PRUNING TOOLS 



129 



his variety and if it is an upright grower, as the Bartlett pear, 

 it should be allowed to remain somewhat too thick while young, 

 knowing that when it comes into bearing it will correct this 

 difficulty of itself. 



Pruning Tools. Let us turn now to some of the practical 

 details of pruning the orchard. The first thing to do is to pro- 

 vide a suitable outfit of pruning tools. This, of course, is going 

 to vary with the type of pruning that one is doing, but for 



FIG. 57. A Burbank plum tree; one of those sprawling growing varieties which need to 

 have the side leaders cut back every year. 



general pruning, for doing all the different kinds that one is 

 likely to be called upon to do, there should be at least several 

 different saws, a good pair of hand shears, and a knife. Possibly 

 we might add the pole pruner, though it is rare that it is needed 

 and then it is unsatisfactory, as it can not be made to take 

 off a branch properly. The one place where a pole pruner is 

 really useful is in heading back side branches that are out of 

 reach from the ground. The knife will be used the least of any 

 part of the equipment, barring the pole pruner, but still the 

 9 



