Chris French and Helen Johnson wrote:

I would generally agree, however, do you get one-sided mattocks though?

Mine is one-sided, with a blade perhaps 5 inches (125cm) wide at the end of
a stout handle. Just the thing for transplanting mass quantities of pine
seedlings: whack it into the ground, lift the handle to open a hole, drop
the plant in, and tramp shut.

Since I got the rear-tine rotovator (Troy-Bilt, I think not exported from
the U.S., alas), I haven't done much heavy digging. Except for that big
rock smack in the middle of the garden. But that's another story. Suffice
it to say that it has its only entry on the computerized garden map
template I use each year to plot what I planted where.

In the northeastern American colonies, it's picture postcard pretty with
thick layer of snow over everything. I could get tired of it pretty
quickly...

Cheers!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G