40 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



manure. Where there are tanks in a stable- 

 yard for the collection of the drainings, dilute 

 this with about four times its bulk of water, 

 and apply it at the rate of 50 or 60 gallons at 

 a time when the soil is moist in early summer. 

 Where the trees are not in grass the manure 

 can be lightly dug into the surface, and the 

 liquid may be supplied as in the other case. 

 Should the trees fail to respond to this treat- 

 ment, add a dressing of superphosphate of lime 

 and sulphate of potash or other similar mineral 

 manures. In many instances within our ex- 

 perience most gratifying results have followed 

 persevering attention of the character advised, 

 though it is naturally a more pleasing task to 

 plant a new orchard than attempt to restore an 

 old one. 



The gathering of fruit, the storing, packing, 

 or marketing, do not come within the scope of 

 this chapter, but are dealt with fully in other 

 portions of this work. [r. l. c] 



CHAPTER III. 



SPRAYING FRUIT-TREES. 



The devastation amongst fruit-trees caused 

 by insect and fungus pests has been serious 

 during the past quarter of a century. The 



•■> 



'1 



causes of this are various. The trees may be 

 weakened and predisposed to attacks by the 

 excessive use of stimulating manures, by over- 

 cropping, or by poor cultivation. Careful selec- 

 tion of sites, planting only healthy young trees, 

 and good cultivation are the best preventives. 

 Still, even where these are provided, atmos- 

 pheric and other conditions may prevail which 

 favour the development and increase of both 

 insects and fungi, and organized methods of 

 prevention or cure become necessary. The 

 adoption of such means is now compulsory in 

 some countries ; the careless cultivator who 

 allows his trees to become infested without an 

 effort to check the evil is regarded as a source 

 of public danger, and is dealt with accordingly. 

 Important assistance has been rendered to 

 cultivators by the invention of improved ap- 

 paratus for the distribution of liquid substances 

 over trees and plants. The ordinary syringe 

 which has long been used in gardens is both 

 wasteful and inefficient for the purpose, and 

 the majority of garden-engines or hand-pumps 

 are almost as unsatisfactory. When, however, 

 the various forms of spray-nozzles were intro- 

 duced, and the knapsack-machines came into 

 use, both economy and efficiency were secured. 

 With knapsacks of the "Eclair", "Notus", and 

 " Antipest " types any liquid insecticide or 

 fungicide can be easily distributed over small 



• 



Fig. 836.— "Vermovel" Two-discharge Nozzle. Fig. 837.— " Vermorel" Four-discharge Nozzle. 



Fig. 838.—" Masson" Spray Nozzle. 



trees, both on the upper and under surfaces of 

 the foliage, and a man with one of these ma- 

 chines strapped on his back can effectually spray 

 hundreds of trees in a day. 



In the ordinary form of knapsack the reser- 

 voir, which is of thin copper, will carry three 

 gallons of liquid, and the whole machine, when 

 full, weighs about 35 lbs. It is furnished with 

 a pump and agitator which are both worked by 

 the same action, and the object of the latter is 

 to ensure the thorough mixing of the solution 

 while in use. 



This is forced into a small chamber, and 

 thence through a perforated cap or nozzle in a 

 finely-divided spray. The regulation of the fine- 

 ness is provided for in most of the knapsacks 

 used in this country by nozzles having different- 

 sized apertures which can be removed or affixed 

 as desired, but in one form in use in America 

 and Canada this can be regulated by a small 

 T-shaped tap on the nozzle itself. Forms of 

 nozzles for affixing to hose-pipes are shown in 

 figs. 836, 837, and 838. Fig. 836 represents a 

 "Vermorel" nozzle with two discharges, each 



