EGGPLANT 



the fruit attain a certain size before frost one miv 

 to pinch out the blossoms and new growth about 

 weeks before its usual occurrence This sinie 



-- \^ 



EGGPLANT 



523 



752 Field 



Ne 



Imp oved Et.e 



process will be of advantage where the fruit is to be 

 brought into marlcet at a certain time. 



Market i II ij.— As a rule, it is better to cut the fruit 

 from the plant than to breali it, especially if the work is 

 done by careless laborers. Aft.-r cutting, it may be 

 placed in large market ba^kri^ mtkI li;iiilfd to the pack- 

 ing house. For distant ni.nk. f. tli, truits should be 

 wrapped separately in heavy Ihv.wti ]ia|..-r. The proper 

 crate for this vegetable is the barrel crate. As this is 

 considered one of the staple vegetables, we do not gain 

 much by using fancy wrappers or packing it in fine 

 crates, hence we may use such material as may be left 

 over from shipping fancy vegetables. It also stands 

 shipment to distant markets, so that, if there is no dan- 

 ger of reduction in price, it is quite as well to ship by 

 freight as by express. 



Variet ies . — There are only a few varieties offered in 

 the market. The New York Improved Spineless nia 

 tures a little earlier than the Black Pekm. The Ne« 

 York Purple (Fig. 752), Black Pekin, and the New 

 York Spineless are excellent for shipping purposes 

 The above varieties are the black-fruited, and the most 

 popular in the United States, while the white fruitf il 

 sorts are said to be the most popular in Europe. For 

 home use, the white-fruited varieties are preferable, but 

 as these make poor sellers in the United States, we 

 must raise the purple sorts for market. For home gar- 

 dens, the early and small Early Dwarf Purple {Fig. 

 754), is useful. It is particularly recommended fur 

 northern climates. There are three nniii tvpes of Egg- 

 plants, as follows (Bailey, Bull. 2l, < ..,„. II 1 xj. Sf , i 

 The commoner garden varieties, s limmt I/,/ »i;. m;, 

 var. esctcl^nfum, Bailey (Figs. 7'' ' 7' ) tin I 'ii.: 

 fruited or "serpent" varieties, S. 1/. / '»<;< "". \ n ^' i 

 pent'iinim., Bailey; the Early Dwarf Purple tjpe, var 

 deprissum, Bailey (Fig. 754). See Snianum. The so- 

 called Chinese Eggplant is a different species, for 

 which consult Solanura. 



&'ced-;/roiC(H//. — This is by no means a difficult opera 

 tion,and may be done protltably in certain sections of 

 the South. For this purpose ail defectne or dwarfid 

 plants in the field should be cut out. By a little att<_n 

 tion one will be able to know when the seeds have ma 

 tured sufficiently for gathering. At this time the eggs 

 usually turn a lighter color or even somewhat yellow. 

 The fruit should be gathered and carried to the packing 

 house, where it may be left in a pile for 2 or 3 days, as 

 there is very little danger from rotting. When a suffi- 

 cient number have been collected the laborers may be 

 set to paring otf the extra amount of meat on the out- 

 side of the seed. The remaining core may then be cut 



Im^itulmilh into (|u liters or eighths using a dull 

 knit t nil uttii ^ til seed After a quantity of 

 til I \ 1 n I I I thtj may be placed in a barrel 

 I 1 \ 1 I "itli u It r The barrel should not be 

 111 1 1 1 I tl 1 t\\ tliirds full In a day or two fer- 

 111 lit II u II t ill ind the meaty portion will 

 1 1 t 1 1 I 1 1 1 The seed may then be 



I 1 t 1 tl 1 1 il 1 it bj means of sieves, using 

 111 T ill I 1 1 1 1 remove the meat and then 

 111 1 1 h 1 T t leen out the seed from the 

 hner 1 uli Thi i c 1 hould m t be allowed to stand 

 \ nure th m 2 or 3 days in the maceiiting barrel, as 

 the belt e^ol^ed bj fermentation and the heat of 

 the summer is liable to cause them to germinate. 

 After separating the seed from the pulp, it should be 

 ^ dried m the shade and wrapped m secure packages. 

 ) By covering with tm foil or oil paper, the atmos- 

 pheric moisture will be kept out and molding pre- 

 ^ |i vented 



Difeatei —The most destructive of diseases in 



-T,. the lower South is a blight fungus which attacks the 



4\ plant lu t beneath the surface of the ground, caus- 



V ing the sifter tl ne it thi point to lot off and the 



v3 ] Hnt t li 111 tuii„us IS not able to penetr.ate 



J th hill 1 ] iti 1 t the stein consequently the 



* I 1 1 Hit liii.. r 1 I , t I wieks after being attacked. 



\ nuiul 1 t itt il 1 t h ne been made to causethis 



I luht fun„u t II ihuc fruiting organs so that it 



could be cla ihed but up to the present this has 



proved futile In in h cases as this we have no rem 



ed^ After the plant 1 attacked it is usualh di i med 



Much however tan be done m the wa\ of pre 



venting the spread of this fungus If all plants are 



destio>ed as soon as found to be affected the fungus 



cannot perfect its si lerotia or rusting st ite and thus its 



propagating is prt minted Thf norm il home of this 



753 Lone 'White Eggplant 



fungus is 1 



will do 11 

 present te 



It therefore, 



Il in being 

 IS Lau Celeste 



