RAMSEY’S AUSTIN NURSERY 
AUSTIN, TEXAS 
This is the secret of successful, economical water¬ 
ing: With a hoe make a trench or ditch around 
tree or plant, and give all the water the soil will take. 
Let it soak away two or three times. Then pull 
back the dry soil over the wet, to prevent baking 
and loss of moisture. In yards, such a watering is 
good for one to two weeks in driest weather. 
Give enough water to reach to the ends of the 
roots. For Pecans, this means about three feet 
deep. Do not sprinkle as you would a lawn. After 
rain or irrigation, stir surface of ground as soon 
as dry. 
Rabbit Protection 
Wrap bodies of trees with newspapers, straw or 
corn stalks. 
Frost Protection 
Loss of fruit crops is due largely to late frosts. 
If orchards are kept in good condition all year, so 
that trees can grow well through the summer, they 
remain more dormant in winter, and better escape 
the late freezes. 
Smudge pots burning crude or waste oil, burned 
one, two, or three times in February or March will 
save a crop. Burning brush, logs, straw, or cobs 
on windward side will help. The killing late freezes 
usually come between 3 and 6 o’clock in the morning. 
For a few trees one can spray them with water 
from a hose about bed time and again before sun-up, 
and escape the worst late freeze. 
Use of Fertilizer 
Scarcely anything is better than old barnyard 
manure, which should be spread on ground and 
worked into soil. If used with trees when planted, 
it should be well mixed with soil, not more than 
one part fertilizer to four parts of good soil. As 
trees or plants grow from year to year, any fertilizer 
should be placed from trunks out as far as roots 
spread. In a few years’ time this means ten feet 
or more out from fruit trees. 
Commercial fertilizers are cheap and easily ap¬ 
plied, and their use will depend on character of soil. 
When Leaves Turn Yellow 
This is usually due to excess of lime in soil, espe¬ 
cially affecting fruit trees, grapes, and roses. Cop¬ 
peras (iron sulphate) is an absolute remedy. Work 
it into soil, beginning near main trunk and ex¬ 
tending out as far as roots spread. Watering at 
once will hasten results. Following amounts should 
be used: 
Roses and plants of similar size, 2 to 6 table¬ 
spoons, depending on size and age. 
Grapes, 4 tablespoons to half a pound. 
Bearing fruit trees, 1 to 2 y 2 pounds. 
In most soils, especially heavy or black, copperas 
is good for all trees and plants. One application in 
spring is generally sufficient, but it may be applied 
at any time. 
Copperas can be obtained at drug stores, or from 
us. Prices on application. 
Root Rot 
This is a fungus which kills cotton and affects 
Pear, Apple, Fig, Mulberry, Grape, Althea, Elms, 
and Privets. Other trees are not hurt to much 
extent. It occurs mostly in black, lime soils. The 
best practicable remedy is to leave no live roots in 
ground during one or two winters. Planting of 
ground in grain crops and thorough late summer 
and fall plowing will, in one or two years, almost 
eradicate this fungus. 
How to Help Pollination 
Several stands of bees near fruit trees and berry 
plants will increase yields of fruit. 
Control of Insects and Diseases 
Considering the benefit derived from spraying, the 
small cost is hardly worth considering, whether for 
one tree or a thousand trees. Materials for sprays 
can be obtained from most paint, drug, and seed 
stores. In using liquid sprays, it is important to 
throw as fine a mist or fog as possible. For large 
fruit trees, about a gallon per tree will be required. 
Any quantity of spray can be prepared, using same 
proportions. Most sprays can be bought already 
prepared. Following are formulas to take care of 
all needs. 
A.—SCALE INSECTS 
For San Jose and other scale on fruit trees. 
A-l.—Lime Sulphur 
Apply only in winter, January and February, or 
at least once early in February, before growth 
starts. 
Stone lime .20 pounds 
Sulphur .15 pounds 
Water .50 gallons 
Make paste of sulphur with small quantity of water, 
and add to 15 gallons boiling water. While still 
boiling, add stone lime gradually, and continue to 
boil about an hour, until yellow color of sulphur 
disappears. Then strain mixture into spray tank, 
and add hot water to make 50 gallons. Spray on 
trees while still hot through fine nozzle. After 
day’s work, thoroughly clean spray machine with 
hot water. 
A-2.—Kerosene Emulsion 
Apply if needed during growing season in May and 
June. 
Kerosene . 2 gallons 
Laundry soap .% pound 
Water . 1 gallon 
Dissolve soap in water by boiling, remove from 
fire, add kerosene and stir vigorously until it forms 
a creamy emulsion. Dilute in 10 to 35 gallons of 
water, according to tenderness of growth. 
B.—SUCKING INSECTS 
Plant Lice, Thrips, Squash Bugs, Melon Aphis, 
Grape Leaf Hopper, Midge, and Mealy Bugs. 
B-l.—Nicotine Solution 
Black Leaf 40.1 % teaspoonfuls 
Laundry soap .1 ounce 
Water .1 gallon 
Dissolve soap in water by boiling, and add "Black 
Leaf 40”. 
C.—LEAF-CHEWING INSECTS 
C-l.—Arsenate of Lead 
Arsenate of Lead (dry). 2 pounds 
Stone Lime ... 2*4 pounds 
Water .50 gallons 
Slake lime in water and add it with arsenate of 
lead to 50 gallons water. 
C-2.—Combination Spray 
For control of chewing and sucking insects and 
fungus. 
Arsenate of Lead. 2 pounds 
Black Leaf 40 . % pint 
Bordeaux Mixture (See D-2).50 gallons 
D.—FUNGUS 
D-l.—Bordeaux Mixture 
For Stone Fruits. 
Copper Sulphate . 3 pounds 
Stone Lime . 6 pounds 
Water .50 gallons 
D-2.—Bordeaux Mixture 
For Hardy Trees and Plants, Apples, Potatoes, 
Grapes, etc. 
Copper Sulphate . 4 pounds 
Stone Lime . 4 pounds 
Water .50 gallons 
Crush copper sulphate, place in sack and suspend 
in barrel containing 25 gallons water until dissolved. 
Slake lime in second barrel and add water to make 
25 gallons. Pour both solutions, bucket by bucket, 
into third barrel or container. Stir thoroughly and 
use. Best applied in spring after foliage is on 
plants. Applications should be repeated every two 
weeks until three are made. 
E.—MILDEW 
E-l.—Sulphur 
Sprinkle plants with water and dust with powdered 
sulphur through bellows or duster. Repeat one or 
more times. 
E-2.—Bordeaux Mixture 
(See D-2 above.) 
Continued on page 23 
[ 20 ] 
