208 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



The hammer, Fig. 90 a, is of the common form, with steel 

 face and claws. 



The half axe, Fig. 90 &, and hatchet, Fig 90 c, for use among 

 trees and shrubs, are of the forms in common use, and may be 

 heavier or lighter, to suit the arm that is to work with them. 



The pruning chisel may be either a common socket chisel 

 of the desired width, or it may be made with a hooked knife 

 attached for cutting small sprouts from the limbs, as shown 

 above, Fig. 90 d. The handle should be of light but stiff wood, 

 and may be eight or ten feet long, or may be formed of joints, 

 so as to vary the length. It will cut off a pretty smart branch 

 by the mere force of the hand, and still larger ones by the use 

 of a mallet to drive it. 



Fig. 91. 



a. Pruning Saw. 6. Drawing-knife. 



The pruning saw, called also " grafting saw" (Fig. 91 a), 

 should be eighteen or twenty inches long in the blade, and a 

 little narrower and stiffer than an ordinary carpenter's saw, 

 with a pretty wide set, to give it clear way through the green 

 wood. 



The drawing-knife, Fig. 91 Z>, which should always be used 

 after the saw, unless the pruning-knife is made to serve the 

 purpose, may be a common small straight drawing-knife, but 

 will be found more convenient for its purposes if made with a 

 curved edge, as shown in the figure. 



Fig 91 The tree scraper, Fig. 91 c, is used for 



jv^ dressing off the dead bark, moss, &c., from 



the bodies and large limbs of trees. It is 

 jj^fea^l^l tne common ship scraper, furnished with a 

 ' long handle, and applied to use in the or- 

 chard. A worn-out goose-necked garden 

 hoe may be used instead, the blade being 

 set out to a right angle with the neck, so 

 that it will scrape, and not cut. 



