yertisalem Artichoke — Asparagus, 75 



much alike, are the varieties we have had in mind in 

 writing the above, but there is another variety, called 

 the Jerusalem Artichoke {Helianthiis tubcrosns), which 

 differs from these in the fact that it is cultivated for its 

 tubers, which are pickled like cucumbers or eaten raw 

 sliced as a salad. They are planted like potatoes, in 

 hills or rov\'s, and will produce enormous crops. The 

 tubers make excellent feed for all kinds of live stock, 

 being the richest in fat-producing elements of any of 

 our cultivated roots. Care must be taken at the time 

 of harvesting to remove all the small roots, for if left 

 in the ground they will come up the next spring, and 

 may become a troublesome weed. 



Asparagus {A. officinalis) is a peculiar crop, and 

 generally speaking is a reliable one. The fact that 

 it takes two years from the setting if two-year-old 

 plants are set, or four years if the seed is sown, pre- 

 vents many from grov\-ing it. It is not generally grown 

 in the immediate vicinity of Boston or other large 

 cities, as the land is usually too valuable. The average 

 proceeds per acre are moderate ; from $200 to S300, 



As compared with other crops, it is a good one to 

 ship, and will stand up well for quite a length of time. 



Asparagus is a hardy, perennial, maritime plant. It 

 may be grown from seed, or propagated by roots. One 

 ounce of seed will sow about fifty feet of drill. It will 

 thrive on almost any sandy soil, even if quite light, and 

 the lighter the soil, other things being equal, the 

 earlier the crop may be got off. A planting once prop- 

 erly made will last for years. A fair crop may be 

 expected the third year from the seed, or in one or 



