VARIETIES OF EGGPLANTS. 235 



that attack greenhouse plants. But the lateness of the 

 variety and the few fruits produced by it will prevent it 

 from being profitably grown under glass. 



Round Purple proved to be the most unsatisfactory 

 grower. All the plants showed symptoms of being in 

 unfavorable quarters, and the test with this variety re- 

 sulted in almost total failure. 



Later attempts to force eggplants have been made, 

 although no duplicate of the above experiment has been 

 planned. The crops were started later in the season, 

 when more sunlight and heat were present. These 

 trials have thrown light upon some of the doubtful points 

 of former experiments, and have shown that it is possi- 

 ble to force eggplants in winter. New York Improved 

 eggplants are seen on the side in Fig. 71 (page 206). 

 The seeds for these were sown July 20, the young plants 

 shifted to 3-inch pots on August 28, and planted in the 

 bench September 13. When the picture was taken 

 (October 3) flower buds were just beginning to show. 

 The plants are standing 18 inches apart each way in al- 

 ternate rows, which is too close 



One of the results obtained is of special interest in 

 this connection. Some Early Dwarf Purple plants were 

 started early in August, and some of the seedlings were 

 grown in houses in which different degrees of tempera- 

 ture were maintained. The plants grown in an interme- 

 diate or moderately warm house made but little growth, 

 and were soon stunted and worthless. This showed con- 

 clusively that eggplants require a high temperature for 

 their rapid and vigorous development. Other plants 

 were placed in each of two warm houses, one of which 

 was shaded by means of a thin coat of whitewash upon 

 the glass. The plants in the other house were exposed 

 to direct sunlight, and they were also subjected to a 

 bottom heat of scarcely 5 degrees. Although the air 

 temperature of the two houses was practically identical, 

 the plants receiving the sunlight grew fully twice as fast 



