R.B.BUCHANAN SEED CQ MEMPHIS,TENNESSEE 
BUCHANAN’S FRUIT TREES, GRAPES AND BERRY PLANTS 
Pruning Fruit Trees 
Pruning or trimming fruit trees is 
intended to shape them for earliest and 
best bearing over the longest period, to 
improve fruit quality, and prevent dis¬ 
ease. Wrong pruning of young trees 
delays bearing, and in older trees may 
leave the tops too dense or too open. 
Pruning is done at any convenient 
time from December 1st until spring 
growth begins, except during freezing 
weather. Spraying in winter will be 
easier if the pruning has been done 
first. 
PEACHES—In the peach we desire 
a rather open center, so that light may 
enter freely. June-budded trees when 
first planted are headed back to 18-20 
inches, if branches below this point are rightly distributed and have 
strong buds. Three to five of these branches are selected, the others 
pruned close to the trunk. The selected ones are cut back to two or 
three buds. Two-year-old nursery trees with branches starting not 
over three feet from the ground should not be cut below this point. 
We wish an open center ; hence during the winter following the first 
year’s growth we remove new branches that run to the center. The 
principal side limbs chosen the first year are retained, but cut back 
to 24-30 inches. Suckers from the root or from the lower trunk are 
removed. 
The trees may bear a little fruit during the next summer. Study the 
trees to distinguish between fruit and leaf buds. Leave a dozen or more 
15-18 inch shoots with fruit buds, whether they are in the center of 
the tree or not. Prune out large limbs running to the center. Head 
back to lateral shoots the principal out limbs, especially those that are 
greatly outgrowing the others. 
By the third year peach trees will vary so much in size and condition 
that directions for pruning are of little value. After trees reach heavy 
bearing, less pruning is needed, because they grow more slowly. 
APPLES—Apple varieties vary greatly in shape of tree and habit of 
growth, and we can not adopt exactly the same plan of pruning for 
all of them. In contrast to the peach, however, we do not aim to work 
an open center, but toward a leader from which at intervals strong 
side branches spring. In unpruned trees this leader may run up 25 feet, 
but we intend to stop it at 8 or 10 feet. In order to force side branches 
from this leader, we prune it back a little each year, but always leave 
it longer than any of its competitors. Generally we wish the first side 
branches on an apple tree to start out around 24 to 30 inches from the 
ground level. Five or more may be retained in the young tree, if they 
are well distributed around and up and down the trunk. 
For the first few years we aim to cut out crossing and rubbing limbs, 
keep the central leader ahead of the other shoots, correct bad crotches. 
Pruning of old apple trees that are healthy is chiefly a thinning out of 
dense growths. Care must be taken in this work that bark of large 
limbs is not exposed to full sunlight, as it may then be badly injured 
by sunburn, which kills and loosens the bark. 
PEARS—Pear trees are pruned much like apples. The commonest 
variety, Kieffer, should not be thinned out excessively in its early years. 
CHERRY—The sour cherry is handled more like the peach. They 
are not kept as open in the center as the peach, but it is important 
that they be thinned out so that sunshine reaches all parts. 
PLUMS—Some plums naturally make spreading, open-centered trees. 
It is important to get the head started high enough that the ground 
can be worked under the limbs. Some varieties need some thinning, 
while others need heading back, but at maturity little except thinning 
out is required during the annual pruning. 
Pruning of any kind dwarfs a tree, and in the case of young trees 
delays bearing. When cutting off a side branch, do not leave a stub, 
even a half inch long. Be sure to use a common white lead paint on 
cuts over 2 inches in diameter. 
A good large-bladed, large-handled sharp knife, a narrow and pointed, 
rather fine-toothed saw and a pair of shears are the essential pruning 
tools. See page 75 for Pruning Tools. 
TREES OR PLANTS TO ACRE 
DISTANCES FOR PLANTING 
Apart each way 
Apart each 
way 
Feet 
Feet 
3 feet 
. 4,840 
15 feet ... 
200 
Apples . . 
30 to 40 
Figs .15 to 18 
4 feet 
. .2,729 
18 feet ... 
