To keep the apples from getting wormy, which they do most years, Dad had to spray them. Over the years he experimented with different sprayers and finally settled on the one I use now.
The B Allis, 1951 I think, has a pto water pump connected with input hose to a water tank and sends pressurized spray out through the nozzle.
The B was balky this spring so a new switch, starter switch, plugs, filing the points and some timing got it going after a week waiting for parts in the mail. Then I stripped the set screw that holds the pump to the PTO shaft, so had to get a tap to make new threads. Finally got it all working and tested and will spray the apples early tomorrow morning when it is cool.
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| Mr Petersen, my high school metal shop teacher would be proud of me! I had to buy a tap to go from 5/16 to 3/8, next size larger. Drill it out, then run the thread cutting tap through the hole so a bolt will again tighten. |
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| The tap is through. I oiled it to help make it go easily, but with aluminum, not really very hard. |
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| All tightened and ready for the summer. The chain is to hold the pump from rotating. Simple setup! |
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| Filling the tank with water. The 100 gallon galvanized tank came from the upstairs of an old log house. The farmer pumped water from the pump shed by overhead pipe to the tank and then had gravity water feed in the kitchen. Same thing on our farm when I was young. |
I only spray Sevin insecticide every 2 weeks from June through a few weeks before picking time. This helps with coddling moth, apple maggot, and miscellaneous other leaf and fruit bugs. I don't use fungicides for apple scab as they are much more dangerous to spray for the sprayer.
The tractor starts easily. It runs smoothly on all 4 cylinders. I bought 2 gallons of oil and a new filter so I can change the oil.
When I was young, Dad had only 1 tractor, the Super C. Then he bought an old Farmall F14 so we boys could pull the drag, hay wagon, and other light work -- two tractors for more drivers. We parked it on the hill and coasted it to start as it didn't have a starter.
Then he traded the F14 in on a Ford Jubilee (1953) so he had a loader tractor. Then he added a bigger tractor -- Farmall 450. Then he bought the B Allis. He also used Everett's Farmall M. Finally he bought a Farmall 350 for his retirement tractor. I have the 350, the Ford he passed along to sister-in-law Connie after Byron died so they would have a good driveway plow. The 450 died and was parted out. The first tractor, Super C was used for parts for a second Super C (which I still have). I also have a WD Allis, Ford 2n (like a 9n) and a Cletrac crawler. A tractor for every machine!
