Kerosene Spraying

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 100, 27 September 1948, Page 3

Kerosene Spraying

Kerosene has come into much favour in recent years as a means of killing out weeds in carrot crops. It is generally applied to a band about six inches wide along each row of carrots, the remainder of the ground being kept clean by implements. Spraying can be done at any time after the carrots have developed “fern” leaves, and most growers use two sprayings at different stages of growth. When sprayed on to larger carrots, however, the flavour of the roots is said to be seriously affected. From 40 to 50 gallons of kerosene per acre are used and application is by knapsack sprayer. The weed-killing activity of kero-

sene, and also of crude or diesel ,oil, depends apparently on certain unsaturated hydrocarbons which occur as impurities. Different batches of oil . kerosene vary in their content of the active ingredients, and so far no reliable test is known except that of actually making! trial sprayings. In using kerosene on carrots, for instance, it is advisable to spray a small area a few days in advance of the main spraying to make sure that the amount used is enough to kill the weeds without seriously affecting the carrots. The amount applied can then be reduced or increased as required. Power kerosene is generally used; it is less refined than lighting kerosene and therefore usually has more of the. toxic, properties in 'it.