2 i8 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



Cutting instruments of various kinds are required for budding, grafting, pruning, 

 and other essential operations. Knives, scissors, or secateurs are in the most request, 

 of which several forms are represented in the engravings. 



Budding Knives. The handles of most of these are made of ivory, thinned off to 

 an edge at the end, which is used for raising the bark. Others have horn handles, 

 giving a better grip, and with a piece of thin ivory at the end the bark is lifted with 

 facility. The blades are straight. One has the edge carried to a point, and is the best 

 for cutting ; the other has the edge rounded at the point for cutting the bark without 

 entering the underlying wood. The sheath (1) is the strongest and most used where a 

 number of stocks are budded ; the clasp (2) is useful for general cutting purposes as 

 well as budding, and the heart-shaped handle end, round-pointed blade knife (4) is the 

 handiest all-round budding instrument. 



Pruning Knives. The strongest and keenest cutting pruning knife is the sheath (11). 

 The handle is curved, fitting the hand well ; the blade is slightly curved, more at the 

 point than heel, and the effect is that the grip of the handle causes the bite of the blade 

 to be keen throughout its length, and it severs branches of considerable thickness in 

 the most perfect manner. It is the best for heading and snagging, also for the heaviest 

 pruning work performed with the knife. The handle should be of stag's horn, which, from 

 its irregular surface, prevents the hand slipping, and the blade fixed immovably in the 

 handle imparts a steadiness in action not found in clasp knives. A pasteboard sheath is 

 provided to hold the sheath knife when not in use. 



Folding or clasp pruning knives are the most favoured. They are portable and 

 handy for general use. The handles should be made of stag's horn and slightly curved. 

 Straight blades may cut the cleanest, but curved blades cut the deepest. The grafting 

 knife has a straight-edged thinner blade than the ordinary strong straight-bladed 

 pruning knife (10), but in other respects is identical. Peach or general pruning 

 knives have straight or curved handles and blades. The curved (12) are the most 

 useful. 



Scissors or Hand Shears. These are made in various sizes and are useful for removing 

 soft growths and laterals. The form shown (18) we have found invaluable in trimming 

 the growths of fruit trees and vines under glass. It nips off the points of shoots, and 

 the ends of matting or small twine used in tying, with despatch. The slide pruner (19) 

 is very strong and well adapted for trimming gooseberries. There are other forms of 

 slide pruners, for which it is claimed that, the centres being movable, they make a clean 



