Cardoons. 



173 



CARDOONS. 



Cynara Cardunculus. 



THE Cardoon is a close relation of the globe artichoke, and 

 has much the same appearance when growing. It is not 

 much cultivated in this country, but as it is occasionally in 

 demand it has been thought best that its culture should be 

 described. 



Whilst the artichoke 

 is usually propagated 

 from offsets, the Car- 

 doon, on the contrary, 

 is always grown from 

 seed. Trenches are 

 prepared as for celery, 

 18in. wide, 1ft. deep, 

 and 4 ft. from centre to 

 centre. The soil at the 

 bottom of the trench 

 is well mixed with Sin. 

 of good rotten manure. 

 At intervals of 18in. 

 a patch of fine soil is 

 laid down, and in each 

 of these patches, at the 

 end' of April, three or 

 four seeds are sown, 

 well watered in, and 

 covered with a flower-pot until the seedlings are up, when the 

 pots are removed, and the plants thinned out to the strongest 

 one at each station. Some light feathery branches should be 

 put over the trench to protect the plants from sun for a few 

 days after the pots are removed, and each night until the be- 

 ginning of June, to protect them from frost, 



During the summer the Cardoons must have frequent and 

 copious waterings. By about the middle of September growth 

 will be completed, and they will be ready for bfanching. For 

 this operation choose a fine day when the foliage and the soil 

 are dry. Then draw the leaves together and tie them firmly 



Copyright, V. A, & Co. 



Ivory-white Cardoon. 



