278 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



COMPRESSED AIR FOR SPRAYING. 



EXCELLENT WORK WITH A NEW CONTRIVANCE — ADVAN- 

 TAGES OF A LOW-DOWN CART. 



By A. I. Loop, of Pomisylvania. 



Fig. 271 shows the manner of charging the air tanks, while Fig. 272 

 shows the machine in operation. The rig is perhaps a little expensive, but 

 it does the work fast — just as fast as you wish to — and the hard work is a 

 thing of the past. The entire outfit consists of a two-horsepower gasoline 

 engine and a Clayton No. (> air compressor mounted on a one-horse wagon, 

 as shown in Fig. 271, and two two-wheeled carts carrying the air and mixture 

 tanks. Each cart is supposed to carry two tanks of fifty to one hundred 

 gallons each. The photo shows three tanks. I had intended to use a small 

 tank for air and have the initial pressure two hundred pounds, but in prac- 

 tice I found it better to have more air space and lower pressure, so I added 

 another tank. The two tanks are connected together bygone quarter-inch 

 gas pipe and shut-ort' valve. Each tank has a steam gauge to show at all 

 times the amount of pressure inside it. One tank has a hose connection 

 with common union coupling to attach it to air compressor. The other tank 

 has a large pipe connection at bottom. This pipe turns up behind the tank 

 and terminates with a large valve — refilling valve. Near the turn of the 

 large pipe is a tee connection having attached two lines of hose, as shown in 

 the picture: of course more lines can be connected if thought best. The 

 energy is stored before commencing work, so the number of nozzles used 

 has no bearing on the quality of the work done. 



The carts are very simple aft'airs, home-made; two thills with three cross 

 pieces, all bolted together, with the tanks strap-bolted to cross pieces. The 

 first picture shows how the engine and air-pump are mounted on a heavy 

 one-horse wagon, so as to be easily moved to any point where it is most con- 

 venient to water to fill spray tank. Operation is as follows: One cart is 

 backed up to the compressor, as shown in first pictm-e ; the hose is connected 

 (about ten seconds' work) and engine started. The operator then takes a 

 large wooden pail or tub with short piece of pipe in bottom that fits the re- 

 filling valve, opens a little relief valve at top of spray tank, and pours the 

 mixture in. By the time the operator gets the mixture tank full, the engine 

 has got uji a i^ressure of one hui:idred and twenty-five pounds in the air tank 

 and is ready to begin operations. The machine is now ready for use ; is dis- 

 connected from the compressor and driven to orchard. When ready to throw 

 spray, the valve in small pipe connecting air to mixture tank is opened a 

 little. In two or three seconds the gauge on mixture tank will show fifty or 

 sixty pounds pressure. This is about the right pressure to throw a dense fog 

 of spray — as long as nozzles are in use the little valve is left open slightly, so 

 that the pressure in the spray tank is constant at fifty to sixty pounds. If the 



