EGGPLANT 26 I 



variety serpentimtm by Bailey, and the Dwarf Purple eggplants, 

 which are chiefly distinguished by their smaller fruits and the dif- 

 fuse branching habit of the plants, under the variety depressum. An 

 ornamental sort with strong spines and tomato-like fruits, known 

 to the trade as Chinese Scarlet Eggplant, Ethiopian Eggplant, etc., 

 which is of coarse, bushy habit, 3 feet or more in height, is classified 

 as Solanum integrifolium. This sort probably came from Africa. 

 Although there are a number of important varieties of eggplant 

 varying in size, color, and form, the New York Purple Improved 

 is the sort most universally grown. 



Soil. Like many other garden plants, the eggplant gives good 

 results on a great variety of soils if supplied with a liberal amount 

 of plant food. A strong, moist loam, well stocked with plant food, 

 supplies a most congenial environment for this plant. 



Propagation. Since the eggplant is a subtropical plant requiring 

 a longer growing period than the normal season at the North, to 

 grow the crop successfully in the latitude of New York it is neces- 

 sary to start the young plants either in the greenhouse or hotbed 

 about March 10 or March 15. Young eggplants are more deli- 

 cate than peppers or tomatoes and require more attention during 

 their early life and a little higher temperature than either of these 

 plants. The seeds are slower to germinate and must be guarded 

 against all extremes of moisture during the germinating period. 

 As soon as the first true leaves appear the seedlings should be 

 transplanted to flats or pots, and kept growing, which will require 

 both careful watering arid a warm soil and atmosphere. Few gar- 

 den plants must be grown with such close attention to certain 

 requirements as young eggplants, but under congenial conditions 

 they grow rapidly. It is not safe to place them in the open until all 

 danger from frost is past and until both the soil and atmosphere 

 are warm. Cold weather and adverse soil temperatures are very 

 discouraging to this plant. The plants, when set in the field, 

 should be placed so as to allow the use of the horse hoe in one 

 direction from 30 to 36 inches between rows, and from 1 8 to 24 

 inches apart in the row according to the soil and the variety. 



Methods of cultivation. The plant should have the same general 

 culture as the tomato or the potato. Horse tools, however, must not 

 be used after there is danger of injuring the developing fruits. The 



