No. 124. 1 93 



Egg Plants. 



The egg plants exhibited, one of which measured three feet six 

 inches in circumference, were raised by my gardener, Maurice Cun- 

 ningham, in the manner following. On the tirst of April, the seeds 

 were sown in pots, filled with charcoal dust, sand, and garden mould, 

 and started in a hot-bed. They were repotted on the 21st of April, 

 and set out early in May in their proper place, with the ball attach- 

 ed, the bed having been trenched to the depth of two feet six inches, 

 and enriched with charcoal dust, ashes, lime, and coal ashes. Once 

 during the summer, they were watered with spirits of ammonia, 

 diluted. 



Sweet Potatoes. 



The sweet potatoes which received the first premium, were raised 

 by my gardener, Maurice Cunningham, from sets obtained from the 

 south. 



They were started in thumb pots, under double glass, in the con- 

 servatory, and when six inches high, were planted in a piece of 

 ground, the whole of which was prepared thus : — Trenches were 

 made to the depth of two feet six inches; a layer of rotted stable 

 rotted manure nine inches deep placed in the bottom ; upon it a 

 layer of charcoal dust six inches in depth, covered with top mould 

 and spaded together ; after which, oyster shell lime to the deptii of 

 six inches ; the same quantity of river sand, and top mould to the 

 depth of three inches ; all which substances were thoroughly incor- 

 porated with each other. Land so prepared will grow ai.y crop. 



Culinary Vegetables. 



The culinary vegetables for which the Institute awarded the Silver 

 Medal, were all raised in trenched ground, prepared as described for 

 the sweet potatoes; lime, charcoal, ashes and river sand, were freely 

 used for all. My vegetables nearly all were started in pots under 

 glass early in the season, and set in the open ground at the proper 

 time, by which means I have rarely been disappointed in a crop by 

 the frosts in May. In speaking of lime, I am particular in mention- 

 ing oyster shell, as I believe most of the stone lime contains magne- 

 siuy which substance is known to be injurious to many soils. 



Lima Squash. 



To the President of the Farmer^ s Club : 



Sir — I beg leave to submit to the club the two following commu- 

 nications, copied for the purpose, the originals of which are now 

 in my possession. The object of the experiments you will perceive, 

 is to show the result of a peculiar method of vine culture, and the 

 astonishing success, which, in these two instances, attended this de- 

 viation from the general practice. 



