90 



Southern Gardeners Practical Manual 



by a small black flea -beetle which eats the seed-leaves. 

 Tobacco, snuff, or a weak spray of nicotine will make it 

 uncomfortable for them. If there is not a hotbed avail- 

 able, a box twelve inches deep may be filled half full of 

 fermenting manure and this covered with six inches of 

 rich, mellow loam and the seed planted in this. A piece 

 of glass or cheese-cloth soaked in linseed oil may be used 

 over the box, and this placed in a warm southern expo- 

 sure during the day 

 and removed to cover 

 at night. One dozen 

 plants will produce 

 an ample supply for 

 the family table and 

 some to spai'e for 

 neighbors. A deep, 

 sandy loam, well 

 drained and liberally 

 manured with thor- 

 oughly fermented 

 compost, will give 

 best results. The 

 plants should not be 

 transplanted to the 

 open ground until 

 they are well devel- 

 oped and hardened 

 by exposing them to 

 the sun in pleasant 

 XT .. , y.i/. /w--oyc.. weather. Being a 



New York Improved Purple *v<.cxl & ^ 



Eggplant. plant of tropical ori- 



Fia. 9. 



