CHAPTER XII. 

 ARTICHOKES. 



THE GLOBE OR BUR ARTICHOKE. Cynara Scolymus. 

 French, artichant; German, artischoke; Dutch, artisjok; Danish, artiskok; 

 Italian, articiocca, carciof o ; Spanish, alcachof a ; Portuguese, alcachof ra. 

 Edible part, portions of young flower buds. 



THE CARDOON. Cynara cardunculus. 



French, cardon; German, kardon; Flemish, kardoen; Italian, Spanish and 

 Portuguese, cardo. 



THE JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. Helianthus tuberosus. 



French, topinambour ; German, erdapf el ; Flemish, aardpeer ; Danish, 

 jordskokken; Italian, girasole del canada; Spanish, namara; Portuguese 

 topinambor. 



Edible part, the tuber. 



San Francisco has the reputation of being the city of the 

 United States best supplied with the delicious young flower buds 

 of the globe artichoke. Although this is true, it is also a fact that 

 the plant is not used to even a small fraction of its possibility in 

 California. It is perfectly hardy in our valley climates, in fact it 

 is induced to make its chief growth in the winter and yields its crop 

 from November onward, thus completely reversing its eastern and 

 north European record, where it starts growth in the spring from 

 roots which have been covered out of reach of freezing all winter. 

 The plant is, therefore, of especial value in California for use in 

 late winter and early spring when garden supplies are scantiest. 

 It is a garden ornament also with its height of four feet or more, 

 its large pinnatifid leaves, light green above and whitish below, and 

 its flowers in the style of a colossal thistle head. 



Although grown in home and market gardens in most of our 

 valley and foothill regions the globe artichoke as a shipping vege- 

 table has received considerable attention during recent years, and 

 the chief producing region is on the coast side of San Mateo county, 

 just south of San Francisco.* Shipments to eastern cities begin in 

 December or January, and continue until June. Such shipments 

 reached about 300 carloads in 1913, and averages annually about that 

 amount. The buds are packed in standard size apple boxes and are 

 made to lie on their sides in the boxes. Such a box holds about six 

 dozen large buds or about fifteen dozen small ones, and about five 

 hundred boxes fill a car, for which the growers expect to get about 

 $600. It is fair to expect an increasing demand because the vege- 

 table is only beginning to be understood and appreciated by Ameri- 

 cans. When they learn its delicacy a continuous supply of fresh 



*A detailed account of this industry by Paul Parker is given in the Pacific Rural Press 

 of February 13, 1915. 



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