JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, 



537 



observed that Mr. Hunt was kept altogether ig- 

 norant of the object of the Club, and that the re- 

 salt was perfectly satisfactory, inasmuch as he 

 readily detected the bone in that portion of the 

 field, on which it had been applied some ten 

 years before. The following are the analyses : 

 Substances. No. 1. No. 2. 



Water, evaporated by stove drying. ..1406 _14-18 

 Vegetable and animal matters ^joni 1^-05 



bunit off '. 5 



Silica and siliceous grit 49.54 49.50 



O.xide of iron > 7-03 700 



Caibonate of lime 1-05 lOfi 



Tarbonate of magnesia 025 3o 



Sulphate of lime 1-05 1-04 



Muriates 0-54 054 



Alumina 710 604 



Phosphate of lime 010 0-75 



Phosi)hate of magnesia 000 005 



Potash 1-00 1-27 



Humus and soluble alkalies 600 6-17 



Mr. Karkeek contended, from these analyses, 

 that the experiment went to prove a plain and 

 important fact, and one which is considered a 

 disputed question among agi-iculturists — that the 

 principal manuring properties of bone existed 

 in the earthy matters, which constitute about 

 two-thirds of bone, and not in the oily and glu- 

 tinous parts constituting the remaining third. — 

 An interesting discussion ensued on the subject 

 of the analyses — the Club being of opinion that 

 the organic parts of bone evidently had a pow- 

 erful effect as a manure, but that it was next to 

 an impossibility that any other than the earthy 

 matter could have remained so long in the land 

 — the whole of the animal matter having been 

 probably consumed by the two crops of oats ; 

 and they agreed with Mr. Karkeek that the 

 principal manuring properties of bone existed 

 in tlie earthy phosphates. 



JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. 



Helianlhus Tuierosum, Linn. 



We find the following Essay on the culture, 

 properties and value of the Jerusalem Artichoke, 

 in a late number of a news and political paper, 

 the South Carolinian. Prompted by his own 

 good ta.ste, the Editor compliments his readers 

 by supposing that information like this may be 

 as acceptable as never-ending /lar^y disquisitions 

 and abuse of political opponents, and hence his 

 paper is often enriched ^vith suggestions on the 

 subject of Agriculture and Hoiliculture, far 

 more important and useful to his patrons than 

 such as serve to keep the people in the Country 

 in a state of perpetual and, too often, angry ex- 

 citement ; breeding ill-blood between neighbors 

 who ought to live like brothers, and drawing 

 them off from the improvement of their estates, 

 the education of their children, and the cultiva- 

 tion of their own minds and resources. 



It seems to be clear, that besides its value as 

 a provision for other stock, when dug up and 

 preserved, it may be had recourse to with great 

 profit as s. pasture for hogs. 



JERUSALEM APvTICHOKE. 



This plant having recently excited some atten- 

 tion among agriculturists as a valuable root crop, 

 we proceed to give a few hints respecting its 

 culture, derived from our own experience, to- 

 gether w^ith some account of its yield. 



Although it is called so, it is botauically in no 

 way allii^d to the Artichoke, but it is of the .same 

 genus of the sunflower, which it much resem- 

 bles. The tenn Jerusalem is, according to Web- 

 ster, a corruption of girasole, the Italian name 

 for sunflower ; and it derives the appellation ol 

 Artichoke from some fancied similarity iu the 

 taste of the tubers with the Artichoke bottoms. 

 It is a native of Brazil, and was first carried into 

 I'll-J.'.) 



England about the year 1620, and before pota- 

 toes were so generally in u.se. was extremely 

 popular as an edible root. Mention is made ot 

 it in old agricultural treatises, as the Canada 

 Potato, to distinguish it from the common potato, 

 and it was sometimes called the Virginia Po- 

 tato. It was regarded as wholesome, and is of 

 an agreeable taste, though it is never dry and 

 mealy like the potato, being rather moist and 

 soft in its texture, and is nutritious. Being 

 hardy and perennial, it succeeds in almost all 

 kinds of soil. It was almost lost sight of in Ag- 

 riculture, until within a few years. Latterly it 

 is obtaining notice as an article of food for do- 

 mestic animals. 



Twelve or fifteen hundred bushels have been 

 obtained from an acre, when properly cultivated, 

 and being relished by horses, cattle and hogs, 

 it is undoubtedly the" most profitable root crop 

 which can be planted in the South ; and perhaps 

 it might succeed in more northern regions. It 

 is rich in farinaceous -substance, and all animals 

 do well and improve when fed upon them. 

 Last spring a friend sent us a quart of tubers. 

 \Ve did not think this small quantity worth 

 planting, as they were much injured and dried 

 up by long exposure. On the third of May, 

 fully two months after they should have been 

 planted, we had a small ^pace of ground, about 

 two rods, prepared, and put them in. A drouth 

 ensued, and they did not come up soon, and 

 consequently lost a great deal by their being so 

 late. They were planted in drills two and a 

 half feet apart, and twenty inches in the drill ; 

 but the seed being so badly injured, the plants 

 were very irregular. They were plowed once, 

 and the grass and weeds afterward removed 

 with the hoe. In November we had them 

 plowed up, and upon gathering them found we 

 had ten bushels; and it is our opinion that, if 

 they had been picked clean from the land, the 

 yield would have reached twelve bushels. The 

 tubers filled all parts of the soil, and some of 



