Is it not surprising that so little that is new or improved has been added to garden implements? With the exception of the mowing-machine, and perhaps Park's steel fork, garden implements remain very much as they were in the time of our great-grandfathers. We all the more heartily welcome this new edging-cutter, invented and patented by Mr M'Lachlan, Dungourney Gardens, near Greenock, and consider it a vast improvement, in every respect, on the old edging-tool. It has received several first-class certificates. As will be seen from our engraving, the machine consists of a small iron frame, which is set on a couple of rollers, and has fixed at the right side a knife of about 6 inches long, the point of which is turned in as a sole. This blade is fixed by means of a screw, and can be set in an instant so as to cut verges from 1 inch to 6 inches deep, while the sole part of the knife detaches from the base the portion of edging detached from the side of the walk, thus doing with one action the work which requires an edging-tool and a Dutch hoe. This piece of simple mechanism is fitted to a wooden handle, 6 feet long, and the instrument is worked by the same sort of action required for Dutch hoeing.

We have used this machine with our own hands, and find it very easily worked, and that it makes a very speedy and superior job. Mr M'Lachlan recently had a public trial of his invention, but the competitor with the old edging-tool soon gave up the contest. The testimony of the gardeners who saw the contest is as follows: -

"We, the undersigned, met for the purpose of proving of Mr M'Lachlan's edging-machine, and find that it is all that could be desired for the purpose, and a great improvement on the old system of edging. Mr M'Lachlan, with the assistance of one man picking up the trimmings, cut with the sole-knife a verge 90 yards long in the short space of 7½ minutes".

Signed by sixteen gardeners present at the trial.

The work performed by the new machine was full twice as much as was done by the old edging-tool, and a comparison of the work showed the great superiority of the work performed by the new one. The old tool either scatters that part detached from the edging over the walk, or requires a man or boy to follow with a Dutch hoe before it can be picked up; while that cut by the new one remains where it is cut, and can be gathered up without disturbing the walk.