136 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I ■ 



SPRAYING EQUIPMENT. 



There are a few simple pointers in regard to arrangement and care 

 of spraying equipment that I desire to mention. One thing I notice is 

 that an extraordinary large number of fruit growers do not have con- 

 venient mixing stations, they are poorly arranged or too far distant 

 from the orchards or vineyards. Some of our largest and most success- 

 full growers require a half to three-quarters of an hour to prepare and 

 load a batch of spray mixture. Others do it in a very few minutes. 

 Many grape growers load up in seven to ten minutes and spray out 

 eight to ten 100-gallon tanks a day. Few fruit growers spray out more 

 than five or six 200-gallon spray tanks a day. One man on the Old Mis- 

 sion Peninsula averaged nine and ten daily this past summer and he 

 had the best results in spraying ever secured on that farm. 



In such cases as those, nearly every minute of every spraying day is 

 used up in actually applying spray materials to the trees and vines and 

 that is where it counts; that is where the insects and diseases find it. 

 Every minute which can be saved in the mixing and going to and from 

 the orchard is a great advantage and Michigan fruit growers must pay 

 more attention to that feature. 



THE BAUMB HYDROMETERS. 



Most fruit growers now use the commercial lime-sulphur solution 

 both as a dormant and summer spray. This is diluted according to its 

 strength as determined by the Baum6 hydrometer. Barrels of different 

 brands and different barrels of the same brand may differ considerably 

 in their strength hence every fruit grower should have a Baume hydro- 

 meter similar to the one I hold in my hand and test every barrel and 

 then, having determined the strength, refer to the table of dilutions 

 found on the back page of the College Spray Calendar and dilute ac- 

 cordingly. If we all did that and noted the results during the season, 

 the next year we would be able to tell whether to use the material 

 stronger or weaker. Every lime sulphur user needs a Baume hydro- 

 meter. 



CARE OF THE SPRAY TANK AND PUMP. 



After every day's spraying, clean water should be run through the 

 tank, pump, hose, nozzles, etc., to clean out all sediment, scaly deposit 

 and so on from those parts. Then at the close of each separate spray- 

 ing, particular pains should be taken to do this. But at the close of the 

 season, after thoroughly cleaning the entire outfit, it should be thorough- 

 ly oiled to prevent rusting, sticking, etc. Those who perform these few 

 tasks find their spraying decidedly more effective and pleasant, their 

 outfits last much longer and give a minimum of trouble and when spray- 

 ing time comes in the spring, they are able to utilize every favorable day 

 to big advantage. Those who do not, usually spend the first day or twio 

 cleaning, scraping and washing the corroded and stuck up parts, insects 

 and diseases get started in the meantime, poor results are secured and 

 they finally decide spraying is not a profitable or effective operation and 

 give up in despair or disgust. 



