Part III. Spraying Machinery. 



A trial of machinery suitable for the sprajin,^ of potatoes was 

 made July 18 upon the farm of J. S. Coombs, Stafford, Genesee 

 Co., N. Y. All manufacturers were invited to be present and to 

 exhibit machines, for the held which Mr. Coombs kindly placed at 

 their disposal was particularly well adapted for such a trial. The 

 land was perfectly level, well cultivated, and the plants only about 

 one-third grown. The farm is accessible from three railroads, and 

 no more favorable conditions could have been desired. The circular 

 letter addressed to the mannfacturers stated that the normal Bor- 

 deaux mixture (see page 312) would be applied, as this would give 

 them an opportunity to work their machines under actual field 

 conditions. 



Upon the appointed day, the following manufacturers were rep- 

 resented : Aspinwall Mfg. Co., Jackson, Mich. ; Deming Co., 

 Salem, O. ; W. & B. Douglas, Middletown, Conn. ; Excelsion Co., 

 New Haven, Conn. ; Leggett & Bro., 301 Pearl St., New York ; 

 F. E. Meyers & Bro., Ashland, O. ; Potter & Ware, Batavia, N. 

 Y. (exhibited a machine made for their own use) ; Seth K. Samms, 

 Byberry, Philadelphia, Pa. ; J. K. Steitz, Cudahy, Wis. ; Stude- 

 baker Mfg. Co., South Bend, Ind. The machines shown by these 

 ten exhibitors were of very varied nature ; small bucket pumps, 

 barrel pumps, power sprayers, gravity sprayers, and powder guns 

 were to be found among them. Twenty machines were exhibited, and 

 most of them were tried in the field, each manufacturer having at 

 his disposal an acre of land. 



Before the field work was commenced, a committee of local 

 potato growers was appointed ; this committee was to judge of the 

 merits of the various machines, considering them from the stand- 

 point of practical growers. The men selected by the local Grange 

 were as follows : J. G. Fargo, E. D. Rumsey. J. H. Potter, C. E. 

 Shepard, all of Batavia ; and J. Lathrop, of Morgan ville. Follow- 

 ing is the report of the committee : 



