NOTES ON EGG-PLANTS. 



April is early enough in all the northern states 

 for the starting of egg-plants. In fact, better re- 

 sults usually come from late than from early start- 

 ing. I made several ineffectual attempts at egg- 

 plants before I learned this point. Plants started 

 the first or even last of March, in Michigan or New 

 England, are apt to be excelled by those sown the 

 middle of April. At least this has been my experi- 

 ence. If one has the room and the time, early 

 plants can be kept in a thrifty condition by frequent 

 shiftings, and a good crop may result ; but under 

 ordinary good treatment it is safer to start the 

 plants only six or eight weeks before they are to be 

 placed in the field. 



A second important point in egg-plant culture is 

 delay in setting in the field. The cool nights and raw 

 days of May are injurious to the plants. Although 

 last spring was a forward one, our egg-plants were 

 not planted out until June 12th, and this proved to 

 be early enough. Plants started the middle of 

 April gave results as good or better than those 

 started the middle or last of March. The egg- 

 plant requires a high and constant temperature, 

 and the plants should not be allowed to become 

 checked. I have never had success in growing 

 them in a hot-bed. We sow the seeds in a forcing- 

 house in flats, and handle them into 2-in. or 3-in. 

 pots and then into 4-in. pots. 



The soil for egg-plants should be deep and rich, 

 and one which is not greatly affected by dry 

 weather. "Quick" fertilizers — those in which 

 plant food is quickly available — are necessary. 



Culture should be very frecjuent, but it possesses 

 no points of peculiarity. 



Although varieties are not numerous, they are ex- 

 ceedingly various. Our plantation last year included 

 23 names, nearly all those offered in America, 

 France and Japan. A number of these proved to 

 be identical. Fig. i, above, shows a collection of 

 our varieties. There are few illustrations of egg- 

 plants which convey an accurate idea of a model or 

 average plant. Figs. 2 to 5, from photographs 

 taken in our garden last year, represent good types. 

 Of the very large varieties — those of which the 

 fruits attain a diameter of 10 or 12 inches — but 

 one or two mature fruits need be expected on a 

 plant, while from four to eight fruits to the plant is 

 a good crop of the medium and small sorts. Fig. 2 

 represents a plant of the French Violette rondc tres 

 grossc, or Large Round Violet, which is the largest 

 egg plant I know. A single fruit is represented at 

 No. 7 in Fig. i. Fig. 3 is the French I'lolctfe longue^ 

 or Long Violet. Fig. 4 is the White Chinese, 

 Blanche longue de Chine. Fig. 5 is the common 

 Round White, one of the most attractive varieties, 

 but inferior for the table. 



For market purposes the Black Pekin and New 

 York Improved are the most popular and prob- 

 ably the most profitable, but for home use I pre- 

 fer smaller and earlier sorts. My favorite is the 

 Early Dwarf Purple, represented at Nos. 11 and 21 

 in Fig. I. These d^arf sorts are early and pro- 

 ductive, and the ripe fruits will persist a long time 

 without cracking. One or two of them makes a 



