PRUNING CITRUS TREES. 



381 



be made of the best materials. The cutting edges should 

 be keen and sharp. Only with a well-sharpened tool can a 

 clean, smooth cut be made; and a smooth cut is essential 

 to rapid and complete healing of the resulting wound, and 

 the sooner it is healed the better. The injury resulting 

 from the removal of a branch frequently allows the germs 

 of decay to attack the wood and destroy it, and every 

 possible precaution should be taken to avoid their attacks. 

 For the removal of small branches nothing is better 

 than a good pruning-knife with a curved blade (Figure 

 83 E.). In nearly all cases the pruning-knife has been 

 supplanted by the pruning-shears. Many different kinds 

 are placed on the market, but it is generally conceded that 

 durability, ease of operation and everything else consid- 

 ered, pruning-shears of the 

 type illustrated in Figure 83 

 P>, are the best. They can be 

 obtained in several different 

 sizes. For the removal of 

 small branches high up in the 

 trees, a pair of tree-pruners 

 such as illustrated in Figure 

 83A, are essential. They are 

 provided with a handle ten 

 or twelve feet long and are 

 operated from the ground, 

 thus making it possible to re- 

 move branches fifteen to 

 eighteen feet from the ground 

 without the use of a ladder. 

 Two kinds of pruning-saws 



Fig. 83. Pruning Tools. A, Waters ehnwn in "FMcmrp 83 TllP 



tree-primer. B, Priming-shears. C, "*6' lOWn m UlgUre OO. 



Two-edged pruning-saw. D, Calif or- f w n prlrrprl nw i<a o vprv nsp- 



nia priming-saw. E, Priming-knife. TWO-Cdged Saw IS J V6rV USC 



