RAMSEY’S AUSTIN NURSERY 
AUSTIN, TEXAS 
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. 
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^ 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 appli^ 
at any time. 
Copperas can be obtained at drug stores, or from 
us. Prices on application. 
To Make an Acid Soil 
Many plants, such as Cape Jasmine, Azaleas, and 
Hydrangeas, will not grow in a limey or alkaline soil, 
and require an acid soil. The acid soil can be made 
by mixing equal proportions of good loam with peat 
moss or good leaf mold to fill in hole when planting. 
Dig a large hole. Also apply copperas at time of 
planting and at intervals through the growing season. 
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. 
Because Lime-Sulphur and Bordeaux Mixture can 
be obtained already prepared from seed, paint, and 
most drug stores, we do not give formulas for pre¬ 
paring them. Where less than one hundred gallons 
of mixture is needed, it is better to buy the ma¬ 
terials already prepared. Directions come with ma¬ 
terials. 
[ 29 ] 
