CPTAPTER XXIII. 



SPKAYING APPLE PLANTATIONS WITH A LARGE PLANT. 



By Lieut.-Col. Clive Murdoch, 

 of Wcstevhill, Linton, near Maidstone. 



The plant referred to in the followuig 

 estimate of the cost of spraying consists 

 of a Weeks' 3-throw pump working at a 

 normal pressure of 120lbs. per square 

 inch, driven by a 3^h.p. Blackstone port- 

 able oil engine. Both are mounted on 

 the same four-wheeled trolley, to which is 

 coupled a trailer carrying the 100-gallon 

 suction tank. Water is taken from a 

 40,000-gallon concrete reservoir, situated 



nozzles ol nearly 90lbs. per square inch, 

 almost enough to do the spraying without 

 the use of pumps. The full working pres- 

 sure on the pumps is only developed for 

 the 20 to 30 acres at the top of the hill. 

 Such advantageous conditions of working 

 must add materially to the life of both 

 engine and pumps. 



Mixing of the wash is done in two 

 100-gallon galvanised tanks, alternately, 



at the highest point on the farm. It re- 

 ceives its supply of rainwater from the ad- 

 jacent buildings. The fact that the farm 

 buildings happen to be on the topmost 

 part of the farm materially reduces the 

 working pressure, the area to be sprayed 

 being on a hillside. The lowest plantation 

 is 200 feet below the level of the reser- 

 voir, giving a static pressure at the 



one supplying the suction tank with wash 

 w^hile the "other is being filled with water 

 and the chemicals measured in. Two men 

 can keep the plant going continuously, in- 

 cluding looking after the engine. 



The "Main P^ipe is l^in. wrought iron, 

 and has a total length of 900 yards, serv- 

 ing about 160 acres of fruit plantation. 

 The use of tractor cultivation necessitates 



