The shovel!  The the quintessential garden tool.  In neolithic times and earlier a large animal's scapula (shoulder blade) was often used as a crude shovel.  When the Romans harnessed the technology of the forge to heat iron to its malleable point they established the pattern for the shovels we use today. In the mid-14th century, iron smelting made it possible to create lighter, more precisely-shaped shovels. Then came the industrial revolution, bringing steel and alloys out of the fire and leading to the manufacture of shovels that were lighter, finer and far more durable. Truly a classic!  Unfortunately the science of hand shoveling has long since mostly faded out of commercial concern thanks to extensive mechanization, such as bulldozers and other equipment. 

Your tax-deductible donation of a shovel will help us keep this ancient tradition of the shovel alive!