4 



Spraying of Fruit Trees. 



particles of water may instantly be made coarser, and the 

 water thus carried to a greater distance, or still coarser and 

 the water leave the hose in the form of a solid stream. The 

 nozzle never clogs, but is cleared automatically, and as quickly 

 as the character of the spray is varied. In fact it possesses 

 all the desirable qualities of a spray nozzle except durability, 

 and for this we must turn to the metals for aid." Much 

 labour and solutions of all kinds are wasted in spraying, 

 and the same nozzles are often used for quite different objects. 

 As a rule, spraying solutions should be applied in the form 

 of a fog, or mist, with impetus sufficient to let it fall like 

 gentle rain upon the buds, leaves, twigs, and branches ; but 

 there is, of course, this difficulty, that a fine mist or fog-liks 

 spray cannot be carried to any height, and for this purpose 

 there must be some volume of the solution. And if there is a 

 large volume, the force of the pump drives it quickly over 

 the parts to be sprayed, and but little of the solution is 

 deposited upon them. Mr. Lodeman holds that, if the parts 

 to be treated are not far off, a fine spray is to be preferred, as 

 there is then less waste and an even application may be made. 

 If the parts to be treated are farther away, a coarser spray, 

 he says, is required, and the more distant the object the 

 coarser the spray. He concludes that when a coarser sprav 

 is applied there is generally enough of the finer spray formed 

 to float in the air and cover parts not directly reached by it. 

 It must, however, be said that where possible it is far more 

 desirable to spray with fine than with coarse spray, and to 

 use those nozzles which have u eddy-chambers" in which two 

 streams of water strike each other at angles, rather than 

 those which discharge the water in a solid volume. In 

 short, there is as much scientific and practical knowledge 

 required in selecting proper nozzles as in making the various 

 solutions, and great improvements have been made in the last 

 few years in this direction, both in America and in this 

 country. But, as Mr. Lodeman remarks, the ideal nozzle has 

 not yet been made in metal, though some of the forms now 

 obtainable approach perfection. 



