MARCH.] THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 195 



In cutting the plants for the table, care must be taken not to 

 injure the crowns of the roots, by cutting the shoots too close to 

 them. 



The sooner this delicious esculent is dressed, after it is cut, the 

 better. Twenty minutes boiling, in general, is sufficient to make 

 it tender ; this process is the more to be attended to, as the good- 

 ness of the article greatly depends on itj that which is young, 

 recently cut, or forced, will be done in less time ; when properly 

 boiled it is to be served up, in the manner of asparagus ; it dresses 

 well by stewing, and makes an excellent pickle. 



As an esculent vegetable it is found to be very wholesome, and 

 most people who have tried it, prefer it to asparagus, to which it is 

 related, in point of flavour. 



When the crop is sufficiently cut, level the earth all over the beds, 

 keep them free from large weeds during the remainder of the sea- 

 son, and cover them in November as before directed. 



This plant will grow extremely well in such soil as suits aspara- 

 gus, having it prepared in the same manner as for that, and would 

 be very profitable to cultivate for sale near cities and large towns. 



Spring dressing of Artichokes. 



As soon in this month as the very severe frosts are over, any 

 long light litter with which your artichokes are covered, must be 

 raked off 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, rounding them in a neat manner, then dig and loosen 

 all the ground round the plants, at the same time, examine the num- 

 ber of shoots arising on each stoll 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 slifified 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. Ob- 

 serve that in every part of the Union, this dressing is to be given, 

 when the plants are in the above described state, whether that hap- 

 pens 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 



