The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-29

There are a great many persons even
here in the south, and very fair garden
ers, too, who do not make a success of
growing egg plants, says a southern gar
dener in Wick. A careless cultivator is
most likely to fail in the attempt always
and, yet just one or two requirements met
and egg plant growing is as simple and
easy as that of any crop could name.
There are not a great many varieties
and one will not care to have any better
kind than the well known New York I'M
proved"
The chief obstacle to be guarded against
after one has procured first-class seeds,
is that of the active, Ubiquitous, tiny in
sect known as the flea beetle.
To insure success in this direction have
made it a practice for twenty years of
having the plant frame for growing the
plants elevated four to five feet above the
surface of the ground. Posts are insert
ed and a three by three frame placed up
on them with a slight declension to the
south. These frames are made out of
five-ineh planks. Holes or cracks are left
in the bottom to ensure perfect drainage.
Good garden soil is put in and firmly COM
pacted to a depth of three inches. The
frames are made ready ten days or so be-
fore time for sowing the seeds, and the
glass put on and kept on. A rag or two
saturated with turpentine, or a small VIA
of bi-sulphide of carbon is put inside the
frame and slight crack left in it. If
there are any flea beetles in the soil they
will soon get out and they can not get
back. A month or six weeks before the
time for setting out in the open, the seeds
are sown in flve-inch drills very shallow
lightly covered and firmed with hand or
board the soil watered to a reasonable
saturation, and the glass put on and kept
on until termination is accomplished.
In ten days or two weeks after coming
up the young plants can be thinned and
those drawn out are reset between the
original rows. They are then allowed TO
get strong and stocky for transferring to
the open ground as soon as frost will per-
NIT, which with us is during the first
week in April, few usually being risked
a little earlier, say March H-25. 1t is a
great advantage to have well grown
plants with a mass of roots to put out
early. Even in the south 1t is poor bus
mess TO attempt growing this plant by
sowing the seeds in the open. The crop
will be too late, and furthermore too I'M
certain, If the start is delayed until seeds
can be sown in the open ground.
With soil suitably rich, and strong
plants TO set early, there will be no OBJ
stacle that cannot be overcome. The
| plants should be set three feet apart each
way Sometimes the false potato beetle
puts in an appearance on the plants, but
| its presence Is promptly recognized and
the danger readily turned aside. II is well
to keep on hand a little clay dust OF
sifted ashes, and II needed faint some OF
| It with kerosene oil and sprinkle the
plants while the dew is on. Cultivate
| shallow, and as frequently as may be nee
essary to keep down weeds. III the APP
| pearance of the plants a little while after
setting out indicates a need Of food, each
plant may, and should be top-dressed
around with heaping tablespoonful OF
nitrate of soda, sprinked evenly in every
| direction and a double-handful OF pure
bone dust, not meal, but dust, or any good
/ commercial fertilizer can be used-a
double handful Of It to each plant. but al.