knowledge and a two dollar file.

Similarly, turning compost can be an impossible, sweat-drenching,
back-wrenching chore, or it can be relatively quick and easy. It is
very difficult to drive even a very sharp shovel into a compost
pile. One needs a hay fork, something most people call a
"pitchfork." The best type for this task has a very long, delicate
handle and four, foot long, sharp, thin tines. Forks with more than
four times grab too much material. If the heap has not rotted very
thoroughly and still contains a lot of long, stringy material, a
five or six tine fork will grab too much and may require too much
strength. Spading forks with four wide-flat blades don't work well
for turning heaps, but _en extremis_ I'd prefer one to a shovel.

Also, there are shovels and then, there are shovels. Most gardeners
know the difference between a spade and a shovel. They would not try
to pick up and toss material with a spade designed only to work
straight down and loosen soil. However, did you know that there are
design differences in the shape of blade and angle of handle in
shovels. The normal "combination" shovel is made for builders to
move piles of sand or small gravel. However, use a combination
shovel to scrape up loose, fine compost that a fork won't hold and
you'll quickly have a sore back from bending over so far. Worse, the
combination shovel has a decidedly curved blade that won't scrape up
very much with each stroke.

A better choice is a flat-bladed, square-front shovel designed to
lift loose, fine-textured materials from hard surfaces. However,
even well-sharpened, these tend to stick when they bump into any
obstacle. Best is an "irrigator's shovel." This is a lightweight