328 T I IE KITCHEN GARDEN. [April. 



sow them on a slight hot-bed the beginning of this month, and with 

 due care they will be lit to transplant, where they are to remain, 

 towards the middle of May. In the eastern states, the tenth of 

 May will be soon enough to sow them in the open ground, but in 

 the southern states they may be sown any time this month. 



Tomatoes or Love-apples. 



The Solarium lycopersicum, tomato, or love-apple, is much cul- 

 tivated for its fruit, in soups and sauces, to which it imparts an 

 agreeable acid flavour; and is also stewed and dressed in various 

 ways and very much admired. 



The seeds may, towards the latter end of this month, be sown 

 on a warm border, pretty thick, and about the end of May will be 

 fit to plant out; or they may be sown where intended to remain for 

 fruiting. They will require such support as directed for nastur- 

 tiums, in page 326, and must be planted in rows five feet asunder, 

 and a foot or fourteen inches distant, plant from plant, as they run 

 greatly. Some lay various kinds of old branches in their way for 

 them to run upon; however, the better they are supported, the 

 more numerous will their fruit be. 



This fruit may be had much earlier by sowing the seeds in the 

 first week of this month, if not done in March, on a slight hot-bed, 

 and forwarding them in that way; they bear transplanting well, 

 and may be set out finally about the middle of May. 



Egg-Plant. 



The Solarium melongena, or egg-plant. There are two varieties 

 of this plant, the white fruited and the purple, cultivated for culi- 

 nary purposes; the latter kind is preferable, and when sliced and 

 nicely fried, approaches, both in taste and flavour, nearer to that 

 of a very nice fried oyster than perhaps any other plant. 



This delicious vegetable may be propagated by sowing the seed 

 on a slight hot-bed the beginning of this month, or in March; and 

 towards the middle or latter part of May, they should be planted 

 in a rich warm piece of ground, at the distance of two feet and a 

 half asunder every way for the purple, or two feet for the white 

 kind; and if kept'clean, and a little earth drawn up to their stems, 

 when about a foot high, they will produce plenty of fruit. Or, the 

 seed may be sown about the end of this month on a warm border, 

 and planted out finally in the beginning of June; but these will be 

 rather late, and not produce fruit so abundantly in the middle or 

 eastern states, as by the former method. If any were sown last 

 month, let them be "pricked out into a fresh hot-bed the middle of 

 this, at the distance of four or five inches, to gather strength, and 

 prepare them for planting out about the fifteenth or twentieth of 

 May. 



Sowing Cm umbers, Squashes, Musk and Water Melons. 

 In the middle states where the ground is light, dry, and warm, 



