40 THE BOOK OF RARER VEGETABLES 
growth and show fruit. Four to six fruits are ample. 
After these are secured, later fruits and lateral growth 
should be stopped, the plants syringed overhead twice 
daily and kept free of insect pests. 
The above-described culture is for pot plants, but I 
think the best results are obtained from plants planted out 
in beds, not unlike Capsicums, or treated like Vegetable 
Marrows given frame culture. By planting out, a greater 
number of fruits are secured from the plants, as they 
begin to fruit in June and continue bearing till late in 
the summer. Some growers sow their seed in the hot 
bed and thin out others in pots, and plant out when the 
bed is at the right temperature. In all cases there must 
be a warm bed to get the best results ; not too hot, but 
made so that the fermenting materials retain the heat as 
long as possible. In this country I have seen excellent 
results by growing in frames. A bed is prepared in March 
and on this is placed a frame, with from 4 to 6 inches 
of good soil. When this latter is warmed through, the 
seedlings should be planted, having previously been raised 
in small pots. Each plant is made firm and may be 
allowed 2 feet space and the sashes kept closed for a few 
days, shading the plants, giving ventilation carefully as 
the plants increase in growth, damping overhead freely 
late in the afternoon, and stopping shoots and thinning the 
plants later on. At midsummer the sashes may be re- 
moved entirely, but there must be no lack of water or 
food, as red spider generally attacks the plants if at all 
dry, and if this is allowed to spread the fruits fail to set 
or swell. Scale also attacks the plants if they are in any 
way neglected during growth. In cold or exposed places 
I would advise sowing early and giving frame culture 
from start to finish. On the other hand, in the southern 
part of the country the plants will fruit in the open 
ground if planted out in rich soil. 
