The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-13
a One-Acra Karin.

Florida is noted for two things, says the
Florida Despatch and Fruit GrolUer, the
poverty Of its soil and the large sums OF
money which may be made and are made
by good management on very small areas
OF land
Charles Kerr Of Archer is the owner Of a
small nursery and truck farm, of which lat
ter the principal part is a l-acre patch de-
voted to egg-plants. He regards 500 bushel
crates as a fnir crop from this acre, though
sometimes be raises 1000 in very favora-
BILE season. His standard of production is a
bushel from four plants. but he has occa-
sionally harvested bushel from two plants
They fetch from 81 so to So so bushel, ac-
cordinz to the season and demand. He
prefers bushel crates when the fruits are
not too large for this size when it is he uses
barrel crates.
Usually he sows his seed about Jan 1, aud
when the plants are two or three inches
high he transplants them into nursery bed
i've or six inches apart. This gives them
thick roots aud makes them stocky. When
ready to set out in the field with fiat gar
den trowel he cuts the ground deep be-
tween the plants, leaving block Of earth
five or six inches square on each, which is
moved with it aud prevents it from wilt
ing. In this way he can keep the plants in
the nursery bed until they are large and the
season has so far advanced as to lessen the
chances of frost.
Mr.. Kerr prefers for u market variety a
large, dark purple, pear-shaped variety
which he obtained from Frotscher, the New
Orleans scotsman. He has a Japanese
variety which bears small and very sweet
fruits. excellent for home use, bat not so
saleable as the Others. He is working TO
secure hybrid between the New Orleans
and the Japanese varieties. The japanese
fruit is free from bitterness, and this quality
be wishes to enRraft upon the thrift and
vigor of the other.
MIR. Kerr believes that the eggplant like
many other plants and vegetables In the hot
and sandy soils of Florida is liable to die-
back ami especially 80 when northern grown
seed is used every year. So far as this vege-
table is concerned, he 10 seeking e. acclimate
IL by employing Florida grown seed every
year. As a result of this policy and the en-
ployment of kamit. he has been able almost
entirely to eradicate this tendency to die
back, which he considers simply a manifes-
tation Of degeneracy.
The eggplant is a very gross feeder in
keeping with the rapidity and rankness
Of the growth Of its fruit. Mr.. Kerr does
not hesitate to apply to this one little patch
of scarcely an acre 1925 worth of fertilizers
per year. Such generous feeding brings
fruit In liberal measure He has had them
80 large That only one could be placed in
each end OF a busbel crate. Such over
grown specimens, however, are not particu-
larly desirable.
He iS very thorough in his cultivation :;
his plantation Is kept as clean as a house
floor while the crop 10 growing. After
every rain he breaks the crust With the hoe
by skimminR off a shallow slice around the
plants with the hoe to admit the air to the
roots, and at the same time not lacerate
them. When the earliest fruits form and
lengthen down 30 as to touch the ground,
he places a ward OF black moss under each
to prevent it from rotting Later on, they
are borne higher on the branches and do
not touch the ground. He expects to ship
usually from May to July 10.