226 KITCHEN GARDEN. 



Immediately after coming up, the plants of both the 

 cucumber and cantaloupe are liable to be attacked by a 

 very little black bug. The ravages of this have sometimes 

 been checked by sprinkling or sifting over the plants some 

 ashes or soot, either alone or mixed together. This should 

 be done in the morning whilst the leaves are still moist 

 with dew. When three rough leaves have been made, the 

 ends of the shoots should be pinched off, so as to make 

 them branch out and fruit sooner. For the varieties of the 

 cucumber best known in England, we refer to the part of 

 this treatise which treats of the operations of the forcing 

 garden. 



Egg Plant (Solanum Melongena.) — There are two 

 varieties of this plant commonly cultivated in the United 

 States, one of which is a large, oval-shaped, purple-colored 

 fruit, often weighing many pounds, and used for cooking ; 

 the other variety, being white and much smaller, though 

 good when eaten, is generally raised for ornament. In the 

 Middle and Northern States, the seeds of this plant are 

 sown about the first of March in hotbeds, the sashes of 

 which should be kept down close until the plants come up, 

 when they may be slightly raised, so as to admit a little 

 air, in the middle of the day. The seeds require consid- 

 erable warmth to make them vegetate, which warmth must 

 be kept up to bring the plants forward. They will not 

 bear the least cold when very young, and ought, therefore, 

 to have a division to themselves, free from association with 

 cabbage-plants and other vegetables which are generally 

 benefitted by more or less exposure to the atmosphere dur- 

 ing a portion of the day. 



The young plants may be taken from their beds about 

 the middle of May, if the weather be warm and settled, 



