1920s copper sprayer for olive groves

This historic olive sprayer, dating back to the 1920s, features a copper barrel mounted on a sturdy iron wheelbarrow. On the upper part of the structure, there is a metal pump to which a long rubber hose and a metal nozzle were connected, designed to facilitate the spraying of olive trees. On the side of the barrel, the "FRATELLI CASAROTTI - PADOVA" factory trademark is embossed in two lines, in cursive lettering, as a testament to its origin.

The sprayer was designed and used exclusively on flat terrain for treating olive trees with Bordeaux mixture, replacing the heavy backpack sprayers.
Bordeaux mixture is one of the first copper-based products introduced in the agricultural sector. The fungicidal action of the Bordeaux mixture, discovered by A. Millardet in 1885, is particularly effective in combating fruit tree diseases and is also suitable for use in organic farming. It is still widely used today to protect olive trees. The mixture is called "mixture" because it consists of copper sulfate, with an acidic pH, and calcium hydroxide, with an alkaline pH.