The Alpha Sprayer

Horowhenua Chronicle, 7 April 1914, Page 2

The Alpha Sprayer

On Friday afternoon last the New Zealand agents (J. W. Wallace ami Co.) for the Alpha sprayers, gave a demonstration in the orchards at the State Experimental Farm at Weraroa. A fair number of people interested in spraying at i ended and toot a keen interest in the demonstration. The chief point about the Alpha sprayer is its simplicity in its working parts and the principle upon which it works. The small ones, carried in the hand for greenhouse work, or the larger ones carried knapsack fashion work exactly on the same principle, and In the same way as'tlie brazing lamp or primus stove. The reservoir is filled to about three parts its holding capacity, and air is ihen pumped in until a pressure of about lOOlbs to the square inch is obtained. The sizes of these vary from the small hand three-quart-size to the three-and-a-half gallon one. to be carried like a knapsack. The portable sprayers work on the same -rinciplo but the procedure is different. At the commencement of work, air is pumped into the compression chamber unfil the pressure is fiOlbs w> fho square inch. This takes about three-minutes' time. A semirotary force pump then pumps from the reservoir into the compression chamber five gallons of liquid, bringing the pressure- up to 1201bs to the square inch. This occupies about a minute. It fe then ready for use. Two lengths of hose and two spraying lances are fitted to the compression chamber so that two men may work off it. As the pressure goes down owing to the liquid being used tho men can take it in turns to pump more liquid into the compression chamber from the reservoir. The air pumped in at the commencement is sufficient to last all da> , and only under exceptional r'- • eumstanci-s would tin* air • ret|u 1 nml the sc.>ll d time in t i.. 1 <!. It is surprisingly simple, •«- a wonder the idea as ap; ■ .i, spraying Ims not been -f before. Tho whole i* - .V-ri on a platform carried ov m ■.> iieels and is of very ligh; -v Li. The compression chamber i- made' of lead-coated steel plates l ivetod together, and protected inside from the. corrosive effects of aeids by bitumen mastic, and tested to double tho working nre«\ire The reservoir hold* !0 <rallons and is fitted with strainers. The whole is strongly and simply made. On Friday ererythine worked satisfactorily. The spray from the" nozzles was extremely fino and nenelrrued into all parts of !Vm tree*. The Alnh'a iprnver will remain.