296 NEW JERSEY STATE AGRICULTURAL 



In Plate XIX is a representative of the barreled eggplants as 

 photographed upon October ist, and this is a cross of "Black 

 Snake"' upon "New York Improved," both of which parents 

 belong to the taller sorts. The plant with its large fresh leaves 

 is seen to be in a very healthful condition, with eleven fruits 

 shown in view and others upon the rear side; one mature fruit 

 had fallen to the ground.. It is possible that the season favored 

 this treatment for the two long dry periods had a. depressing 

 effect upon the surrounding fully exposed plants. The moisture 

 in this way retained around the plant may have had something to 

 do with the favorable result and during a wet season the outcome 

 might have been quite different, possibly unsatisfactory. 



With the plants set four feet apart each way, horse tillage of 

 the ground was not interfered with by the barrels ^nd hoeing 

 close to the plants was omitted. The cost of this method of 

 shading might prevent its becoming common in a commercial 

 way but for the home garden, where old barrels are available 

 without extra expense, the use of them in the way described may 

 be worth the small effort required. It serves the added purpose 

 of keeping the eggplant and tomato fruits from the ground where 

 they might otherwise decay. 



DISEASES OF PLANTS UPON BREEDING GROUNDS AND ELSEWHERE. 



There has been less fungous disease than usual upon most of 

 the crop plants during the season of 1908. The corn smut is 

 always the most conspicuous of disorders and it was somewhat in 

 evidence upon all the early sorts of sweet corn. While the 

 smutted ears are removed as soon as they are distinguishable, it 

 is likely that the fact that the blocks of corn have occupied the 

 same land for several years has something to do with the pres- 

 ence of the smut. 



For the first time, the tomato plants have been staked up. thus 

 keeping the fruit up from the ground and in the air and sunshine- 

 While the fruit-rot has been less, the cracking was more abundant 

 which may be due to the sharp contrasts between dry and wet 

 alternating periods and the greater exposure to the hot sun. In 

 ordinary practice, the fruits are gathered as they near maturity, 

 but here they are left on the vines for study and the decay is in- 

 creased thereby. The "yellow foliage" varieties have done better 

 than others during the past season. 



Beans have been unusually free from the pod-spot and the 

 mildew of the Limas was not met with. Some of the bacterial 

 disease came to view upon the later sorts. 



