As I start to think about pruning the roses later this month, even in our small garden it&#;s a job requiring secateurs, bypass and anvil loppers, and a long handled pruner with a pole-mounted blade, operated by pulling a cord.  These indispensable tools have their origins in early 19th century France, and over time, they began to replace the traditional pruning knives and bill-hooks used in previous centuries.

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Figures pour l&#;almanach du bon jardinier: Répresentant les Utensiles le plus généralement employés dans la culture des Jardins () contains a wonderful visual record of the range of tools available to French gardeners at this time, showing older items alongside new introductions.  Tools for pruning include shears used for trimming hedges and borders, a basic pole pruner operated by a cord, pruning knives, croissants or semi-circular pruning hooks which could be attached to poles of different lengths, and saws of various sizes.

There&#;s also an illustration of the sécateur &#; a brand new pruning tool invented by  M. le marquis Bertrand de Moleville.   (A royalist, Moleville lived as an exile in England during the years of the French Revolution, returning to France when it was safe for him to do so.)  Developed for for use in viticulture, the text explains how the summer pruning of vines was made more efficient using the new tool, claiming that the gardener was able to achieve in just one hour with the sécateur what would have taken four using the traditional serpette, or pruning knife.

The illustration of the sécateur is given a whole page to itself in the edition, indicating its importance.  In just a decade, by the time the third edition of this book was published in , the extraordinary influence of the sécateur can be seen in a whole range of new or improved pruning tools, using its bypass blade technology.

The sécateur appears to have attracted the interest of a Paris based firm of engineers, Arnheiter and Petit.  As well as manufacturing new tools to the specification of independent designers, the company developed tools themselves.   In the s they produced the ébranchoir, or &#;tres-grands secateur&#; &#; we would call it a lopper &#; and produced three échenilloirs, or tree pruners, a vast improvement of an existing tool said to have come originally from Germany (see illustration XX).

Their loppers use the same design principle as the sécateur, but on a larger scale, allowing branches of greater diameter to be cut effectively.  The first has handles around one and half feet in length and can cut branches the diameter of a thumb.  Made entirely of steel, it must have been quite heavy to use.  The second lopper cuts branches of the same diameter, and can be used on taller trees.  Both arms of this ébranchoir end in sockets which were attached to wooden poles, giving the tool greater reach, but without making it too heavy.  The échenilloirs, or tree pruners, benefitted from refined mechanisms and a reach of ten feet.

Two tools illustrated on the page below were specifically for cutting roses.  Object 3 in the diagram is a version of the sécateur called the sécateur-cueille-rose.  The other tool, which resembles a pair of ornate scissors, (objects 1 & 2) is a cueille-rose or donne-rose and was marketed for use by women.  The text includes the address of a shop in the rue Saint-Jacques in Paris which sold it.

Looking at my own pruning tools today, it&#;s surprising how little the designs have changed.  My secateurs are sprung, and have plastic handles, but are broadly similar to Moleville&#;s original.  Our tree pruner (inherited from my father and probably made in the s) is essentially the same as the pulley version made by Arnheiter and Petit, apart from its modern aluminium handle and plastic cord.  Our bypass loppers have telescopic handles and an anvil blade (introduced later in the 19th century) &#; but these tools from France developed two hundred years ago, over a remarkably short ten year period, are still vital for the 21st century gardener.

Links to both editions of Figures pour l&#;almanach du bon jardinier below &#; and some coloured plates from the edition of the book showing spades, cloches and wheelbarrows and watering cans &#; nothing to do with pruning, but because they evoke the period so well.

Further reading:

Figures pour l&#;almanach du bon jardinier second edition

Figures pour l&#;almanach du bon jardinier third edition

Related

The history of electric pruning shears

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Electric pruning shears,as an efficient and convenient gardening tool,are increasingly favored by people in modern life.Its emergence has greatly reduced the labor intensity of horticulturists and improved the efficiency of pruning operations.This article will take you back to the development process of electric pruning shears,from manual pruning to automatic pruning.

1&#;The era of manual pruning and pruning

Before the emergence of electric pruning shears,people mainly relied on manual pruning shears for horticultural pruning operations.The manual pruning cutter consists of scissors,a handle,and a locking mechanism,and is trimmed by hand force.However,manual trimming has lower efficiency,prolonged work can easily cause arm fatigue,and the accuracy and effectiveness of trimming are also limited by the operator&#;s skills and experience.

2&#;The rise of electric pruning shears

With the continuous development of technology,electric tools have gradually entered people&#;s vision.Electric pruning shears have emerged,using electric motors instead of hand force to provide stronger and more stable power output.Early electric pruning shears were usually powered by wired power sources,which were bulky and inconvenient to carry.However,compared to manual trimming,electric trimming has greatly improved efficiency and comfort.

3&#;Technological progress and portable electric pruning shears

With the continuous advancement of battery technology and the miniaturization of motors,portable electric pruning shears have gradually become the mainstream in the market.This electric pruning shears are powered by rechargeable batteries,have a small size,light weight,and are easy to carry and use.Meanwhile,with the diversification of user needs,the functions of electric pruning shears are becoming increasingly diverse.For example,the cutting length can be adjusted and different trimming accessories can be equipped to meet the needs of different plants and trimming operations.Related reading:What is electric pruning shears

4&#;Future outlook

In the future,with the integration and application of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things,electric pruning shears are expected to achieve intelligent and automated development.For example,through intelligent sensors and control systems,electric pruning shears can automatically identify plant types,growth conditions,and pruning needs,achieving precise pruning.At the same time,wireless remote control,adaptive speed regulation and other functions will further improve the convenience and efficiency of electric pruning shears.

In addition,the popularization of environmental protection concepts has also put forward new requirements for electric pruning shears.In the future,electric pruning shears will pay more attention to energy efficiency,reduce noise and vibration,and use renewable energy to achieve green and environmentally friendly pruning operations.

In summary,the history of electric pruning shears has evolved from manual to automatic,from bulky to lightweight,and from single to diverse.With the continuous development of technology,electric pruning shears will continue to be improved and perfected,bringing more convenience and efficient work experience to horticulturists.Whether it is home gardening or professional green maintenance,electric pruning shears will play an increasingly important role in the future horticulture field.

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