422 VILLA GARDENING part v 



in spring — say in February, in jDots, in heat — the seedlings potted 

 off when large enough to handle, afterwards shifted into larger 

 pots, and planted out early in May, all the strongest will bear 

 flower heads in autiunn. To accomplish this, they must have good 

 culture. The same thing will occur if we plant strong offsets in 

 April taken from old-established plants in the open ground. To 

 obtain early heads, sometimes a strong plant or two is lifted in 

 autumn, and placed in a cool house, to which a little warmth is 

 given in February, which causes an early start to the flowering 

 stems. The 



Best Time to Plant, in most places, is in April, as by that 

 time all frosts of a severe character will have passed away. In 

 taking off the offsets, dig a trench round the plants to expose the 

 base, and show the best place to cut. In making the severance 

 have a good piece of the old root stem and ball with the young 

 plant, bearing in mind that the stronger the plant, and the less 

 check given, the sooner it will recover and start away on its own 

 independent existence. Plant in rows 4 feet apart, and at 3 feet 

 intervals in the rows, press the soil firmly about the roots of the 

 plants, immediately afterwards mulch with manure, and water in 

 dry weather till they become established. The duration of the 

 plantation should not in a general way exceed four years, and it is 

 best to plant a row or two every year, so as to have the plants of 

 different ages and degrees of strength, as this has an effect upon 

 the period and continuity of theu- bearing. Except among the 

 best cultivators, it has been too much the custom to regard this 

 croiJ as a permanent one, which has destroyed its successional 

 character. With old plantations the tendency is to produce all 

 their crop at once, theu go to rest and remain dormant. Fairly 

 frequent transplantation upsets this rest-and-be-thankful condition, 

 and leads to incessant activity and a perpetual bearing habit. 

 Something may be done to make old plants bear later, and to 

 prevent them all rushing in together before the half can be used. 

 If in the spring, when the flower stems first start away, the half 

 or more of them are cut out, a second growth will, if the plants 

 possess the necessary vigour and are well fed, spring up, and come 

 in later. But the best way of securing a succession is frequently 

 to transplant in the way I have suggested — planting good-sized 

 pieces, not little suckers. 



Summer Management. — This Artichoke has a large breadth 

 of foliage, and requires a good deal of support. If not well fed 

 the flower-heads lack substance, and become hard and tough. In 

 cutting the produce never allow any to get too old for use, as this 

 is doubly wasteful. I have occasionally entered a kitchen garden 



