120 THE GARDENER. [March 



round the ^Mediterranean, and of the islands of that sea. Most likely 

 it is a maritime plant, for it is one that thrives well in soils in 

 which there is alkaline matter ; and it is said that it thrives amazingly 

 in the Orkney Islands, where it receives liberal doses of sea-weed. We 

 have frequently observed that it grew with unusual vigour in rather 

 peaty soils, or where it has received liberal dressings of decayed vege- 

 table matter, such as leaf -mould. Generally speaking, the Artichoke 

 is to be met with in some out-of-the-way corner of our gardens not 

 very well exposed to sun and air. It is, however, a mistake to plant 

 it in such situations, as it is a plant which usually yields most pro- 

 ductively on a warm open exposure, and does best in a warm season. 

 It has been represented by some as perfectly hardy. This, however, 

 does not coincide with our own experience ; and on consulting an old 

 author, we find it stated that "once in the seventeenth century, and 

 again in 1739, the Globe Artichoke was all but totally destroyed in 

 Britain, and a fresh stock had to be imported from the Continent, 

 where it is much more generally esteemed than in this country." 



The cultivation of this vegetable is exceedingly simple ; at the same 

 time some considerable care and attention is required to keep up a 

 succession fit for table from June to November. In making a new 

 plantation, a piece of good open dry soil should be chosen, and liber- 

 ally manured with decayed leaves or thoroughly-decomposed vegetable- 

 mould : trenching to the depth of 2 or 2| feet is desirable, and then 

 another dressing of manure dug into the surface. As soon as the old 

 stools have grov/n from 8 to 9 inches, which is generally from the 

 middle of April to the middle of May, according to the season, is the 

 time to plant. The old stools should have the soil turned back all 

 round them, so as to enable the operator to select the strongest offsets 

 round the stool, and to remove them with a portion of their thick 

 perennial roots and some of the young fibres also. These offsets are 

 then planted in triplets at a yard apart, the soil pressed firmly about 

 them, and well watered immediately they are planted, and kept watered, 

 should the weather be dry, till they get a good hold of the soil. If 

 this be performed in April with good strong suckers, they produce 

 globes in August. It is a good plan thus to plant a few rows every 

 spring, and do away with as many of the old stools. It keeps up a 

 succession of good healthy stools and of globes. Old plants will, it is 

 true, continue to be productive for many years ; but, after a certain 

 time, the globes are not so fine. When old or established plants begin 

 to grow, they should be regularly looked over, and the weakest growths 

 or offsets removed entirely; for, if left to grow up a thicket, no more 

 globes will be produced, and those that are produced are weakened by 

 the crowd of foliage. Six or eight suckers to a stool are quite sufficient. 



