Old ... and Useless (but Decorative)

I suppose this relic from the 1940's or 1950's was considered cutting edge gardening technology at the time, but it leaves me scratching my head in perplexed amazement every time I try to imagine the thing in use.

Made from solid -- and I mean SOLID -- cast iron, this Walking Sprinkler weighs at least 20 pounds. The idea was that you attached a garden hose to the tractor, and the force of the water would propel the whole contraption around your lawn, sprinkling and aerating the soil as it went on its merry way.

Well, in order for this gadget to work, you would have to attach it to an open fire hydrant -- there's no way an average garden hose could produce enough pressure to move those heavy, spiked wheels! No doubt this is the reason we don't see every lawn proudly sporting a National Manufacturing Co. Walking Sprinkler today.

It does make a rather charming widget for decorating a corner of our deck, though.