A secateur is seen in the hands of every French fruit-grower, and
by its means he cuts as clean as the best knife-man with the best
knife ever whetted. They cut stakes with them almost as fast as
one could count them 5 they have recently made some large ones
for cutting stronger plants — such as the strong awkward roots of the
briars collected by the rose-growers. Of these secateurs there are
many forms, several of the best being figured here. First we have
the Secateur Vauthier (Fig. 87), a strong and handy instrument. Its
sloping semi-cylindrical handles have their outer side rough, which
gives a firm hold 5 the springs, though strong, resist the action of
the hand gently 5 the curvature of the blade and the adjustment
are perfect 3 and lastly, the principal thing, the action is so easy as
never to hurt the hand.
'^During the many years of my experience," observes M.Lachaume,
a fruit-grower who describes this implement in the Revue Horticole,
'^ I have used tools of all kinds, and the tools have also used me a
little 5 but I have never met with anything which gave me so much
satisfaction as the Secateur Vauthier. Every desirable quahty is
combined in it, and I recommend it with perfect confidence. The

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Strongest branch will not resist its cutting, nor a single branc
however well concealed, be inaccesisible to it. Moreover, d
double notch on the back of the blade and hook (in which a wi




15 shown in the figure) will enable tlie operator when employed i
his trellises to cut ^^^ry wire without using the pincers.
