96 MODERN STRAWBERRY GROWING 



used in this ploughed strip. This will mix 

 the soil and manure and should level off the 

 freshly ploughed strip between the rows. At 

 this time, or just before cultivating, it is a 

 good practice to go through the patch with a 

 hoe and cut out the old plants. If it is not 

 possible to tell the difference between old 

 and young plants, the rows of plants can be 

 cut so that six or eight inches of soil with 

 three or four plants growing in it are left in 

 the row, then a cleared strip of six or eight 

 inches, then another collection of three or 

 four plants, and so on. 



If the soil throughout the bed is made 

 level, the remaining plants will soon send out 

 runners and at the joints new plants will form. 

 Very soon an entirely new bed will be ob- 

 tained, and where cultivation and care are 

 given the results will be quite satisfactory. 



The second method which is started at the 

 same time as the first — that is, after fruiting 

 — consists of ploughing only on one side of 

 the matted row. Generally two furrows are 

 necessary, but in very wide rows three or 

 four may have to be given. 



By this method the original plants, some- 

 times called the mother plants, are ploughed 



