20 ARTICHOKE. 



all the lateral heads in a young state. These are common- 

 ly in a fit state for eating raw, having attained about one 

 third of their proper size ; and they are for this purpose 

 frequently sold in Covent Garden market, chiefly to for- 

 eigners. Another thing practised, with the same view, is 

 the shortening the ends of the large leaves." Ntill, in 

 Ed. Encyc. 



Winter dressing. Abercrombie says, " First cut down all 

 the large leaves, but without hurting the small central ones, 

 or the new shoots. Then dig the ground between and along 

 each row ; raising it gradually from both sides, ridgeways, 

 over the roots, and close about the plants. In rigorous frosty 

 weather, cover also in the litter, and close about each plant." 

 Armstrong remarks, that " various means have been em- 

 ployed for preserving the outstanding plants during the 

 winter. That which is most commonly used is, after strip- 

 ping off the dead or decaying leaves, and trimming down 

 the sound ones to three or four inches, to open trenches 

 around the plant, and to draw about it the earth furnished 

 by these. This is again covered with long dung or stable 

 litter, so as entirely to exclude rain, and snow, and frost. 

 But, in making those provisions against cold and wet weath- 

 er, we must not forget, that it is possible to be careful over- 

 much ; for if the mounds of earth and litter be large and 

 close, we expose our plants to suffocation from want of air ; 

 to exhaustion from a continued vegetation, and to scorch- 

 ing, from the fermentation of the covering matter, which, 

 if the weather be wet, and but occasionally warm, seldom 

 fails to occur. 



" To obviate these difficulties, it has been proposed, that 

 the mounds be gradually formed ; that the first covering be 

 merely a wrapping of long dung, and that the additions 

 made to it be conformed to the weather, leaving openings, 

 in all cases, on its southern side, for the purposes of venti- 

 lation, and in no case to permit the covering to exceed two 

 feet in thickness. But even this mode of treatment is not 

 free from objection ; for, first, the direct application of the 

 dung to the plant will always alter its flavour, and very 

 much degrade it; and again, the capriciousness of the 

 weather does not generally give either warning of its chan- 

 ges, or time to accommodate ourselves to them ; they often 

 take place in the night, and often (whether in the night, or iu 



