CULTURE OF THE G U A P E. 43 



leisure months of January and February, the work of 

 making up the cuttings may be 

 done. A vineyard pruning-knife, 

 as represented in fig. 4, is much 

 the best instrument for making 

 the cuttings. The wood is cut 

 with almost the rapidity of strips 

 of paper cut with a pair of scissors. 

 A dexterous cutter will retain the 

 branch in his left hand, and with 

 two strokes of the knife the cut- 

 ting is made, and falls into a pan, 

 while the refuse wood falls on one 

 side. One man will make from 

 three to four thousand cuttings 

 per day. 



The most convenient size for the knife is one, the 

 length of which is nine inches. The little bar seen on 

 the handle is intended to play between the first and 

 second fingers, and will be found to be a great assistance 

 in controlling the knife. See that the blade of the knife 

 is keen, in order that the cut may be clean, and free from 

 any bruising or tearing. Each cutting will require two 

 strokes of the knife, the first about a third of an inch 



