THE FLOEAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 329 



THE EGG PLANT. 



j.HE fruits of the Egg Plant cultivated in the market 

 gardens at Paris are round, oval, or oblong, according to 

 the variety, and of a dull violet colour. In the climate of 

 Paris the seeds must be sown about the end of December, 

 or beginning of January. A hot-bed is prepared, the 

 heat of which should be from 6S P to 77° ; it is surrounded with a 

 good lining, and covered with a layer of vegetable mould about five 

 inches in thickness, and when the requisite degree of heat is 

 attained the seeds are sown. The sashes are covered at night with 

 a good straw mat. A fortnight or three weeks after sowing, a 

 second bed, not so hot as the first, is prepared. This is covered 

 with vegetable mould, and when their cotyledons are well developed, 

 the young plants are pricked out into this second bed, and after 

 some time they are again taken up and replanted in the same bed, 

 but at the distance of eight or nine inches from each other. The 

 covering up of the sashes at night is still continued, and as soon as 

 the young plants begin to grow, a little air is given if the state of the 

 temperature will permit. In the course of the month of March, 

 another hot-bed is prepared. The frames are placed and the bed 

 covered with vegetable mould. Wben the bed is of the proper 

 heat, from 60° to 68°, four Egg Plants are planted under each four 

 and a half feet sash. They do not get air for several days, in oraer 

 that the plants may more readily take fresh root, after which a little 

 air is given, by pushing the sashes either up or down, and these are 

 opeued wider as the season advances, so that they may be taken off 

 in the month of May. The further attention they require cousists 

 in watering when necessary, and in clearing the leaves, which are 

 often attacked by the red spider ; next, all the young shoots which 

 spring from the base of the stem are taken off, in order to obtain 

 any main stem, which is pinched when it is sufficiently strong, with 

 the view of forming two main branches, which are themselves 

 pinched at a later period, in order to iuduce the development of 

 laterals on them ; and when the fruit is set, all the young shoots are 

 taken off, in order to increase the size of the fruit. By these means 

 fruit tit for gathering may be obtained about the end of June or 

 begianing of July, and the plants bear in succession till October. 



COLEONEMA PULCHRUM. 



[BE fine, graceful habit of growth, and profusion of bright- 



eoloured, star-shaped blossoms, for which this plant is 



remarkable, render it well worth a place, even in 



limited collections; and as it is also of easier cultivation 



than most of our first-class greenhouse plants, it is 



therefore very suitable for growers who hive had no great amount of 



experience in plant culture. The ordinary method of iucreasil 



hard-wooded greenhouse plants, will succeed perfectly in the case of 



November, 



