WINTER RHUBARB 249 



But the rules of selective breeding, as already, 

 given and repeatedly illustrated in connection 

 with other vegetables, will sufficiently guide 

 anyone who wishes to work with these. 



There is a tropical plant of a quite different 

 order, however, to which I shall merely refer, 

 because I have not experimented with it very 

 extensively, but because work of considerable 

 interest has been done with it by others, that 

 will illustrate the possibilities of development of 

 tropical plants even when grown in relatively 

 inhospitable climates. The plant in question is 

 the not unfamiliar Solanum known as egg 

 plant. Very interesting work in experimental 

 breeding has been done with this relative of the 

 potato and tomato by Professor Byron D. Hal- 

 sted of the Experimental Agricultural Station 

 of New Jersey. It involves no principles, how- 

 ever, that have not been fully exposited in con- 

 nection with other plants, and for details of the 

 work the reader may be referred to Professor 

 Halsted's annual Bulletins. 



The Solanum family has numerous other mem- 

 bers well worthy of development that have been 

 given scant attention. 



One of the most interesting of these obscure 

 relatives of the potato and tomato and egg plant 

 is the not unfamiliar, but seldom cultivated 



