CATALOGUE OF INSECTS. 31 



CHAPTER V. 



MACHINERY. 



The difficulty in dealing with this subject arises from the fact that 

 so many changes and improvements are being constantly made in 

 machinery for applying insecticides that the apparatus found satis- 

 factory to-day may be set aside in favor of something much better by 

 the time this book is distributed. Therefore a few general rules only 

 can be given, meant to guide the farmer in purchasing. 



And first of all determine exactly what the machine is wanted for, 

 the capacity which it must have, the amount of power it is expected 

 to develop and the general range of action needed. 



Almost all leading makers of spraying machinery advertise in the 

 more widely-circulated farm papers or journals, and it is good policy 

 to study these advertisements carefully and write for a catalogue to 

 every maker who seems likely to have what is wanted. I have 

 found that, as a rule, the catalogues give a very fair description which 

 may be relied upon as essentially correct, and from these catalogues, 

 supplemented perhaps by a little correspondence, a satisfactory ma- 

 chine may be obtained. 



It is always better to do this well in advance of the time when the 

 machine is needed, as it may then be tested and its peculiarities dis- 

 covered before actual field-work is attempted. 



The highest priced apparatus is by no means always the best ; 

 but, on the other hand, it is poor policy to buy an outfit merely 

 because it is cheap. In purchasing an outfit for spraying the grand 

 essential is always a good pump, for without this nothing can be done 

 even if everything else is perfect, and with it even a crude outfit will 

 often do satisfactory work. The essentials are : brass cylinder and 

 working parts ; ball valves or brass-packed valves, requiring little or no 

 attention during the season ; a large air chamber to secure uniformity 

 of action ; stout piston-rod and pump-handle so mounted as not to be 

 easily twisted ; cylinder of moderate diameter so that a maximum 

 pressure may be obtained with a minimum amount of exertion. 

 Almost everything else is subordinate, and may be at the pleasure or 

 according to the means of the farmer. A further suggestion is to get 

 a pump of large rather than small capacity ; a little work may be 

 done with a big pump ; but much work cannot always be done with 

 a little pump. 



