The first garden hoses didn't have fancy spray settings. Water just poured out the open end, often washing away soil and damaging seedlings. By the late 1800s, inventors patented brass nozzles allowing gardeners to finally have a gentle shower. Over time gardeners wanted more control of watering delicate plants. Amazingly, many of today's familiar garden nozzle settings like mist, jet, shower, and fan appeared on water nozzle patents over a century ago. Garden nozzles now are lighter and sophisticated, but their purpose is unchanged: helping to water plants without blasting them over.
Growing Home - The History of the Garden Nozzle
