EGG-PLANT. 151 



VARIETIES. 



The early varieties are not usually so productive as 

 later ones. The New York Improved Spineless will 

 mature several weeks later than the Black Pekin, but 

 the later is much more productive. The New York 

 Purple and Black Pekin are excellent varieties for 

 shipping or for home use, but the New York Spine- 

 less and Early Long Purple make earlier vegetables. 



HOT BEDS AND COLD FRAMES. 



For early fruit, and the northern parts of this sec- 

 tion, it will be necessary to use a hot bed and later a 

 cold frame. The hot bed properly prepared will save 

 these plants through frosts of 14 F. Of course such 

 extreme cold is by no means healthful to the plant, 

 but the plants may be saved from destruction. For 

 egg-plant seedlings, make the manure in the hot bed 

 about a foot thick, and bank up the outside of the 

 frame to the rim. Use two sheets of protecting cloth, 

 with some space between them ; cover the outer edges 

 to keep the wind from getting under them. Dur- 

 ing cold weather, the plants will make very little 

 progress, however, but the gentle bottom heat causes 

 them to make a good root system. 



As soon as all danger from further frosts is past, the 

 seedlings may then be thinned out ; and if any thin 

 places occur, these may be filled in with seedlings 

 from places where the plants are too thick in the row. 

 The plants should have about an inch in the row, and 

 the row about three inches apart. As soon as the 

 plants begin to crowd one another, they should be 

 transplanted to another frame; this time each plant 

 should be given about two inches in the row, and the 

 rows four inches apart. Inexperienced people are 

 somewhat timid in removing egg-plant seedlings, or 



