122 FACTS AND FIGURES OR THE 



CULTIVATION. 



This vegetable requires less work than any you can plant. 

 All that is necessary is to keep the ground well stiried and 

 the weeds down, giving the plants from 200 to 300 pounds 

 of fertilizer, the same as you used the first time, at each 

 working, until you have used about 1,000 pounds to the 

 acre. The best way to apply this is with the Iron Age 

 fertilizer drill (see Implements), drilling it about six inches 

 from the plant and working it in the ground with a hand 

 plow. 



PACKING AND SHIPPING. 



Gather the fruit as soon as developed, cutting from the 

 plant with a pair of clippers, the same that are used for 

 pruning orange trees, as the stems are tough, and will re- 

 quire a pair of strong ones for this work. Clip the stem about 

 two inches from the tgg plant; but before packing, take a 

 sharp knife and trim off close to the fruit to keep them from 

 bruising each other in transit. Look the fruit over very care- 

 fully to see that there are no spots on it as it is from 

 these spots that they start to decay and the damaged ones 

 must be thrown out. Have a paper or feather duster and 

 dust each egg plant very carefully ; then wipe them ofif with 

 a soft cloth. You will find egg pants will carry to market 

 better if wrapped in strong brown paper. Pack tightly in 

 the crate, but do not bruise. There is no other vegetable or 

 fruit that requires the careful handling that this one does. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES. 



Fungous diseases are the greatest drawback to egg plant 

 growing, and you should do everything possible to prevent 

 them. Some of the best growers claim if you will broadcast 

 the land with a ton of kainit to the acre, as I advised doing 



