AGRICULTUK \ 1. EXPERIMENT STATION. 



119 



TABLE X. 

 EAIil.Y VS. LATE SETTING OF EGG PLANTS. 



Vakietv. 



5»g 



!.2<H 



fc d 



Early Dwarf Purple. 



Early set 



Late set 



Early Long Purple. 



Early set 



Late. set 



Black Pekin. 



Early set 



Late set 



40 

 15 



30 

 17 



21 

 12 



lOO.O 

 86.7 



70.6 

 62.5 



lOO.O 

 61.7 



It will be observed that in every instance the lot set June 10, 

 produced a larger percentage of plants bearing marketable fruits 

 than did the lot set later. Tbis difference in one case — Black Pekin 

 — amounted to more than 35 per cent. The average number of 

 marketable fruits on the bearing plants was also much larger from 

 those set early. Dwaif Purple produced nearly twice as many fruits 

 from the first lot as from the others. 



This difference is due to two causes. Fruits seem to set more 

 freely in the warm days of July and August — hence the desirability 

 of having the plants in full vigorous growth at that time ; while the 

 fruits formed later are almost certain to be injured by frost before 

 reaching edible maturity. 



Conclusion : The percentage of plants bearing marketable fruits, 

 also the productiveness of individual plants, is considerably less 

 from plants set late in June than from those set earlier. 



2. Deep vs. Shalloio Cultivation : We have always recom- 

 mended constant cultivation as one of the first requisites to success 

 with egg plants. There is a question, however, whether it is advis- 

 able to disturb the roots to so great a depth as is commonly done 

 with the ordinary farm cultivator. As bearing upon this point a 



