338 PEAR GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 



working steadily with water handy for filling tanks, 10 tanks, or 2,000 

 gallons, per day may be applied. It often requires, for thorough work, 

 10 gallons of spray for every average-sized bearing tree, thus the services 

 of three men are required to spray 200 trees per day, or an average of 

 66f trees per man. In the E. A. Gammon orchard, which is piped as 

 described later, it is not difficult to force 1,000 gallons of spray per day 

 through each lead of hose. It is stated by Mr. Gammon that 10,400 

 gallons were applied from 10 leads of hose in one day. To apply the 

 same amount of spray with power sprayers it would require the use of 

 five ordinary machines and at least fifteen men to operate them. 

 Counting on an average of 10 gallons per tree, each man holding a hose 

 in the Gammon system would spray approximately 100 trees on an 

 average per day. If quicker service than this was desired an addi- 

 tional number of hose connections could be provided. The amount of 

 spray applied per tree is often less than 10 gallons and depends very 

 largely on the spray being applied and the pest that it is expected to 

 control. 



In order that readers may have as many specific details as possible 

 regarding the piping system of spraying, two systems in use in Sacra- 

 mento River pear orchards will be described. The first system that was 

 installed, as far as the writer has been able to learn, is that in the 

 Hayward Reed orchard, close to Sacramento, in Yolo County. 



HAYWARD REED SYSTEM. 



Like many others among the pear growers, Mr. Reed experienced 

 great difficulty in getting his orchard sprayed at the right time each 

 spring, because of late rains and wet soil. The dread disease, scab, 

 which requires an early spray for its control, often played havoc with 

 the fruit crop because of the impossibility of spraying at just the right 

 time. Being a man of a progressive nature, Mr. Reed conceived the 

 idea, nine years ago, of laying pipes throughout his orchard through 

 which the spray could be forced from a central pumping plant, and 

 spraying could be done at any time that men could walk among the 

 trees. Since that time, he has demonstrated that such a system is prac- 

 tical, efficient and economical in its operation, and as the gasoline-power 

 outfit has superseded the old hand pump so it is safe to predict that in 

 the larger orchards at least the piping system will supersede the gasoline- 

 power outfit. 



At present the Reed equipment consists of a "Bean Giant" four- 

 cylinder pump located near the center of his orchard, and run by an 

 electric motor. . From the pump a one-inch pipe is laid 18 inches deep, 

 and extending throughout the entire length of the orchard in one direc- 

 tion. Every seven rows apart and at right angles to the main pipe 

 f-inch pipes with service cocks every seventh tree extend in the opposite 

 direction across the orchard. These pipes are laid close in to the tree 

 rows, and are deep enough so that there is no danger of a plow disturb- 

 ing them. The service pipes for attachment of spray hose are located 

 close to the trees where they do not interfere with plowing. The rows 

 of trees are 17 J feet apart and the trees in rows 20 feet. One man only 

 is required to handle each hose and sprays 49 trees from each hose 

 connection. 



