FORGING-HOUSE MISCELLANIES. 401 



equally prolific, altliongh their yield in many cases closely approached 

 that shown in the illustration. This variety proved to be by far the 

 most promising of those grown for forcing purposes, and it appears 

 to be capable of producing crops which rival those grown out of 

 doors. It is also the earliest variety tested, a point which is of the 

 greatest irajDortance. This vegetable is slow in coming to maturity 

 even under the most favorable circumstances. The above photo- 

 graph was taken nine months from the time of sowing the seed, but 

 a cutting of fruit might have been made fully six weeks earlier. It 

 set fruit more freely than any other variety, and in nearly every 

 desirable respect was superior to them. 



New York Improved was a very strong grower, and produced 

 large handsome fruits. Unfortunately, but few could be obtained 

 from a plant, and the total yield was therefore comparatively small, 

 only four or five maturing on the best plants. It is also consider- 

 ably later than the Early Dwarf Purple. 



Black Pekin, on the whole, closely resembled the preceding, 

 especially in the manner of its growth. But it set scarcely any 

 fruit, and that was so late that none were matured before ten months 

 from the time of seed-sowing. 



Long White proved to be a weak grower of very slender habit. 

 It was also very late, the fruits being scarcely over two inches in 

 length May 29th. The plants of this variety were slightly checked 

 when young, and this may have had a certain influence in delaying 

 the maturity of the crop, although the effect was probably not very 

 great. One desirable feature of this variety is its smooth foliage 

 which appeared to be unfavorable for the development and persist- 

 ence of some of the insects that attack greenhouse plants. But the 

 lateness of the variety and the few fruits produced by it will prevent 

 it from being profitably grown under glass. 



Round Purple proved to be the most unsatisfactory grower. All 

 the plants showed symptoms of being in unfavorable quarters, and 

 the test with this variety resulted almost in total failure. 



Later attempts to force egg-plants have been made, although no 

 duplicate of the above experiment has been planned. The crops 

 were started later in the season when more sunlight and heat were 

 present. These trials have thrown light upon some of the doubtful 

 points of former experiments, and have shown what is probably the 

 principal reason of the slow maturing of all the varieties tested, and 

 also the very weak growth of some. 



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