1746. The pruning-saw (fig. 373.) is a blade of steel, serrated in what is called the double manner on one side, and is either jointed, like a folding pruning-knife; jointless, as the common knife; shaped like a carpenter's saw (fig. 374.); or of some length, say with a handle of six or eight feet, as in the forest-saw (fig. 375.). The small saws are used for cutting off branches where the knife cannot easily act owing to want of room, and the forest-saw is used for cutting off large branches. In either case the section must be smoothed with the forest-chisel or pruning-knife, and, if possible, or at least in delicate cases, should always be covered with some tenacious air-excluding composition. The Indian pole-saw (fig. 378.) has a blade four inches broad and eighteen inches long, fixed to a pole handle of any required length; the line of the teeth should be inclined a few degrees from the line of the pole, to allow of the saw cutting easily without any pressure on the handle. The Indian hand-saw (fig. 379.) has a blade of the same size as that of the pole-saw, and a grip, or handle, which should be such as to bring the fore-finger and thumb of the right hand nearly to a line with the teeth of the blade. The sole advantage of these saws consists in their operating by pulling, instead of by thrusting. As they have stiffness enough to carry them through the wood when not cutting, there is no danger of breaking them during the operation. (Mem. of the Cal. Hort. Soc.)
