Manner of Operation 87 
Nor should the pruning as now be trusted to men who get 
all they cut off, and whose whole notion of pruning, accord- 
ingly, is ‘ax and it shall be given unto you.’ Do pray take 
this matter into your hands — for you know how to love a 
tree — and give us a modern instance of a wise saw.” 
Manner of Operation. We may distinguish between 
trimming or heading in, which refers to cutting back or 
shortening of twigs and small branchlets with shear or 
knife, and pruning proper, which refers to operations with 
axe and saw in removing larger branches. It is in these 
latter operations that care is most needful, in order to avoid 
secondary damage from fungus disease. 
The tools must be sharp; the saw with wide set for large 
branches; the cut must be made smooth. When cutting 
heavy long branches there is 
danger of the weight of the 
branch breaking it off before 
the cut is completed, splitting, 
splintering, and tearing off bark. 
To avoid this, two cuts should 
be made, the one at some dis- 
tance, two or three feet — 
from the base of the branch, to 
relieve the leverage, the other, pie 17 — Method of removing 
which is the final one, or near 4 heavy branch without split- 
. ting and tearmg the bark on 
the final one, at the base; in the under side, the lower notch 
both cases first sawing a kerf or Deg made first. 
notching from below half way through the branch, and then 
sawing or notching from above, in order to avoid splitting 
and tearing off bark on the lower side. 
With very large branches or tops to be removed, mechan- 
ical appliances, such as chains and ropes, varying with 
conditions to suit the case, for the purpose of avoiding 
