194 Agricultural Gazette of S.S.W. [Mar. 2, 1920. 



Although there is evidence from oorrospondence that artichokes reached 

 Enghiud from France in 1G17, the first jniblished reference to them is in 1622, 

 when A^enner refers to them in the following quaint passage : — " Artichoks of 

 Jerusalem is a roote usually eaten with butter, vinegar, and pepper, by itselfe, 

 or together with other meates. It is in nature somew^hat answerable to the 

 former {i.e., artichoks), but not so pleasant in taste, nor of so commendable 

 nourishment. It breedeth melancholy and is somewhat nauseous or fulsome 

 to the stomache, and therefore very hurtful to the melancholick, and them 

 that have weak stomackes." 



Concerning the theory that " Jerusalem " is a corruption of the Italian 

 girasole (according to Max Miiller, from the Latin gyrus, turning to, and sol, 

 the sun) which is now a popular as well as a book term in Italy for the 

 sunflower Helianthus annuus, Lacaita contends that the statement that the 

 artichoke was called girasole in Italy is incorrect. He states that every 

 effort has failed to discover that the Italians called either the plant or its 

 tubers by that name at or before the date w'hen the vegetable came into use 

 in England. He finds that the term girasole seems to have been first em- 

 ployed botanically for the castor oil plant, and that from evidence of literature 

 of the day it seems as if the transference of the name from that plant to the 

 sunfloweT may have taken place in England earlier than in Italy. The word 

 girasole might easily have been applied by some scholarly gardener to the 

 tuberous Helianthus when it made its appearance in England, and any 

 unlettered hearer might most easily repeat the ill-caught sound as 

 " Jerusalem." 



Two Types of Eureka Lemon. 



Some years ago Mr. Harold Moore, Pennant Hills, visited California, and 

 was so taken with the Eureka lenxons there that he purchased some trees- 

 and had them forwarded to this State. A number of these trees were planted 

 at the orchard of his brother, Mr. Bert Moore, " Sunnyside," Soraersby. 

 The latter now reports that they have proved a failure. The two original 

 trees bear very little fruit, and what tliey bear is large and coarse. The 

 Department also obtained two trees, aiid the experience with them at Yanco 

 Experiment Farm was practically the same as at Somersby, namely, that 

 the trees did not crop Avell, and the fruit was in every way inferior to the 

 variety Sweet Rind. 



There is a variety of lemon in this State which, though called Eureka, is 

 very similar to Sweet Rind ; in fact, I think it is synonymous with it. The 

 Sweet Rind type can certainly be recommended, being even and smooth in 

 texture ; but growers cannot be recommended to plant the imported Eureka 

 referred to above, notwithstanding that in California the variety so named 

 carries good crops of summer fruit, and is being verv laigelv planted in that 

 State.— W. J. Allen. 



