290 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



pricked out into another hot-bed six weeks or two months later. 

 Early varieties raised in hot-beds may also be planted out in the 

 open air about the end of May, when the ground has become well 

 warmed. The plants require a warm and sheltered position, and 

 plentiful waterings. In order to obtain handsome, well-grown fruit, 

 a certain number only should be allowed to remain on each plant, 

 proportioned to its strength. It is a good plan also to pinch the 

 extremities of the branches towards the end of the summer. In 

 England we have never seen this plant well grown even under 

 glass. In the Eastern States of North America we were surprised 

 at the fine health it attained in the fields, and the great size of the 



fruit — as large as well-grown 

 Melons. 



Uses.— The fruit is usually 

 cooked. The different varie- 

 ties are highly esteemed for 

 table use in the countries of 

 the south of Europe and 

 South America. 



Long Purple Egg-plants 

 — Stem greenish, or faintly 

 tinged with brown. Leaves 

 oval, entire, slightly sinuate- 

 lobed, and bearing a few 

 purple-coloured spines on the 

 veins of the upper surface ; 

 youngest leaves purple at the 

 base, the others entirely green. 

 Flowers lilac, large, axillary^ 

 with a brown calyx, which 

 Long Purple Egg-plant (i natural size). increases very much in size 



after the flower fades, so that 

 it is three or four times larger when the fruit is ripe than it was 

 when the flower opened. Fruit oblong-oval, slightly club-shaped, 

 thickest at the end farthest from the stalk, very smooth and 

 glistening, and almost black-purple in colour ; flesh firm and 

 compact, with few seeds, and best in quality before the fruit is 

 fully grown. When quite ripe, the fruit is from 6 to 8 in. long 

 and 2 to 3 in. in diameter. A well-grown plant may carry from 

 eight to ten fruit. This is the best variety for table use in all 

 countries where the summer is long and warm, as it requires five 

 or six months' growth to ripen the fruit. It is therefore especially 

 suitable for the south of Europe, but for the climate of Paris the 

 following kind is to be preferred. 



Early Long Purple Egg-plant.— A sub-variety of the pre- 

 ceding kind, in comparison with which it is not quite so strong- 



