EGG-PLANT. ELDER. 



103 



one or two days every week, throughout the season. 

 Never keep them longer in than two or three days at a 

 time, else they tire of their food, and become indolent. While 

 here, they should be offered no food, but may have a little 

 water set down to them, if there be no pond or stream in 

 the garden. 



" They are very fond of ripe strawberries or gooseber- 

 ries ; and, while they can get at these, will seek little after 

 snails, or other insects ; but they are most useful before 

 these come into season for them. There are some kinds 

 of vegetables they have a liking to, and on which they w^U 

 fall, if vermin be any wise scarce ; therefore, when this is 

 perceived, they should be turned out. Never turn them 

 into the garden in the time of heavy rains, or in continued 

 wet weather ; as, in that case, and particularly if the soil 

 be stiff, they patter and harden the surface, to the great in- 

 jury of small crops, and rising seeds." — NicoL 



EGG-PLANT. — Solanum melongencu — ''There are two 

 varieties of this plant, the white-fruited and the purple, cul- 

 tivated for culinary purposes ; the latter kind is preferable, 

 and, when sliced and nicely fried, approaches, both in taste 

 and flavour, nearer to that of a very nice fried oyster, than, 

 perhaps, any other plant. 



" This delicious vegetable maybe propagated by sowing 

 the seed on a slight hot-bed, the beginning of April, or in 

 March ; and towards the latter part of May, they should be 

 planted in a rich, warm piece of ground, at the distance of 

 two feet and a half asunder, every way, for the purple, or 

 two feet for the w^hite kind ; and if kept clean, and a little 

 earth be drawn up to their stems, when about a foot high, 

 they will produce plenty of fruit. Or, the seed may be 

 sown about the end of April, on a warm border, and planted 

 out finally the beginning of June ; but these will be rather 

 late, and not produce fruit so abundantly, in the Middle or 

 Eastern States, as by the former method." — M'Mahon. 



nigra. — This shrub grows plentifully 

 in most or all parts of the United States, and is too well 

 known to need description. Something, however, may be 

 said with regard to its uses, some of which may not be so 

 well known. 



" This tree, professor Martyn observes, is a whole maga- 

 zine of physic to rustic practitioners, nor is it quite neg- 

 lected by more regular ones. An excellent healing oint- 

 ment is made of the green, inner bark, which is also purga- 

 tive in moderate, and diuretic in small doses. A decoction 



