CONFERENCE ON SPRAYING OF FRUIT TREES. 



343 



top of a machine, catching in nearly every tree as it goes up and down 

 the rows. 



Now for the mounting of the machine. Providing you can get a 

 pump that can be adapted to it, I think there is nothing more handy for 

 a container than a paraffin barrel. The pump can be mounted either on 

 the top or on the side as desired. If it is wished to put the tackle in a 

 cart, mounting on the end is best, involving less labour in fixing in the 

 cart, all that will be required being a few light stay irons screwed into the 

 bottom of the cart and bolted to the barrel. For going in amongst bush 

 fruit mounting on the side is better, involving less risk of overturning at 

 the ends, and being much easier to work in all ways. For summer work 

 we mount this on a small long trolley carrying the wheels well in front 

 and behind the barrel, thus enabling them to be of narrow gauge. The 

 two front wheels are mounted on a little sweep or lock allowing them to 

 turn right round underneath the machine ; thus the latter can be twisted 

 round almost anywhere. We have just two eyes or shacks, both front and 

 back, in which to hook the chain trace used for the pony, and we find by 

 this rig we can travel up and down most of our berries and red currants, 

 even in the fruiting season, with very little damage. In winter time it is 

 best to mount the barrel on a couple of runners like a sleigh, as the small 

 iron wheels are inclined to cut in deeply in the wet soil, especially if 

 the machine has to travel two or three times in the same valley. 



I fear there has been a lot of personal element in this paper, but one 

 can only speak in a case like this from experience of what one has seen 

 and done oneself. What I have given you is what little we have learned 

 during the last fifteen years' experience of spraying, and as such I trust 

 you will pardon what may seem gross egotism. 



I have said little to you of the various quantities for making the spray 

 fluids for two reasons : first, that there are gentlemen here who are 

 specialists in that line ; and secondly, that we have found it best in the 

 long run to buy a good many of the complicated washes and emulsions 

 already mixed, it only being generally necessary to dilute with a certain 

 quantity of water. We endeavour to deal with firms of chemical manu- 

 facturers whom we can fully trust, whose machinery as well as their skill 

 enables them to make up these things far better than we can ; and 

 furthermore makes it more possible to leave a gang of sprayers alone for 

 five minutes, secure in the knowledge that they have only the child's work 

 of putting so many pints of mixture in so many gallons of water when 

 they require a fresh lot of spray fluid. I have mentioned no name of any 

 firm in this paper, but all growers should find out for themselves firms in 

 whom reliance can be placed, and whose word can be believed, that when 

 they say a certain wash will kill a certain thing the grower may know it 

 has been proved effectual for it ; or that when they say that such and 

 such a machine will stand reasonable use, it will not break down the first 

 day and every succeeding one. 



I am very glad this Conference has been started, and I only hope that 

 much good may be accomplished, that we may all spend what money we 

 spend on spraying to greater profit in the future than we have been able 

 to do in the past. 



