Historic Hood River
Power Spray
4-20-2021
Notes
This 1918 image from the Agricultural Experiment Station shows a powerful new sprayer under test. I think there is a gasoline powered engine on that horse drawn cart allowing the researchers to spray all the way to the top of that tall tree.
Wendell
Find this very interesting from the point of view that he is spraying a tall, what looks like oak tree. Probably just spraying water to see how far that machine has the capabilities of throwing up spray.
In some instances in that time period, people had not come to the point where they necessarily pruned trees down to reasonable maintance policy. Even now cherry trees can get huge if not maintained.
My great-grandfather, who was a very early on orchardist in this valley was spraying some time prior to this date.
Jeffrey W Bryant
My Dad, Bob Bryant, was a commercial applicator of herbicides from 1964 to 1967, and claimed he owned the first commercial orchard weed or speed sprayer in the Hood River Valley.
L.E.
I wonder what the first containers that held the spray mix were made from. Did they have metal barrels back then?
James Gray
Looks like He is using the Windmaster Spray Gun.
RHD
I would guess that he’s spraying the oak tree to prevent aphids. That oak tree would drip all over those fruit trees if infested.
kmb
I wonder if the poor horses liked breathing in the spray. It’s not like they had a choice.
nels
Awesome oak tree. I actually admire oak trees and am on the hunt for the largest. Have to go on old roads to see the big ones. This one looks like a red oak. Our white oaks are scrubby and short and not so nicely proportioned. But they make wonderful homes for all kinds of critters with their internal rot.
ArthurB
Jim, I thought it might be a Windmaster too but I think this is way too early. I think the Windmaster spray gun was invented about 30 years after this.
Nellie
Have a photo of my great-grandfather’s sprayer and the contain was wood. The photo I have is earlier than this one.