THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 



shoots just as the flowers form and shew colour 

 but before they expand ; suspend them in an air> 

 situation, under cover, not exposed to the sun. 



Miscellaneous Vegetables. 



Artichoke. The globe, and the oval-headed 

 are the only two varieties usually cultivated 

 The plant has fibrous, rather fleshy roots, large 

 deeply cut leaves, whitish with down, and it pro- 

 duces an upright stem, bearing at the summit an 

 oval or roundish flower-head, not unlike a gigantic 

 thistle. Artichokes can be raised from seed, but 

 much more speedily by offset-suckers, which are 

 produced freely by the parent plant. Select a spot 

 of open ground ; any soil will do, but a free light 

 loam is to be preferred. Trench and manure it 

 well to a depth of two feet, so that it may keep in 

 heart during many years. The work ought to be 

 performed before frost sets in ; and if the soil be 

 heavy, it will be prudent to set it up in ridges. 

 Suckers are generally ready in April. Having pro- 

 cured the desired number, level the ground, dig a 

 portion of it again, and reduce the surface to the 

 finest condition possible; then, after trimming off 

 decayed leaves and damaged roots, plant the suckers 

 in a row, two feet asunder. It is usual to form a 

 complete bed of three or more rows, five feet 

 apart ; but some think that artichokes and other 

 permanent vegetables ought to be set in single 

 rows ten feet apart, so that the ground between 

 them can be cropped with annual vegetables, which 

 will benefit the artichoke, by the rich manure ap- 

 plied at the first and other successional croppings. 

 A dozen good plants will be sufficient for a mode- 

 rate family ; but as some suckers may fail, it will be 

 prudent to set the plants one foot asunder, securing 

 the roots firmly in the soil, and giving a copious 

 watering at the time of planting ; the supernume- 

 raries can be removed when all are safe. 



The subsequent culture is as follows : Hoe occa- 

 sionally, to destroy weeds and keep the surface 

 open. If little heads be pushed up the first year, 

 remove them as soon as seen. When the plants 

 become torpid and yellow in autumn, a few 

 of the outside leaves are to be pulled off by 

 the hand ; the ground should then be marked 

 by the line on each side at eighteen inches' 

 distance from the plants ; and being cut straight 

 by driving the spade to its full depth along the line, 

 the earth is to be dug up, broken fine, and laid on 

 the surface of the eighteen inches left on each side 

 of the plants, bringing it carefully against them, 

 so as not to fall into their hearts, but yet to protect 

 them effectually : the operation is called landing 

 up. This done, fill the trenches with stable litter, 

 straw, dung, or fern ; and in the event of hard 

 frost, bring more litter close to the plants, and 

 lay it over the landing earth, for artichokes are 

 rather tender, and may be destroyed during severe 

 winters. This practice is to be observed every 

 year, with the additional precaution to cut the 

 flower-stems close down. 



Spring-dressing consists in removing suckers 

 after levelling the earth, and digging in a little of 

 the short manure that is left on the ground after 

 clearing away the straw, &c. and making the soil 

 neat. One or two of the strongest suckers may be 

 left on each stock. 



Asparagus is justly esteemed one of the choicest 

 vegetables of the garden. It is a native of 



the southern British and other European coasts, 

 and is perfectly hardy, so much so as to resist a 

 frost below zero ; "it nevertheless benefits by pro- 

 tection and generous culture. 



Towards the end of March, place the line along 

 the course of the bed; strike two drills with the 

 hoe at sixteen inches apart, and two inches deep ; 

 or in the broad beds make similar drills nine inches 

 asunder; and in both scatter the seeds pretty 

 thickly, say half an inch apart ; cover with fine 

 earth, and pat it to a smooth surface with the 

 spade. Watch the coming up of the plants, and 

 be prepared to dust them with air-slaked lime, if 

 slugs threaten them. When they shall have fairly 

 formed rows of young seedlings six inches high, 

 thin out the plants to three or four inches apart for 

 after-transplanting. The seed-rows, for forcing, 

 thin first to three, and afterwards to five inches, 

 and then leave both to grow, observing to use the 

 hoe repeatedly, to keep down weeds. 



In forming new plantations, it is customary 

 to use two -year -old plants. April is the best 

 season for planting. Let the ground be prepared 

 before frost sets in by deep trenching and rich 

 manuring ; but by all means adopt the practice 

 recommended by Grayson, who produced what he 

 styled giant asparagus about the year 1830. We 

 give his own concise directions in the following 

 quotation : ' If your ground be stiff and unpleasant 

 to work, get some milder earth to mix with it, and 

 a very large cart-load of rotten dung to about 

 every ten square feet ; trench it two spit deep, and 

 loosen the bottom ; let the dung and earth be well 

 mixed together. When your land is fit for plant- 

 'ng, draw your drills six inches deep, and sixteen 

 nches from the first row to the second that will 

 "orm a bed and ten inches between each plant in 

 :he row. Do not raise your beds till they have 

 ieen planted one year ; then put on about four 

 nches of mould out of the alleys, and cut till the 

 loth of May. If you keep them well manured, 

 hey will last twenty years ; but never cut later 

 l han the tfh of June. Let them be eight feet in 

 he clear from bed to bed, so that you may crop 

 jetween, and lose no land.' 



In future treatment, when the stems become 

 r ellow, cut them down at two inches above the 

 oil ; clear the surface with hoe and rake, and lay 

 n the beds eight inches of decayed leaves, with a 

 prinkling of salt, guano, or other saline manures ; 

 nit when sea-weed can be got, it is preferable to 

 lecayed leaves ; and salt may be dispensed with. 

 These annual enrichments, be it observed, might 

 >e persisted in with every bed that is used for 

 .utting ; but for the beds devoted to raising 

 plants for forcing, it will suffice to make the 

 jround thoroughly rich at the time of trench- 

 tig ; because the plants, when three or four years 

 Id, will be removed to the forcing department ; 

 et a coating of half-decayed leaves or manure, 

 fter the stalks are cleared off, will not be lost, as 

 he stronger the plants, the more remunerative 

 will be the produce. 



In cutting the young tops it must not be forgotten 

 hat if every shoot be taken off a crown, to the end 

 if a long season, that root will be destroyed. To 

 irevent the crowns from being too deeply buried, 

 n consequence of the autumnal dressings, it is 

 mstomary to fork the beds late in March, digging 

 hem carefully, or rather loosening the surface with 

 a fork of three prongs, and taking the rough earth. 



557 



