FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



229 



Solanum Melongena, Liime. {S. ovigerum, Dunal; S. escu- 

 lentum, Dunal.) 

 The Egg-plant. India and some other parts of tropical Asia. 

 A perennial plant, usually renewed in cultivation like an 

 annual. The egg-shaped large berries are known under the 

 name of Aubergines or Bringals or Begoons as culinary- 

 esculents. Allied plants are: S. insanum (L.), S. longum 

 (Roxb.), S. serpentinum (Desf.), S. undatum (Lam.), S. ferox 

 (L.), S. pseudo-saponaceum (Blume), S. album (Lour.), which 

 bear all large berries, considered harmless, but may not all 

 represent well-marked species. Absolute ripeness of all such 

 kinds of fruits is an unavoidable requisite, as otherwise even 

 wholesome sorts may prove acrid or even poisonous. Pro- 

 bably many other of the exceedingly numerous species of the 

 genus Solanum may be available for good-sized edible berries. 



Solanum muricatum, L'Heritier. 



The Pepino of Peru. A shrubby species with egg-shaped edible 

 berries, which are white with purple spots, and attain a length 

 of six inches. 



Solanum Quitoense, La March. 



Ecuador, Peru. A shrubby plant. The berries resemble in 

 size^ colour and taste small oranges, and are of a peculiar 

 fragrance. To this the S. Plumierii (Dun.), from the West 

 Indian Islands, is also cognate, and the S. Topii'o (Kunth), 

 from the Orinoco. 



Solanum torvum, Swartz. 



From West India to Peru. A shrubby species with yellow 

 spherical berries of good size, which seem also wholesome. 

 Other species from tropical America have shown themselves 

 sufficiently hardy for inducing us to recommend the test-culture 

 of such kinds of plants. Many of them are highly curious and 

 ornamental. 



Solanum tuberosum 5 -Liinne.^ 



The Potato. Andes of South America, particularly of Chili, 

 but not absolutely trans-equatorial, as it extends into Colum- 

 bia. It is also wild in the Argentine territory. As a starch- 

 plant, the Potato interests us on this occasion particularly. 

 Considering its prolific yield in our richer soil, we j^ossess as 

 yet too few factories for Potato-starch. The latter, by being 

 heated with mineral acids or malt, can be converted into Dex- 

 trin and Dextro-Glucose for many purposes of the arts. Dex- 

 trin, as a substitute for gum, is also obtainable by subjecting 

 Potato-starch in a dry state to a heat of 400° F. Alcohol may 

 be largely produced from the tubers. The berries and shoots 

 contain Solanin. Baron von Liebig remarks: — "So far as its 

 foliage is concerned, it is a lime-plant ; as regards its tubers, a 



