ARTICHOKE. 



ARTICHOKE. 



quantity for a family, one row across one of sucker must be removed and every bud rubbed 

 the plats will be sufficient." ( Cobbett's Ame- off, otherwise more will be produced, to the 

 rican Gardener.)] detriment of those purposely left. These must 



Those plants produce the finest heads which | be separated as far apart as possible without 

 are planted in a soil abounding in moisture, j injury, the tops of the pendulous leaves re- 

 but in such they will not survive the winter, j moved, and the mould then returned, so as to 

 Manure must be applied every spring, and the 

 best compost for them is a mixture of three 

 parts of well-putrefied dung, and one part of 

 fine coal-ashes. They should always have an 

 open exposure, and, above all, be free from the 

 influence of trees ; for, if beneath their shade 

 or drip, the plants spindle, and produce worth- 

 less heads. For planting, these must be slipped 



off in March or early in April, when eight or 

 ten inches in height, with as much of their 

 fibrous roots pertaining as possible. Such of 

 them should be selected as are sound and not 

 woody. The brown, hard part, by which they 

 are attached to the parent stem, must be re- 

 moved ; and if that cuts crisp and tender, it is 

 evidence of the goodness of the plant ; if it is 

 tough and stringy, the plant is worthless. 

 Further, to prepare them for planting, the large 

 outside leaves are taken off so low, that the 

 heart appears above them. If they have been 

 some time separated from the stock, or if the 

 weather is dry, they are greatly invigorated by 

 being set in water for three or four hours be- 

 fore they are planted. 



They produce heads the same year, from 

 July to October, and will continue to do so 

 annually, if preserved in succeeding years, 

 from May until June or July; consequently, it 

 is the practice, in order to obtain a supply 

 during the remainder of the summer and 

 autumn, to make an annual plantation in some, 

 moist soil, as the plants are not required to 

 continue. 



As often as a head is cut from the perma- 

 nent bed, the stem must be broken down close 

 to the root, to encourage the production of 

 suckers before the arrival of winter. In No- 

 vember or December they should receive their 

 winter's dressing. The old leaves being cut 

 away without injuring the centre or side 

 shoots, the ground must be dug over, and part 

 of the mould thrown into a moderate ridge 

 over each row, close about the plants, but 

 leaving the hearts clear. If this dressing is 

 neglected until severe frosts arrive, or even if 

 it is performed, each plant must be closed 

 round with long litter or pea haulm : it is, how- 

 ever, a very erroneous practice to apply stable- 

 dung immediately over the plants, previous to 

 earthing them up, as it in general induces 

 decay. Early in February all covering of this 

 description must be removed. In March, or as 

 soon as the shoots appear four or five inches 

 above the surface, the ridges thrown up in the 

 winter must be levelled, and all the earth re- 

 moved from about the stock to below the part 

 from whence the young shoots spring. All of 

 these but two, or at most three of the straightest 

 and most vigorous, must be removed, care 

 being taken to select from those which proceed 

 from the under part of the stock ; the strong 



cover the crowns of the stocks about two 

 inches. Some gardeners recommend, as soon 

 as the ground is levelled, a crop of spinach tc 

 be sown, which will be cleared off the ground 

 before the artichokes cover it ; but this mode 

 of raising or stealing a crop is always in some 

 degree injurious. 



Although the artichoke, in a suitable soil, is 

 a perennial, yet after the fourth or fifth year 

 the heads become smaller and drier. The beds, 

 in consequence, are usually broken up after 

 the lapse of this period, and fresh ones formed 

 on another side. 



If any of the spring-planted suckers should 

 not produce heads the same year, the leaves 

 may be tied together and covered with earth, 

 so as just to leave their tops visible, and, on 

 the arrival of frost, being covered with litter, 

 so as to preserve them, they will afford heads 

 either during the winter or very early in 

 spring. 



As a vegetable, the artichoke is wholesome, 

 but not very nourishing ; and as a medicine, 

 it is of little use. Sir John Hill, M. D., states 

 having known patients cured of jaundice, by 

 perseverance in this medicine alone, without 

 combining its virtues with any other plant; 

 but the statement of Sir J. Hill is of no value 

 in the present day. The flowers of the arti- 

 choke have the property of rennet in curdling 

 milk. The heads of the second crop of arti- 

 chokes, when dried, are excellent baked in 

 meat pies, with mushrooms, as they dress 

 them in France. ( G. W. Johnson's Kitchen Gar- 

 den.) 



ARTICHOKE, JERUSALEM (HeUanthus 

 tuberosufi, from 'HAW?, the sun, and atv&oc, a flower). 

 It flourishes most in a rich light soil, with an 

 open enclosure. Trees are particularly inimi- 

 cal to its growth. As it never ripens its seeds 

 in England, the only mode of propagation is 

 by planting the middle-sized tubers or cuttings 

 of the large ones, one or two eyes being pre- 

 served in each. These are best planted towards 

 the end of March, though it may be performed 

 as early as February, or even in October, and 

 continued as late as the beginning of April. 



They are planted by the dibble, in rows, 

 three feet by two feet apart, and four inches 

 deep. They make their appearance above 

 ground about the middle of May. The only 

 attention necessary is to keep them free from 

 weeds, and an occasional hoeing to loosen the 

 surface, a little of the earth being drawn up 

 about the stems. Some gardeners, at the close 

 of July or early in August, cut the stems off 

 about their middle, to admit more freely the 

 air and light; in other respects it may oe 

 beneficial to the tubers. 



The tubers may be taken up as wanted dm- 

 ing September; and in October, or as soon 



thick ones proceeding from its crown, having | the stems have withered, entire for 

 hard woodv stems, are productive of indifferent ' tion in sand, for winter's use. They sJ 



heads. Those allowed to remain should be raised as unbroken as possible, for the 

 carefully preserved from injury. Every other , est piece of a tuber will^ vegetate, and^appear 

 15 



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