88 



Two good patterns of such saws are here illustrated. They are 

 thus described by Mr. B. M. Lelong, the late Secretary of the State 

 Board of Horticulture of California. The lower one a bow saw 

 is provided with a handle, which fits closely into the hand. Both 

 ends of the blade are fastened by means of a little screw on to a 

 bolt having the other end riveted into a countersunk hole. The blade 

 can thus be turned at any angle, or it may be kept in one position 

 by tightening the thumb-screw at the end near the handle. Two 

 small pieces of wood are riveted on either side of the bow at the 

 lower end, which serves as a handle to prevent injury to the hand. 



Pruning Saws. 



The bow is made of steel, and springs a little. These saws can be 

 made by anyone, and for cutting large limbs have no equal, as the 

 blade being thin and narrow, and the teeth set wide, will cut 

 through a limb with great rapidity, without sticking or getting 

 pinched in the cut a difficulty met with in many other saws. The 

 blade may be reversed if one chooses, and made to cut by drawing 

 it instead of shoving. In this way they are not so readily broken. 



The top saw is another pattern, this one having a handle about 

 16 inches long, and the blade guided by it. For using it the 

 handle and bow are grasped together by the hand, which sometimes 

 is very awkward, especially when the large limbs or a considerable 

 number have to be cut. In any case it is more tiresome to the 

 hand than the first one shown. 



Chisel and Mallet. 



For grafting stout branches, a chisel and mallet are required. 

 The figures illustrate convenient tools of that description. An old 

 file can be turned by a blacksmith into a very serviceable chisel, 

 The prong at the end is useful for keeping apart the split when the 

 graft is being inserted. 



The mallet is not absolutely necessary, as any piece of wood 

 will do, but is convenient, and one made of tough hardwood 



