|
the plants in the form of a very fine powder which is largely dependentupon atmospheric moisture to make it stick to the plant. Dust spraysare used more often in a commercial way than by the average amateurwhen protecting ornamental plants, and this form of spray is notadapted to all the chemicals used, as, for instance, the oil and tobaccoextract sprays. Sometimes poisons are mixed with bait and spreadupon the ground near the plants to be protected, but this again is notspraying in the generally accepted sense of the word. Outfits for Spraying. There are various spraying outfits adapted tothe various requirements dependent on the amount of work to be doneand the physical difficulties to be overcome. Probably the best smalloutfit for the amateur is the knapsack sprayer which can be easilytransported and even carried up into the tops of trees if necessary.This consists of an airtight receptacle for the spray mixture, whichmay be strapped to the back in such a way as to easily allow thepressure to be kept up with one hand while the nozzle attached to ashort length of hose is manipulated in the other hand. The bestknapsack sprayers have a copper tank holding about four gallons ofliquid, a brass pump, and an air pressure chamber which insures asteady stream. They weigh fifty pounds when full of liquid. Acheaper pump of about the same type but small capacity is the bucketpump which can be used with any bucket or pail. This is harder totransport about and not so satisfactory in other ways as a knapsacksprayer. There are various types of hand-operated barrel outfits.Sometimes the barrel is mounted on large wheels so that it can beeasily moved about with a pump installed in the head of the barrel, orsometimes a larger hand-operated pump is mounted on a cart beside abarrel or tank. Such an outfit will take care of all but the tallesttrees and is about the largest suitable for amateur spraying. It hasenough capacity to take care of considerable spraying and enoughpressure to insure a fine spray reaching all parts of even large plants.For occasionally spraying small shrubs and such plants as perennialsand annual flowering herbs a small hand force pump is a very con-venient one to have. These small pumps hold a quart of liquid in aglass or copper retainer. |
|||
|
