54 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9OO. 



the size of the head. Plants handled three or more times invari- 

 ably gave better results than those handled once or twice before 

 the transfer to the field. Frequent transplanting increased the 

 average size of the heads. Handling the plants in pots before 

 setting in the field increased the percentage of marketable heads ; 

 but trimming the plants at time of setting appeared to be of no 

 special importance. 



EGG PLANT. 



Egg plant studies included methods of culture ; varieties ; 

 crossings. Results: It was demonstrated that with careful 

 treatment the egg plant may be successfully grown in Central 

 Maine, — the most important requisites being : early sowing ; 

 vigorous plants ; late removal to the field ; warm, rich soil. Most 

 of the well-known varieties are too late for this climate, but 

 early dwarf purple, early long purple and long white were satis- 

 factory. Several crosses were made between white fruited and 

 black fruited types. After four years of breeding it was found 

 that no type sufficiently constant in color to be of commercial 

 value was produced. There was, however, a marked increase 

 in vigor and productiveness as a result of crossing. In the first 

 generation the purple fruited types seem stronger in their power 

 to transmit color to the offspring than do the white fruited 

 types ; and this law appears to hold whether the purple type is 

 used as the male or female parent. In later generations the 

 inherent strength of the white fruited types appears more 

 strongly than in the first. In all cases the white fruited types 

 appear stronger in the power to transmit form and productive- 

 ness. 



CAULIFLOWER. 



Work with the cauliflower included studies of the relative 

 influence of pot and box culture of young plants ; the effect of 

 trimming at time of setting in the field ; the effect of mulch as 

 compared witk frequent cultivation ; a comparison of varieties. 

 Results: Plants handled in pots were kept at a more nearly 

 uniform rate of growth and produced a higher percentage of 

 .marketable heads, — this difference in some cases amounting to 

 20 per cent. As a result of trimming it was found that there 

 was practically no difference in earliness nor in the size of head, 



