10 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE* 



Helianthus tuber osus, L. Composite. 



French, Topinambour. German, Erdapfel. Flemish, Aardpeer. Danish, Jordskokkeii. 

 - Italian, Girasole del Canada, Tartufoli. Spanish, Namara. Portuguese, Topinambor. 



Native of North America. Perennial A tall plant, with annual 



stems, but producing, year 

 after year, underground 

 shoots which are swollen 

 into genuine tubers. It 

 was introduced into Europe 

 some centuries ago, and is 

 very generally cultivated on 

 a large scale. The stem is 

 erect and very stout, some- 

 times over 6J ft. high, often 

 branching in the lower part, 

 and bearing oval-acuminate 

 leaves, which are long 

 stalked and very rough to 

 the touch ; flower - heads 

 comparatively small, seldom 

 opening in the north of 

 France before October ; 

 florets yellow; tubers violet- 

 red, slender at the bottom, 



and swollen in the upper part, where they are about 2 in. in diameter, 



marked with hollows and scale-like 



enlargements. They form very late, 



and should not be dug until the stems 



have nearly ceased growing. The 



flesh is sweet and rather watery. 

 CULTURE. The tubers are planted 



in the open ground, in March or April, 



in rows 2 J to 3 ft. or more apart, and 



with a distance of 12 to 14 in. between 



the tubers. The plants require no 



attention beyond the occasional use 



of the hoe, and the tubers are dug as 



theyare wanted. They are not affected 



by frost as long as they are left in the 



ground, but are very liable to be in- 

 jured if exposed to it after they are 



taken up. In warm countries the 



plant produces seed, from which it can 



be propagated. Experiments made Iinproved Yellow Jerusalem 

 raising improved Artichoke. 



* See also p. 758. 



Jerusalem Artichoke ( natural size). 



with the view of 



