers buy. It is
the most important piece of farm equipment as well. It is the piece of equipment
that you use to reap the benefits of your hard work. You use a combine to harvest
your crop. Combines do three functions reaping (cut the plant) the crop, threshing
(separates edible from non-edible parts) the crop and winnowing (separates light
chaff from grain).Newer combines give you yield data which shows you where you
field did well and not well. The leftovers from the combine thrown out the back as
straw can be baled for livestock bedding. Depending on what you want to harvest, a
combine will need a specific head for the job. You use a standard grain head for
wheat, rye, canola and soybeans. You use a corn head, which looks like it has teeth
on it for corn.

BALER
You use a baler to collect hay, straw or corn stalks, and put them into either a round
bale or a square one. You use hay as feed for your livestock, so it is very important
to have your equipment tuned properly. You use straw as bedding for your livestock
to keep them dry and warm. Bedding helps the animals not get sick. You can use
corn stalks for bedding, but some animals will eat them as well. The main types of
balers are square balers and round balers. They come in various sizes from small
squares up to huge squares. It all depends on what type of operation you are
running. You can wrap the bales with just twine, or you can wrap them up with
plastic, which allows them to ferment into silage.

SPRAYER
A sprayer is a piece of agricultural equipment used primarily to apply herbicides,
pesticides and fertilizers to agricultural crops.

ROTARY TILLER
A rotary tiller is a motorized cultivator that works the soil by means of rotating
blades.

RICE HULLER
A rice huller or rice husker is an agricultural machine used to automate the process
of removing the chaff (the outer husks) of grains of rice. Throughout history, there
have been numerous techniques to hull rice. Traditionally, it would be pounded
using some form of mortar and pestle.