3o 



AN AUTOMATIC ACITATOK. 



One of the greatest obstacles to the successful use of fungicides 

 and insecticides has been that of keeping the solid particles of the 

 mixture in suspension so that a uniform quantity can be put on all 

 parts of the trees or plants sprayed. To overcome this ditliculty 

 many appliances have been made to agitate the liquids so that these 

 particles should not settle, and the improvements during the past 

 season have been largely in the material of which the exposed parts 

 of the pumps are made and appliances for keeping the solid particles 

 of the spraying mixture in suspension. 



We again present an agitator which has been found effective and 

 easy of construction by any one accustomed to the use of ordinary 

 tools and which is given to the public in the hope that it will make 

 the results of spraying with the Bordeaux mixture and Paris green 

 more uniform, safe and satisfactor3^ 



This contrivance, shown at Fig. 1, is made for use with the barrel 

 lying on its side, which we consider the best way to carry it, and 

 consists of an arm (A) of flat iron one-eighth inch thick and seven- 

 eighths inch wide, attached to the handle of the pump and entering 

 the barrel about six or eight inches from its head. This arm is 

 attached to an elbow (B), with arms six inches in length, which is 

 fastened into a socket about four inches in length, that is bolted to 

 the head of the barrel at (C). At the lower end of the elbow is 

 attached a short arm (D), which is joined to the long arm that carries 

 the dashers or agitators (E). This joint is necessary in order that 

 the dashers may lie on the bottom of the barrel, and not be lifted up 

 at every stroke of the pump. With the movement of the pump 

 handle, the dashers made of wood move backward and forward over 

 the entire bottom of the barrel, thus keeping the liquid in constant 

 motion. In order that the liquid that may have settled on the bottom 

 may be stirred thoroughly before starting the pump, the arm (A) is 

 fitted to the pump handle by a slot (F), so that it may be quickly 

 slipped otl' and worked upward and downward a few times before 

 beginning to pump. All the parts are made of flat iron one-eighth 

 inch thick by three-fourths inch wide, and can be made by one having 

 facilities for cutting such iron and drilling holes to fasten it together. 

 The parts are held together b}' short stove bolts. The dashers are 

 fastened to the rod by a screw passing through it. 



In the adjustment of this apparatus to the barrel, the pump must 

 be brought near enough to the end of tiie barrel to allow of the full 