135 
Pears .... 
20 to 30 
Currants ... 3 to 4 
5 feet 
.1,742 
20 feet.... 
110 
Peaches . 
16 to 20 
Gooseberries 3 to 4 
6 feet 
. 1,200 
25 feet ... 
70 
Cherries . 
18 to 20 
Raspberries 3 to 4 
8 feet 
. 680 
30 feet.... 
50 
Plums .... 
. 16 to 20 
Blackberries 5 to 7 
10 feet 
... 430 
40 feet ... 
27 
Grapes 
8 to 10 
Straw- 
12 feet 
325 
50 feet ... 
17 
Muscadine 
10 to 25 
berries .3% by lVz 
Pecans 60 by 60 
APPLE TREES 
All prices on Fruit Trees quoted F, O. B. Nursery. 
FIRST CLASS—4 to 5 feet: Each, 35c; 10 for $3.25; 100, $27.50. 
ORCHARD SIZE—2 to 3 feet; sold in multiples of 10: 10 for $2.00; 100, $17.50. 
Early Harvest—May and June. Medium size; pale yellow; slightly acid; good 
quality. Ripens at a season when no other Apple is in. 
Yellow Transparent—One of the best early market Apples, of medium size; 
skin yellow; flesh crisp and sub-acid; almost immune to blight. 
Red June—Early. Medium size; dark red; white flesh; juicy, sub-acid; ripens 
over a long period; bears well and is a heavy cropper. 
Yellow Horse—Late summer. Large size; yellow, slightly red where ex¬ 
posed to sunshine. One of the best cooking Apples; fills in between seasons. 
Grimes Golden—Early winter. Large; golden yellow; of high quality. Tree 
vigorous; a heavy bearer. 
Delicious—Late fall. Fruit large, dark red, fine grained flesh, crisp and 
juicy and of high quality. A splendid shipper and prolific bearer. 
Stayman Winesap—Winter. Larger and more prolific than the old Wine- 
sap. Rich, dark red; firm; fine grained and juicy; adapted to a wide range of 
soils and climates. 
Winesap—Winter. Medium size; dark red; good quality; keeps well. Tree 
is a hardy grower and good bearer. A popular variety and well liked. 
Yates—Winter. Small; yellow with dark red stripes. Because of its sure and 
heavy crops, has proven one of the most desirable Southern sorts. 
PEACH TREES 
FIRST CLASS—4 to 6 feet, well branched. Each, 35c; 10, $3.00; 100, $25.00. 
ORCHARD SIZE—2 to 3 feet; sold in bundles of 10. 10 for $2.00; 100, $16.00. 
Early Rose (Cling)—Ripens with the earliest; is an extremely free bearer 
and comes into bearing young. Fruit is roundish, medium to large size. 
Arp Beauty (Free)—Medium size; yellow, mottled with bright crimson; flesh 
is of rich yellow color and is really of very good quality for an early Peach. 
Carman (Free)—Large; creamy white with deep blush; fine flavor; hardy in 
production; a good shipper, strong grower, and early bearer. 
Indian Cling or Blood Cling—An old-time favorite wherever planted, and 
grows to a large size; dark red flesh; a deep red; highly flavored. 
J. H. Hale (Free)—Larger than Elberta; ripens several days later; superior 
to Elberta in flavor; a beautiful golden yellow with deep carmine blush. 
Heath Cling (White Heath, Cling)—Skin and flesh white, tinged with red; 
tender, juicy, and of high flavor. A wonderful Peach for canning and pickling. 
Hiley (Early Belle)—One of the best early shippers; large, white with bright 
red cheek. One of the most profitable sorts. 
Elberta Peach 
Belle of Georgia (Free)—Very large; white with 
red cheek; firm and of excellent flavor. 
Early Elberta (Free)—Very large; flesh yellow. 
Elberta (Free)—A standard by which all other 
varieties are judged; very large; yellow with red 
cheek; flesh yellow, firm, juicy, of high quality. 
Prevents Stripping 
(Page 47) 
