An apparatus for applying preservative grease to an erected utility pole or the like comprises an injection tool in the form of a spade adapted to be driven into the ground, the spade providing internal passageways opening into the concave operative face of the spade. The spade is actuated by a hydraulic ram, powered by the preservative material under pressure, the ram serving also as a metering device for regulating the quantities of material injected in accordance with the vertical movements of the spade.
