26 THE FARMER AT HOME 



ARTESIAN. A kind of well made by boring through success* 

 ive strata of the earth until water is found. This name is derived 

 from Artois in France, where the system was first successfully 

 adopted. By penetrating the rocky crust of the earth in this way, the 

 water frequently rises to the surface, and flows a living stream; in. 

 other cases it rises so as to be obtained without difficulty. In this 

 country wells have been bored to the depth of a thousand feet, and 

 those of five hundred and seven hundred are not uncommon. Vari- 

 ous products have been obtained from the earth in this way. In 

 Albany a valuable mineral spring has been reached by boring. 

 The great quantities of water at the Kanawha salines are obtained 

 from Artesian wells. Springs of carbonated hydrogen, that burn 

 with perpetual flame; and immense reservoirs of petroleum have 

 been discovered while boring for salt or fresh water. Artesian wells 

 have been sunk in the deserts between Cairo and Suez, and abundant 

 supplies of water obtained ; and wherever the borings have been 

 properly and perseveringly conducted, either in this or foreign coun- 

 tries, water has usually been procured. 



ARTICHOKE. The artichoke is a well known plant, which is 

 cultivated in Europe chiefly for culinary purposes. This plant was 

 cultivated in England as early as the year 1580. The parts that 

 are eaten are the receptacle of the flower, which is called the bottom, 

 and a fleshy substance on the scales of the calyx. The choke con- 

 sists of the unopened florets and the bristles that separate them from 

 each other. These stand upon the receptacle, and must be cleared 

 away before the bottom can be eaten. Its name undoubtedly arose 

 from a notion, that any one, unlucky enough to get it into his throat, 

 must certainly be choked. In England, artichokes are generally 

 boiled plain, and eaten with melted butter and pepper, and are con- 

 sidered both wholesome and nutritious. The bottoms are sometimes 

 stewed, boiled in milk, or added to ragouts, French pies, and other 

 highly-seasoned dishes. For winter use, they may be slowly dried in 

 an oven, and kept in paper bags, in a dry place. On the continent, 

 artichokes are frequently eaten raw with salt and pepper. By the 

 country people of France, the flowers of the artichoke are sometimes 

 used to coagulate milk, for the purpose of making cheese. The 

 leaves and stalk contain a bitter juice, which, mixed with an equal 

 portion of white wine, has been successfully employed in the cure of 

 dropsy, when other remedies have failed. The juice, prepared with 

 bismuth, imparts a permanent gold color to wool. 



The Jerusalem artichoke is a somewhat potato-shaped root, pro- 

 duced by a species of sun-flower, which grows wild in several parts of 

 South America. This plant bears single stalks, which are frequently 

 eight or nine feet high, and yellow flowers, much smaller than those 

 of the common species. So extremely productive are these valuable 

 roots, that between seventy and eighty tons weight of them are said 



