RAMSEY’S AUSTIN NURSERY 
AUSTIN, TEXAS 
General Information 
Planting, Pruning, and Care 
of Trees 
If information in detail is not found in this cata¬ 
logue, any one may write us about any tree or plant 
problem. County and Home Demonstration Agents, 
to be found in most counties, are glad to give advice 
and assistance. The State Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, Austin, Texas, and the A. and M. College, 
College Station, Texas, have bulletins available for 
free distribution, covering nearly all agricultural 
and horticultural subjects. 
Location of Orchard 
Orchards do best on high land, by escaping late 
frosts and having good drainage. Most fruit trees 
will die in a few years if planted in poorly drained 
soil. North and east slopes are desirable. Pears, 
figs, and berries are best fruits on low land. 
Ages of Bearing, After Planting 
Peach, Plum, Nectarine, 2 to 3 years. 
Pear and Apricot, 3 to 5 years. 
Apple, 3 to 4 years. 
Jujube, 2 to 3 years. 
Pecan, 3 to 6 years. 
Blackberry and Dewberry, second spring. 
Strawberry, first spring. 
Grape, 2 years. 
Figs, 1 and 2 years. 
Planting Bare-Rooted Trees and Plants 
When trees are received, they should be planted 
at once, or unpacked, set in a trench, roots covered 
with mellow earth and well watered. Trees will 
keep safely in bale several days if kept damp and 
out of sun and wind. If trees are frozen when re¬ 
ceived, bury entire bale under ground until weather 
moderates. 
For small number of trees, we recommend digging 
extra large holes, two or three feet square or more, 
and two feet deep. In larger orchard, ground should 
be well plowed and harrowed in advance. With a 
plow, check land for distance apart desired, 20 feet, 
or 20 by 25 feet, etc. Run several times in two or 
three furrows. Shovel out holes at checks, and a 
little more digging will give a good hole. The 
larger the better, but in such prepared land two feet 
wide and eighteen inches deep will answer. 
Tree or plant should be set about the same depth 
it stood in nursery or slightly deeper. Spread out 
roots, and cut bruised or broken roots. Pecan and 
shade trees should be set two or three inches deeper, 
and roses two inches deeper. 
Fill in with good top soil about level full. Next, 
give all the water the ground will take, then cover 
with dry soil and slightly tamp or pack. No matter 
how moist the soil, give some water to settle earth 
around roots. 
Bearing Peach Trees Before and After 
Proper Pruning 
Planting B & B Stock 
DO NOT REMOVE OR LOOSEN SACK about ball 
of earth. Plant so that top of sack is below ground. 
Pruning at Time of Planting 
This is important. Fruit trees should be cut 
back to 15 to 24 inches above ground to give the 
roots less top to support and to make trees head 
out low near the ground, shading the bodies. In 
case of two- or three-year-old trees, if there are no 
good eyes or buds on main trunk, cut top off, leaving 
two or three branches, which should be cut back to 
three or four inches long. We will prune trees, 
ready for planting, if requested. 
Shade trees should be cut back heavily. Ten-foot 
trees, to seven feet; twelve-foot trees, to eight or 
nine feet; others, in proportion. 
Flowering shrubs, cut back half. Privets and 
Ligustrums, one-third to one-half. 
See under PECANS, ROSES and BERRIES for 
details. 
Evergreens that are Balled and Burlapped need 
little, if any, pruning, unless extra large. 
Later Pruning 
As fruit trees grow, cut off sprouts coming from 
below ground or below bud or graft. When of bear¬ 
ing age, limbs that rub against others, or are weak 
or too thick, should be removed. Water sprouts that 
come from lower part of trunk and main branches, 
under the shade of the tops, should be cut off. Ex¬ 
cessive growth inside of tops, shaded and crowded, 
is worthless and a drain on trees. 
Pruning of old trees should be done in January 
and February. When limbs are removed, they should 
be cut smooth against main branch, leaving no pro¬ 
jection or spur. 
When fruit trees are ten to fifteen years old and 
begin to decline, tops can be dehorned by cutting 
them back fully half way. Good crops will result 
after first year. 
Large wounds made by pruning should be painted 
with ordinary house paint. 
Flowering shrubs should be cut back half way 
every winter, except early spring bloomers, such as 
Spirea, Japan Quince, etc., which should be pruned 
after blooming time. 
If old flowers of Crape Myrtle and other summer 
blooming plants are removed before seed is made, 
almost continual flowering will result. Otherwise, 
they will flower only once or twice. 
Evergreens can and should be pruned any time 
of the year, if growing too large or becoming ragged. 
Some pruning is necessary for Broad-Leaf Evergreens 
to keep them compact and in bounds. 
Cultivation 
This is very important, if not most important. In 
home grounds, trees and shrubs should have the top 
soil around them loose for two inches deep, and free 
of weeds and grass. This is for the benefit of the 
tree, as well as for sake of appearance. 
Shade and other large trees, after two or three 
years, will not be hurt by lawn grass growing up to 
them, provided due watering is given. 
An orchard should be kept clean, with a loose 
mulch of soil two inches deep at all times. A winter 
crop of oats, turned under before maturing, or 
summer crop of legumes turned under, will be bene¬ 
ficial. Other crops should not be planted in orchard, 
or live stock allowed in it. 
Wide sweeps or disc harrow will give proper culti¬ 
vation. Do not use a turning plow, except shallow 
if the ground has become hard. 
Watering 
Many people hesitate to plant when the ground is 
dry, but this is the best time to plant, as trees should 
be watered when planted, whether dry or not, and 
rains thereafter do the utmost good. 
Most orchard trees receive no irrigation after being 
planted, but two or three waterings during dry 
weather the first summer are good insurance. 
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