138 



INSTRUMENTS USED IN HORTICULTURE. 



them. Formerly garden-knives were distinguished from those in common use 

 by having blades hooked at the points, for more conveniently hooking or tear- 

 ing off shoots or leaves ; but this mode of separating shoots or branches being 

 found to crush that part of the shoot which was left on the living plant, and 

 by that means render it liable to be injured by drought or by the absorption 

 of water, a clean draw-cut has been resorted to as not liable to these objec- 

 tions ; and this requires a blade with a straight edge like those of the prun- 

 ing-knives now in general use. All knives which are used by the practical 

 gardener should be without moveable joints, and they should be carried in a 

 sheath in the side-pocket, that no time may be lost in searching for them in 

 other pockets, or in unfolding of the blade from its case. At the same time 

 the master gardener and the amateur ought to carry a folding pruning-knife 

 in his pocket for occasional use, in correcting the faults or supplying the 

 omissions of his workmen. There are folding pruning-knives combining in 

 the same handle a saw, a chisel, a file, a screw driver, &c., but these are for 

 the most part more curious than useful. The 

 asparagus-knife, fig. 41, has a blade about 

 eighteen inches long, hooked and serrated, and ^ig- 4i. Asparagus-knife. 

 is used for cutting the young shoots of Asparagus when in a fit state for the 

 table. It is thrust into the soil so as, when drawing it out, to cut the shoot 

 from two to five inches under the surface, according to the looseness of the 

 soil, and the taste of the consumer for asparagus more or less coloured at the 

 points. Where green Asparagus is preferred to what is thoroughly blanched, 

 such a knife is hardly requisite, as the buds may be cut off by the surface 

 with a common cabbage-knife. 



410. Bill-knives or Hedge-bills are large blades fixed to ends of long 

 handles for cutting off branches from young trees, and for cutting up the sides 

 of hedges instead of shears. The advantages in using them in preference to 

 shears is, that they have a clean smooth section instead of a rough one, 

 which, as already observed, admits drought and moisture, and also stimulates 

 the extremities of the branches to throw out numerous small shoots, and 

 these, by thickening the surface of the hedge, exclude the air from the inte- 

 rior, in which, ultimately, the smaller shoots die, and the hedge becomes 

 thin and naked. The most complete set of instruments of the bill kind is 

 that used in Northumberland, and described by Blaikie in his Essay on 

 Hedge-row Timber. One of these mstruments, fig. 42, ought to be in every 



Pig. 42. The scimitar bill-knife. 



garden-tool house. The handle of this bill-knife, or scimitar, as it is called, 

 is four feet in length, and the blade eighteen inches in length, the former 

 deviating from the direction of the latter to the extent of six inches, as 



shown by the dotted line in the figure ; 

 — — — .J7\ deviation is made in order to admit 

 the free action of the operator's arm, while 

 Fig. 43. Dress uii-knife. he is standing by the side of a hedge, and 



cutting it upwards. Fig. 43 is what Is called a dress-bill for cutting the sides 

 of very small hedges, or such as are quite young. 



411. Pruning Saws are of different kinds, but they may be all reduced to 

 draw saws, fig. 44, a, and thrust or common saws, such as those in common 



