CHAPTER XXII. 



EGG PLANT. 



EGG PLANT. Solanum melongena. 



French, aubergine; German, eierpflanze; Flemish, eierplant; Italian, 

 petonciano; Spanish, berengena ; Portuguese, bringela. 



Egg plant is one of the great vegetables in California; it is 

 great in the size and quality, which are easily attained, and great in 

 its popularity. It is doubtful whether any part of the world makes 

 such free use of the plant, and enjoys it through so long a season. 

 Although the plant is properly classed as tender, and is somewhat 

 exacting in the starting of the seed and in transplanting, it grow? 

 riotously when well established in a favorable location and soil ; 

 fruits freely and continuously, and it is not unusual to find at Cali- 

 fornia fairs specimens of six pounds weight, while fruit of two 

 and three pounds constitute common stock with the vegetable 

 peddlers. 



Location and Soil. Egg plant can be successfully grown al- 

 most everywhere in California, but there will naturally be much 

 variation in its season, according to the local occurrence of the 

 frost-free period. In the frostless belts, described in previous chap- 

 ters, it is feasible to start the plants in the autumn and secure a 

 very early crop; in most places, however, the plants can best be 

 grown with bottom heat in the winter, and fruiting secured all 

 through the summer and fall, if the nights are rather warm and the 

 day heat not too fitful. 



As the plant will endure very high heat if well supplied with 

 moisture, and as it resists drought, when well established, it is well 

 adapted to interior conditions. It succeeds admirably in the inter- 

 ior bottom lands if water is not excessive, and is perfectly at home 

 as well in the coast regions, both valley and uplands, if adequately 

 watered. It is not very exacting in soil character, and can be safely 

 undertaken on any good garden land if well cultivated and manured ; 

 for the plant is a strong feeder and should grow fast and regularly. 

 (222) 



