226 KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Immediately after coming up, the plants of both the 
cucumber and cantaloupe are liable to be attacked bya 
very little black bug. The ravages of this have sometimes 
been checked by sprinkling or sifting over the plants some 
ashes or soot, either alone or mixed together. This should 
be done in the morning whilst the leaves are still moist 
with dew. When three rough leaves have been made, the 
ends of the shoots should be pinched off, so as to make 
them branch out and fruit sooner. For the varieties of the 
cucumber best known in England, we refer to the part of 
this treatise which treats of the operations of the forcing 
garden. 
Eec Prant (Solanum Melongena.)\—There are two 
varieties of this plant commonly cultivated in the United 
States, one of which is a large, oval-shaped, purple-colored 
fruit, often weighing many pounds, and used for cooking ; 
the other variety, being white and much smaller, though 
good when eaten, is generally raised for ornament. In the 
Middle and Northern States, the seeds of this plant are 
sown about the first of March in hotbeds, the sashes of 
which should be kept down close until the plants come up, 
when they may be slightly raised, so as to admit a little 
air, in the middle of the day. The seeds require consid- 
erable warmth to make them vegetate, which warmth must 
be kept up to bring the plants forward. They will not 
bear the least cold when very young, and ought, therefore, 
to have a division to themselves, free from association with 
cabbage-plants and other vegetables which are generally 
benefitted by more or less exposure to the atmosphere dur- 
ing a portion of the day. 
The young plants may be taken from their beds about 
the middle of May, if the weather be warm and settled, 
