Eggplant

The seed of this plant is sown earlier than tomato seed, because the seedlings are rather slow growing. Usually it is started in the hotbed or green-house and planted 2 feet apart in rows 3 feet apart after the ground is thoroughly warm in the latter part of May or early June. Fruit can be expected about the middle to last of August. The best varieties are New York Purple and Long Purple, the latter being the earlier. Management in the hotbed and in the field is the same as for tomato.

SUCCESS WITH EGGPLANT

On May 16 I planted about one-third acre of eggplants, or about 1,200 plants, on a rich sandy loam,” writes Charles Black of Mercer county, New Jersey. ” I put a small shovelful of well-decayed manure under each plant. The seed was sown in a greenhouse about February 1. The plants were transplanted while small in 2-inch pots. When they had made fair-sized plants, they were trans-planted again in 4-inch pots and grown until ready to set in the field. They had constant cultivation up to August 1. We began cutting July 14, and gathered 535 half-bushel baskets, or about 6,500 eggs. These sold for about $210, or about an average of 40 cents a basket in local, markets. The price ranged from 20 cents to $1.50 a basket. Owing to extreme drouth, about 100 plants yielded but little, being too close to a row of trees. There were no less than 50 baskets left lying on the ground at the end of the season. I have grown eggplants many years, but this is my best success.”