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Tree Spraying
Spraying apple trees at the Blackwood Experimental Orchard circa 1950. The sprayer is steel wheeled and horse drawn, but engine operated to provide better pressure than a hand operated unit. The wooden spray vat had to be kept filled with water at all times (when not used for spraying) to prevent it from drying out and leaking. Later units had pneumatic tyres, steel tanks and were pulled by tractors.
At the time the spray materials used were relatively innocuous – lime sulphur for fungal diseases and lead arsenate for codling moth and other insect control. As more toxic materials were developed to control new pests such as two spotted mite a greater emphasis was placed on skin protected for the spray operator.
(Source: John Steed)