212 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [MARCH 



into the trenches ; and when you perceive the young shoots beginning 

 to appear above ground, or rather one or two inches up, not before, 

 proceed to levelling down the beds into the alleys or trenches, round- 

 ing them in a neat manner, then dig and loosen all the ground around 

 the plants ; at the same time examine the number of shoots arising 

 on each stool or root, selecting three of the strongest and healthiest 

 looking on every stool to remain ; all above that number are to be 

 slipped off close to the root with your hand, except you want such to 

 make new plantations with; in which case, any extra number for that 

 purpose are to remain on the mother plants until they are about eight 

 or ten inches high from their roots or junction with the old plants, 

 when they are to be slipped off and planted as hereafter directed, 

 leaving only three of the best shoots on each crown as before, closing 

 the earth in again about the crowns of the roots, and drawing it a 

 little up to the remaining suckers. Observe that in every part of the 

 Union this dressing is to be given when the plants are in the above 

 described state, whether that happens in February, March, or April, 

 occasioned by the difference of climate, or the earliness or lateness 

 of the spring. 



PLANTING ARTICHOKES. 



In making new plantations of artichokes, select for that purpose a 

 piece of deep, rich, sandy loam, that is not subject to retain too much 

 wet in winter, nor to be parched up with drought in summer, having 

 a gentle slope sufficient to carry off any moisture that might lodge 

 in the trenches between the rows; for that is much more destructive 

 to their roots in winter than the most severe frost ; when both these 

 enemies attack the plants with their combined powers, they seldom 

 fail to accomplish the work of destruction ; but from the frosts there 

 is not much to be apprehended if the plants lie dry. 



Having fixed upon a proper soil and situation, lay on it a good 

 quantity of rotten dung, and trench the ground one good spade or 

 eighteen inches deep, incorporating the manure well therewith, and 

 pulverizing the ground effectually in the digging; then proceed to 

 take of the slips mentioned before in the dressing of artichokes, 

 slipping them off the mother stools with all the roots or fibres which 

 they may have thrown out, rejecting such as appear unhealthy, and 

 closing the earth up after you to the remaining shoots. These being 

 provided, pull off any loose hanging leaves, and trim the fibres ; then 

 plant them with a dibble, about four or five inches deep, in rows five 

 feet asunder, and two feet plant from plant in the row, leaving part 

 of their green tops above ground, and the hearts of the plants free 

 from any earth over them, and give each plant a little water to settle 

 the earth about its roots. 



Or, if you have seedling year old plants in a seed bed, you may 

 take them up, tind after shortening their tap-roots a little and dress- 

 ing their leaves, plant them as above. 



Such young plantations, if kept clear from weeds, and now and 

 then watered in dry weather, will yield good artichokes the following 

 autumn, but will produce larger fruit, and more abundantly next 



