SPRAY PUMPS.--The application of the foregoing spray mixtures is fully
as important as the sprays themselves, for on the right application at
the right time depends the efficacy of the spray. For this purpose a
considerable amount of special machinery has been devised. Lack of
space prevents us from going into much detail on this question, so we
must be content with merely outlining the different types of machines
and mentioning their accessories. Sprays are forced through single,
double or triple acting pumps, either by hand or power. The three
types of power available are traction, compressed air, and gasoline,
the last being the most used. Steam power is practically obsolete.
The knapsack is the simplest type of hand pump, but it is of no
practical use in the mature apple orchard. For small orchards and
small trees several types of hand pumps are quite effective. The lever
type of pump, where the handle is pushed from and pulled toward the
operator, probably gives the most power with the least tiring effect,
because it enables one to use the weight of the body to some extent.
It is best not to have the pump attached to the spray barrel or tank,
but set on a movable base of its own, as then it can be used for any
one of a number of barrels. Such an outfit may be obtained for from
twenty-five to forty dollars.
It is well to buy a standard make of pump, preferably from a nearby
dealer, so that repairs may be readily secured. For all orchards up to
three or four acres in size, and for larger orchards where the trees
are not over twelve or fifteen feet in height, this kind of spray rig
is the most practicable and advisable, when the expense is taken into
consideration. This applies especially to the general farm.
The power of a traction sprayer is developed from the wheels. There is
much discussion as to whether sufficient power to throw an effective
spray can be supplied by this method. By accumulating considerable
pressure by extra driving at the ends of the rows and then skipping
every other tree in order to keep up the pressure, going over the rows
twice, a very satisfactory pressure can be obtained for trees which
are not too large. The argument for this type of machine, and it is
especially applicable on the general farm, is that it can be used for
other spraying on the farm as well as for the apple orchard,
especially for potatoes and small fruits. It is a comparatively cheap
type of power, particularly when it can be used for several purposes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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