18 



Spraying Machines. 



[APRIL, 



engines and spraying men being in the waggons, the men using 

 very long tubes, which they work among the branches when 

 necessary. In this country trees are much more thickly planted, 

 and such a plan of operating, except possibly in cherry orchards, 

 would not be feasible. 



The steam-spraying system introduced by Messrs. Merry- 

 weather & Sons, of Long Acre, London, is adapted to the 

 spraying of lofty trees, as well as trees and bushes of ordinary 

 size. Their " Valiant " steam pumping engine, well known as a 

 fire-engine, with a main pipe and branches of rubber hose, is in 

 use in some of the large fruit plantations. It is a portable 

 engine, and is made in three sizes, with pumping capacities of 

 840, 1,200, and 1,700 gallons per hour respectively. By the 

 engine of the second size 600 gallons per hour can be pumped 

 through two miles of i^-in. pipe on the level or through half a 

 mile of such pipe to the height of 1 50 ft. above the pump level. 

 This gives some idea of the force that can be utilised. Or, to 

 be more specific, the steam pump will propel a liquid from a 

 | .-in. nozzle to the height of 90 ft. By means of the main and 

 branch pipes an area of 240 ft. by 120 ft. can be sprayed without 

 shifting the main. From six to fifteen sprayers can be kept at 

 work at one time, according to the size of engine used. It is 

 hardly necessary to state that the engine can also be used for 

 various farm purposes. The same manufacturers supply a 

 spraying machine of the capacity of 40 gallons wheeled by 

 hand, but worked by a petrol motor ; also a more powerful 

 petrol motor pump, the " Hatfield." 



Messrs. Drake & Fletcher also make spraying portable or 

 fixed oil engines, combined with vertical ram pumps driven by 

 gearing or belt, for pumping spray-liquor to fruit or hop planta- 

 tions to fill spraying machines, or to use for spraying direct from 

 the piping. 



From the preceding descriptions it will be seen that much 

 •enterprise has been directed to spraying machinery in recent 

 years. 



William E. Bear. 



