A more common practice is, instead of using hay-bands, 
simply to tie the leaves together with matting, and then to 
earth up the plants, like Celery ; the first earthing to be in 
the beginning of October, and then repeated once a fort- 
night, until the plants are sufficiently covered. Upon com- 
parison of the Cardoons so treated in the Horticultural 
Garden, with those blanched by hay-bands, the latter have 
been ascertained to be superior, both in colour, and in the 
greater length of the parts blanched. 
A French method of blanching has also been tried at the 
Society’s garden ; it was done in the following manner :— 
The bottom of the plant was first moulded up a little, the 
leaves were then tied together with pack-thread, and the 
whole nearly to the top was enveloped with a quantity of 
long, clean straw, placed in the direction of its length, and 
then tied round with strong matting or small ropes: the 
leaves were thus blanched without being earthed up, and 
speedily became eatable. The process is good, and affords 
a neat appearance ; but it is more troublesome than that 
first mentioned, and much more expensive; because if frost 
is to be excluded from the plant, a very large quantity of 
straw must be consumed for that purpose. 
In either of the cases of the use of hay-bands or straw, it 
is very necessary, to be careful that the plants are perfectl 
pes before they are enveloped in the covering: they will 
otherwise rot. 
It is frequently the practice to sow the seeds of Cardoons 
in beds, and to transplant the young plants after they have 
been so raised ; but it has been found preferable to sow the 
seeds where it is intended the plants should remain: for they 
are then better enabled to stand a dry summer, and are, 
besides, not so liable to run to flower as when they have 
been removed. Hort. Trans. ege 
In France, the flowers of the Cardoon are gathered and 
dried in the shade ; when so preserved, they are used instead 
of rennet to coagulate milk. alt 
Notwithstanding that the Cynara Cardunculus is a native 
of the North of Africa, and other countries bordering upon 
the Mediterranean, it bears our climate remarkably well, 
and independent of its usefulness for coeeatien, or in it 
really makes a fine appearance in a large garden, or ina 
shrubbery. 
