Propagation and Renewal 247 



above the old ones. This may be done most economically 

 by drawing fresh soil around and over the crowns. Re- 

 setting was practiced to a slight extent years ago, but 

 it is impracticable now. The crowns are covered one-half 

 to one and a half inches deep ; the lighter the soil, the 

 deeper they may be covered without injury. If hill plants 

 are set level with the surface the first year, they will be 

 on a slight ridge after three or four years of renewal. 

 When the rows are far enough apart to permit horse 

 tillage this work can be done at little expense ; if the plants 

 are set ten to twenty-four inches apart, soil must be secured 

 from the intervening paths. Hedge-rows are renewed 

 like hills, but some prefer to cut out the mother plants 

 after the first crop is harvested and replace them with 

 runners taken from maiden plants of the previous season. 



Carrying plants over the summer in the South. 



The low stature of the strawberry plant and the fact 

 that normally it has a dormant season, or resting period, 

 some time during the year make it possible for the culti- 

 vator to carry it through a season of trying climate. It 

 is best to grow the strawberry as an annual or semi-annual 

 in Florida and the Gulf states, yet sometimes it is desirable 

 to carry over certain plants. This is done with difficulty, 

 on account of the long, hot summer, when the plants 

 become practically dormant. Cultivation is discontinued, 

 as it heats the soil at the surface. The weeds are scraped 

 off at the surface with a hoe. A heavy mulch helps to 

 keep the ground cool. If a thin row of corn is planted 

 every four feet, its shade will be beneficial ; rice and cow- 

 peas also are useful for this purpose. 



The Beeville, Texas, sub-experiment station reports : 

 "On account of the fact that the second and third years 



