SELECTING THE PRUNING TOOLS 231 



pruning knife with a long hooked blade is often used. A 

 good, strong pair of pruning shears is indispensable, however, 

 in pruning young trees (Fig. 77 A), Most of the pruning with 

 all fruits can be done for several years with such shears. 

 Do not buy cheap shears, which are easily strained and 



ABC D E F Gl H I 



Fig. 77. Pruning tools used in the orchard. (A) Hand shears; (B) long- 

 handled shears or "two-foots"; (C, D, and E) different patterns of swivel- 

 bladed saws, popular in some regions but unpopular in others; {F) small 

 type of pruning saw liked by many growers — the teeth slant toward the 

 handle and cut when the saw is pulled; (G) straight-bladed saw, narrow 

 at the point and not very wide at the handle — well liked by many 

 growers; {H) ordinary carpenter's saw, not especially desirable; (7) car- 

 penter's type of saw but made with larger, longer, and heavier teeth, 

 especially valuable because of ease with which large limbs can be re- 

 moved. A forester's saw, not shown in the illustration, is desirable, if 

 many large branches are to be removed. 



dulled; select those of good weight, containing the best steel 

 blades. 



Long-Handled Shears, Long-handled shears, commonly 

 called '^two foots^' because the handles are about 2 feet in 

 length, are of great value especially in peach and plum 

 orchards. Much of the pruning can be done with such shears 

 in all bearing orchards. Generally speaking the single-acting 



