221 THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



fore not liable to get pinched in the cut, and instead of being stationary, it revolves so 

 that it can be adjusted to cut at any angle. Strength is imparted and the blade 

 tightened by a tension-screw under the handle. The blade is easily detached and can 

 be reversed so as to cut with a push or a pull, and may be carried over the arm whilst 

 the operator is using the knife in trimming the cuts. The American curved blade (10) 

 is 12 to 14 inches long, and the saw cuts with a pull. 



Chisels. These are used for cutting off branches too strong for the knife, and 

 situated where the saw could not work. They are also used for smoothing the cuts 

 made by the saw, and are occasionally employed for pruning, the handles varying in 

 length, the chisels having reflexed ears for pulling downwards any torn strip of wood 

 or bark as shown (M) page 221. These have edges similar to the carpenter's chisel, 

 but the bevel is much longer. The grafting chisel tapers on both sides like a wedge, and 

 is used for splitting the stems of trees in cleft-grafting. 



Cutting pliers require to be of a quality equal to the best cutting instrument, and are 

 very convenient for cutting wire, drawing and twisting purposes. 



Hammer. The principal use of a hammer is for nailing wall- trees ; but wall-hammers 

 are often used for other purposes, and rendered worse than useless for nailing. One end 

 ought to be rounded, curving inwards, flattened and split in the middle, forming a 

 long triangular cleft for drawing nails ; and the driving end hard steel with chequered 

 face. The head should be short, and have long clips properly rivetted to a hardwood 

 handle. 



An improvised bag of canvas for holding nails and shreds answers well, but is not 

 so durable as leather. It usually has one or two small pockets for knives or seca- 

 teurs, and is suspended by shoulder-straps and has a belt for fastening round the waist. 



Crowbar. This is a most useful implement for making holes for stakes. It is 

 made of a round straight bar of iron, thickened towards the lower end, where it is 

 square for about 1 foot, and then tapers to a point. Its service as a lever is consider- 

 able. 



Mallet. Different sizes are essential for driving stakes, and for striking chisels used 

 in smoothing the place where branches have been cut off with the saw. Large ones are 

 necessary when branches of trees are cut off with a chisel. Mallet-heads must be of 

 hard, tough wood, and the larger sizes have an iron hoop round each end. The handles 

 should be straight-grained ash or hickory. 



Barrow. This indispensable machine is of different shapes, both with and without 



