178 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



Mallet. — This is necessary when branches are 

 to be cut off by the chisel, or where that instru- 

 ment is employed to smooth the place where 

 branches have been cut off by the saw. Different 

 sizes are required for driving stakes and other 

 purposes. Large ones ought to be secured by 

 an iron hoop round each end; commonly called 

 a "beetle". 



Pincers and Pliers are requisite for drawing 

 nails, and other purposes. Their uses are too 

 well known to require mention. At the same 

 time they are too often missing from the 

 garden tool-chest. A screw-driver and file are 

 equally necessary. 



II. Cutting Instruments. 



Knives of various kinds are required in gar- 

 dens, for pruning, budding, grafting, and other 

 purposes. 



The Pruning Knife (fig. 195) is the best instru- 

 ment that can be employed for pruning trees 

 and shrubs, and for a variety of 

 other purposes. There are various 

 forms of it; the blade in some is 

 made with a joint, so as to fold in; 

 and in others it is fixed immovably 

 in the handle, and kept in a paste- 

 board sheath when not in use. 

 Knives with folding blades pos- 

 sess the advantage of being more 

 portable, and are therefore more con- 

 venient for occasional use; whilst, 

 on the other hand, those with fixed 

 blades are more steady in their 

 action, and when constant pruning 

 is carried on, are preferable. The 

 handle should be made of buck's- 

 horn, the rough surface of which 

 prevents the hand from slipping. 

 With regard to the shape of the 

 blade, some prefer blades with 

 straight edges; others those the 

 edges of which are more or less 

 curved. For removing small shoots 

 a straight-edged blade is preferred ; 

 but where branches are to be cut 

 off, a curved blade can be used with 

 greater effect. 



The Budding Knife is made in 

 various forms. The blade is gener- 

 ally either straight-edged or curved 

 backwards towards the point. The 

 handle, which is made of ivory, is 

 usually rounded and flattened at the end, in 

 order that it may be used for raising up the 



bark. The end of the handle is sometimes made 

 heart-shaped, and this form admits of the bark 

 being raised with greater facility. Instead of the 



Fig. 195. 

 Pruning Knife. 



Figs. 196, 197.— Budding Knives. Fig. 198.— Propagating Knife. 



handle being thinned at the end, some knives 

 have a common handle, and a small piece of 

 ivory which folds in for the same purpose. 

 Figs. 196 and 197 represent good forms of 

 budding knives. 



The Propagating Knife (fig. 198) is a modifi- 

 cation of the budding knife, and is preferred 

 for making cuttings, grafting, &c, being thin 

 in blade and of good steel. 



All knives should be kept in proper condition 

 by frequent sharpening on a hone, with plenty 

 of clean water, pressing the blade flat on the 

 hone, to keep a long thin edge, which lasts 

 longer and cuts cleaner. 



Shears are required in gardens for clipping 

 grass edgings, hedges, and for pruning. 



Hedge Shears. — A good form of these is re- 

 presented in fig. 199. They are strong both 

 in blade and shaft, the former being straight- 

 edged, except a small portion near the pivot, 

 which is concave and convex, so that strong 

 branches are easily grasped and cut. 



Another form of shears, known as Lopping 

 Shears, is short and parrot-bill shaped in blade 

 and long in shaft. The upper portion of it is 

 shown in fig. 200. These are employed for 



