No. 6. 



The Artichohe. — How to preserve Meat fresh. 



181 



deep and tlirown over tlie bed. In the 

 spring the svirface of the bed may again be 



I forked; and the same process followed every 



I year. 



Remarks. — The principal items in grow- 

 ing good Asparagus are, that a good, deep, 

 rich piece of ground be chosen tor the bed, 

 in a location where it will be always tolera- 

 bly meist; low, marshy ground, is a good 

 situation. In order to succeed, and have 

 good grass, it is necessary tiiat tjie bed he 

 replenished every fall with good rotten ma- 

 nure, and be kept perfectly clean from 

 weeds, especially the perennials, as the 

 couch-grass, &c. Care must be taken also 

 that the bed is not exhausted by cutting the 

 spears too late in the season ; it should al- 

 ways be a rule never to cut Asparagus after 

 green peas are in use, which are the follow- 

 ing vegetable to it. No Asparagus should 

 be used until the second or third year of 

 planting. — Wester^i Farmer and Gardener. 



The Artichoke. 



Several trials wliich we have known 

 made with this root, indicate that it is one 

 of the most valuable for stock, which can be 

 cultivated. A few years ago, a gentleman 

 of our acquaintance planted a small patch 

 of rich ground with them. The produce 

 was at the rate of 1,200 bushels per acre. 

 They were principally Iiarvested by hogs, 

 which were turned in and allowed to root 

 them up as their appetite prompted. They 

 gained well, with no other food, while the 

 artichokes lasted. A great advantage of 

 this root is, that it will lie in the ground 

 without injury all winter. 



Mr. Thomas Noble, of Massillon, gave us 

 a brief account of a trial with artichokes, 

 made by him in the past season. In April, 

 1843, he ])Ianted two acres with this vege- 

 table. The ground was of medium quality. 

 Tiie articliokes were planted in rows two 

 and a half to three feet apart- — using a little 

 more seed than is commonly used in plant- 

 ing potatoes. As soon as the frost was out 

 of the ground last spring, (1844,) the dig- 

 ging of them was begun and continued as 

 the stock required. The produce of the 

 two acres was 1,.500 bushels. They were 

 fed principally to sheep, though some were 

 given to cattle, horses and hogs. All ani 

 mals ate them well, seeming to prefer them 

 to turnips. While the sheep were being fed 

 with them, they were pastured on growing 

 wheat and clover. The sliepherd thought 

 the wheat and clover were sufficient for them, 

 as there was a full "bite," and iie according- 

 ly discontinued the artichokes. The ewes 

 fell off in their milk, and the lambs soon 



showed that they were not doing so well. 

 The artichokes were again given, and they 

 soon did as well as ever. 



Mr. Noble also used the tops for Ibdder. 

 He cut them in October, just before frost 

 came, dried and housed them. They were 

 fed to the stock in winter, and were evi- 

 dently preferred to corn fodder. 



Mr. N. is so well pleased with artichokes, 

 that lie is raising them this year on a larger 

 scale. They require but little cultivation; 

 it being only necessary to keep the ground 

 clear of weeds till the artichokes get a good 

 start. 



Mr. T. ]M. Johnson, of Greensborough, 

 Alabama, lately informed us, that he is this 

 year growing 30 acres of artichokes. He 

 considers them the most profitable vegetable 

 he can raise. In that climate they can be 

 dug any time in the winter. 



There are several varieties of artichokes, 

 but that called the Jerusalem artichoke — 

 Htiianthiis tuherQsus — is considered best. 

 From the fibres of tlie tops or stems, a cord- 

 age is sometimes manufactured in some parts 

 of Europe. — Cultivator. 



How to preserve Meat fresh in any 

 Climate. 



Meat will never spoil if it be excluded 

 from the air, and it may be had in London, 

 put up in air-tight cannisters, a plan by 

 which it has been kept fresh in all climates 

 for nearly thirty years, which is about as 

 long as the plan has been practised. For 

 household purposes the most convenient way 

 will be to provide a number of earthenware 

 jars, with ground covers and a small hole in 

 each cover, like that in a tea-pot, which may 

 be stopped easily. The meat may be first 

 partly boiled and deprived of its bones, and 

 be then put, with part of the liquor, into the 

 jars, which must be set in a pan of warm 

 water and gradually brought to a boil. When 

 the steam is rising from the jars the covers 

 must be put on them and fixed down air- 

 tiglit, the steam generated in the meantime 

 bfeino- suffered to escape from the orifices in 

 the lids. Finally, the pan must be removed 

 from the fire, the holes in ihe lids stopped 

 with small corks, and these corks waxed 

 over to make them more impenetrable. It 

 may also be a good precaution to run a little 

 melted wax round tlie edge of each cover, 

 to obviate the leakage due to any imperfec- 

 tion of the surfaces in contact. Meat might 

 also, we conceive, be preserved by boiling it 

 in melted fat for a few minutes, or until it 

 uas eitectually heated through, and then 

 dipping it in the fat, repeated afler the same 

 fashion as dipping candles, until it had ac- 

 ! quired a protecting coat of tallow which tiie 



