SIMPLE FARM TOOLS ENOTE

WEEK THREE

SUBJECT: AGRIC SCIENCE

CLASS: GRADE 7

TERM: SECOND

TOPIC: SIMPLE FARM TOOLS

GARDEN TOOLS: A garden is a piece of land used for growing flowers, fruits, vegetables, etc. This is usually located around a house or at the backyard, especially if it is used for growing vegetables and fruits. In order to raise a well-kept good garden, you need to have some simple tools. They include watering can, rake, garden fork, gloves, cutlasses, hoes.

(i) Shovel: This is a spade-like tool used for moving the soil when preparing a seedbed for seeds or seedlings.

(ii) Gloves: They are made of cloth or plastic and are used to protect the hands against dirt, infection or accidental cuts.

(iii) Trowel: It is a hand tool with a curved blade which is used for lifting young plants from the nursery bed when transplanting is about to be done. It is also used to make holes into which seeds are dropped at time of planting.

(iv)Garden Fork: This is used for loosening the soil for easy penetration of seedling roots. It could also be used to remove weeds from the garden.

(v) All purpose shears: This is four tools in one. It can be used as a flower cutter, scissors, wire cutter and tin snips. In a garden, it is used more as a flower cutter.

(vi)Hoes and cutlasses: They are used mainly for weeding. A hoes is also used for making small ridges and seedbeds.

(vii) Wheel barrow: This is a small metal vehicle with two handles and two wheels for moving small loads of soil, potted plants, seedlings, cut flowers, and vegetables, etc, all over the garden or to the store.

(viii) Rake: This is used for removing unwanted plant parts such as roots, stem and leaves. It is also used for making the top of nursery and flower beds smooth and even.

(ix) Garden hose: It is a flexible rubber or plastic tubing for directing water to plants in a garden. Hoses are usually connected to water taps or sprinklers in order to get water to plants.

(x) Watering can: It is used to store water and to apply water to crops in the garden.

(xi) Sprinkler: This is placed in the garden especially among flower plants to supply them with an adequate amount of water for their growth. A sprinkler can be moved from one part of the garden to another to ensure uniform watering of all the plants in the garden. The sprinkler is connected with a hose to a source of water in the house or in the backyard.

(xii) Seedling trays: These are rectangular wooden boxes measuring 120cm long by 60cm wide and 10cm deep. They contain top soil in which seeds are planted. The seedlings are later transplanted from there unto the seedbeds.

(xiii) Sprayer: It is an apparatus (container) which is sued to send out liquid, e.g. insecticide, under pressure onto garden plants.

(xiv) Hedge trimmer: It is a metal instrument used for trimming hedge plants so that they can look uniform, well-shaped and beautiful.

MAINTENANCE OF SIMPLE GARDEN TOOLS: Gardening tools are maintained so that they can be useful for a very long time. The maintenance and repair of small implements require tools both for wood and metal parts and always done in a building called farm workshop. The following are workshop tools I. hammer II. Measuring rule or tape III. Chisel IV. Carpenter’s square V. Punch VI. Jack plane VII. Pliers VIII. Emery paper IX. pincers X. Tool grinder XI. Hacksaw XII. Hand axe XIII. a set of spanners XIV. assorted nails, screws, nuts and bolts containers XV. Flat files XVI. Knife XVII. Screw driver

FISHING TOOLS:

(a) Scoop Nets or Fixed Bag Nets: These are made out of nylon strings closely woven into netting material and then sewn into bag-like containers of various sizes. They are mostly used for catching fish in streams, ponds and smaller fish farms. Some scoop nets are large enough to be drawn by boats.

(b) A line: The simplest method for catching fish is by the use of a string or rope called a ‘line’ which is tied to a hook with bait at one end. Commonly used baits are earthworm, small fishes or maggots. This is used by individuals to catch fish anywhere. The strength of the line as well as the size of the hook and the type of bait will depend on the type of fishing being done. Small strength twines or cords with small hooks and baits of earthworm are commonly used when fishing in a pool, or stream for tilapia or clarias.

(c) Cast nets: These are conical falling nets, with lead weights attached to them at regular intervals along the perimeter of the cone. The netting of cast nets is made of fairly thick synthetic material popularly known as nylon with mesh sizes varying between 12.7 mm and 50.8 mm. The total length of each net varies from 4.20metres to 7.11 metres with a retrieving line for four metres to ten metres attached to the apical portion. Cast nets are used to catch fishes of 5cm to 10cm in total length like sardines.

(d) Gillnets: A gillnet is basically a curtain of nylon netting hanging vertically in the water. The mesh sizes range from 25.4mm to 127mm. Head and foot ropes pass through the marginal mesh at each end of a net. Gillnets and drift net are used for catching fish species like catfish and sardines in shallow and deep water.

(e) Seine Nets: These are used along beaches in mud flats and other shallow areas at the mouth of rivers. Usually one net is fixed or closed and the free end is used to surround a given area. Fish are then trapped within the area enclosed by the net. Seine nets are useful for fishing in ponds. Small fishes like crayfish and mullets are usually caught by seine nets.

(f) Bouys: These are used along with the nets to serve two main functions. They mark the whole length of gillnet for easy identification especially at night and ward off other canoes from the fishing zone. The sound bouys located in Lagos lagoons are made with raffia cane sticks. They look like rectangular crowns. Empty cans of beer or shell of snails are attached to the crown.  As a result of the movement of the water, the shells knock against each other and make a sound. Sometimes a lantern is mounted on a floating board and this serves as a buoy. It has the advantage that it can be sighted at night and the light also attract some fishes. The floating board can be made of cork.

(g) Purse Seines: These are larger nets which measure over 1000m in length and 120m in depth and are used in industrial fishing. Deep sea fishes such as tuna, mackerel and sardines are caught by purse seines. These nets can only be put in place by a large mother ship and two small ships. The net has a float line which is held on top of the water by small floats and a lead line which sinks to the bottom. The purse seine is used to encircle a shoal of fish and requires the power from the main ship to bring in the catch.

ASSIGNMENT

OBJECTIVE:

1. Farm workshop is a building where farm machine can be A. collected B. designed C. preserved D. purchased E. repaired

2. Which of the following is not a workshop tool? A. Cutlass B. Hack saw C. Pliers D. Screw driver E. Spanner

3. Which of the following is not a use of cutlass? A. clearing B. digging C. harvesting D. mowing E. planting

4. Hand trowel is mainly use for A. harvesting B. planting C. thinning D. transplanting E. weeding

5. The simplest method for catching fish is by the use of A. gun B. powder C. chemical D. string or rope with a bait E. leaf

6. The tool mainly use for weeding is A. Hoe B. fork C. hand trowel D. basket E. watering can

THEORY:

1. What is a garden?

2. List five gardening tools and explain three.

3. List five fishing tools and explain three.

4. What is a farm workshop?

5. List five farm workshop tools.

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