become what Sideshow Bob describes as his "arch-nemesis". There is a Russian saying "to step on the same rake" (), which means "to repeat the same silly mistake", also the word "rake" () in Russian slang means "troubles". In the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, the major character Zhu Bajie wields a rake as his signatory weapon. Heavy rake This type of rake is for conditioning and dethatching soil as well as moving larger pieces of debris. Most weeds have weaker and shallower roots than grass and thus dethatching along with (afterward) necessary sunlight, fertilizer and seed, and if later necessary any remedial chemicals, makes for a good crop of grass. Larger tools (or lawnmower attachments) are more often used for large areas of de-thatching or soil preparation. However the action of making the soil bare and exposed to sun is not good. It should be protected with straw afterward. Soil aeration tools do not remove weed but prepare soil without exposure. Plastic or metal There are pros and cons to each. Plastic rakes are generally lighter weight and lower cost. Because they can be fabricated in widths of greater dimensions they are more suitable for leaves which have recently been deposited. Metal tined rakes are better suited for spring raking when the debris is often wet or rotted and can best be collected when the metal tines penetrate to the thatch layer. See also Aeration Soil References External links Gardening tools Chinese inventions Heraldic charges