THE IMPORTED ELM LEAF-BEETLE. 



19 



used strong enough to cauterize the leaves the poisonous action upon 

 the plant may be observed to continue for several weeks. 



Mechanical Means of applying the Poison. — When many trees were to 

 be sprayed a cart or wagon was employed to 

 haul the poison in a large barrel provided with 

 a stirrer, force-pump, skid, &c. The following 

 brief account of the skid, mixer, barrel, and 

 pump maybe reproduced here from our Annual 

 Report for 1882: 



Fir;. 2— Barrel ri 

 two coupling cleats, b b .■ two 

 side rests, a a ; chamfered con- 

 cave, cc. 



The skid is a simple frame to hold the horizontal barrel 

 from rolling, and consists of two pieces (Fig. 2 a a) of 

 wood, about the length of the barrel, and in section about 



3 by 4 inches, joined parallel, apart from each other, by two cleats, b b. The inner 

 tipper angles may be cut to match, the curve of the barrel, as at c c. The barrel being 

 placed upon this frame is next to be filled. 



A good device for mixing the poison thoroughly with, the water and for filling the 



barrel is shown in section in Fig. 3. It consists of a large funnel that will hold a 



bucketful, and has cylindrical sides, q g, that rest conformant on the barrel. In this 



is a gauze or finely perforated diaphragm, or septum, d. and a funnel base, 1 1, with 



out, p. inserted through the bung. 



(L 



Fig. 3.— Stirrer pump with barrel and mixer funnel in notion . fun- 

 n. 1, u ; its cylindrical sides. jj ; funnel base, t ' . spout. ;> . (in bun.: 

 hole, k). ^auze septum, d ,• barrel, k k .- trunnions, i ; trunnion 

 e ; wed £e, v ; lever-fulcrum,/,- pump lever, ii; swing of the . 

 head and piston top. a b c ,- cylinder packing cap, e .• cylinder. . 

 BWing, x ii ; stirrer loop or eye, /( .• .stirrer bar, m n ,• rope, 

 buns, r z. 



By reference to Fig. 3, the barrel, k, will be seen in section, and some of its details, 

 together with those of the pump and stirrer, may be noticed. The fulcrum,/, QM a 

 foot below, screwed to the barrel. Through its top is a pivot, o, on which tilt^ the 

 pump-lever, /. which is similarly hinged at b to the top of the piston-rod, t. The 

 pomp-cylinder, <j. is also hung upon trunnions, j, projecting into eyes. In this illus- 

 tration the eyes, e e . have each a neck fitting in a slot cut through the stave, oppo- 

 sitely from tie- side of the bung-hole, and beneath the stave is a foot on the eye-piece. 

 ok is so short that the eye is held down firmly against the top oC the stave, 

 while the foot is as tight against its under surface. The length o( its eye-piece is * 

 little less than the diameter of the bung-hole, into which it may be inserted to be 



