JULY: THIRD WEEK 179 



fruit the second season this must be guarded against by 

 cutting out a good many of the runners and plants, even in 

 the row. The plants should be five or six inches apart in all 

 directions for the best results; closer than this, they crowd 

 each other for Hght and air and there is not enough plant 

 food to go round, resulting in a crop of undersized, unsatis- 

 factory berries. 



Renewing an Old Berry Patch 



When it is necessary or desirable to remake or to con- 

 tinue the old bed that has rooted two seasons or more, 

 drastic measures must be used. As soon as the last berries 

 are picked, cut the rows over close with a scythe or a sickle, 

 and rake with an iron rake; do not be afraid of giving 

 rough treatment, as it makes little difference how many 

 plants are pulled out. Burn the rakings to destroy any eggs 

 or disease spores. 



Then go over each row, cutting out the oldest plants and 

 most of the new ones. Leave new, strong crowns eight 

 to twelve inches apart. A handy tool for this job is the 

 small combination hoe and prong hoe, which has teeth 

 on one side and a narrow blade on the other. The blade 

 should be well sharpened, so it can be used to cut off run- 

 ners and to cut out plants, while the teeth come in handy 

 for raking them out after they are cut. 



The result may be a pretty sick-looking, skimpy bed, but 

 do not worry about that. Give a good top-dressing of a 

 complete fertilizer. This may be broadcast over the plants 

 if you give it a thorough watering afterward to wash 

 it off the leaves and down into the soil. A Hght top- 

 dressing of nitrate of soda should be given in addition 

 to the fertilizer. 



Another method of renewing an old bed is to cultivate 

 the passages between the rows; rake them over carefully 

 and then root runners from either side. After these are 

 established cut them off, and pull out the old rows. 



