March.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 203 



having a gentle slope sufficient to carry oft" any moisture that 

 might lodge in the trenches between the rows; for that is much 

 more destructive to their roots in winter than the most severe frost; 

 when both these enemies attack the plants with their combined 

 powers, they seldom fail to accomplish the work of destruction; 

 but from the frosts there is not much to be apprehended if the 

 plants lie dry. 



Having fixed upon a proper soil and situation, lay on it a good 

 quantity of rotten dung, and trench the ground one good spade or 

 eighteen inches deep, incorporating the manure well therewith, and 

 pulverizing the ground effectually in the digging; then proceed to 

 take of the slips mentioned before in the dressing of artichokes, 

 slipping them off' the mother stools with all the roots or fibres which 

 they may have thrown out, rejecting such as appear unhealthy, and 

 closing the earth up after you to the remaining shoots. These 

 being provided, pull off any loose hanging leaves, and trim the fibres; 

 then plant, them with a dibble, about four or five inches deep, in 

 rows five feet asunder, and two feet plant from plant in the row, 

 leaving part of their green tops above ground, and the hearts of the 

 plants free from any earth over them, and give each plant a little 

 water to settle the earth about its roots. 



Or, if you have seedling year old plants in a seed bed, you may 

 take them up, and after shortening their tap-roots a little and dress- 

 ing their leaves, plant them as above. 



Such young plantations, if kept clear from weeds, and now and 

 then watered in dry weather, will yield good artichokes the follow- 

 ing autumn, but will produce larger fruit, and more abundantly 

 next year. You may sow a small crop of lettuce, radish, or spi- 

 nage, &c. the first year between these rows, especially if you wish 

 to make the most of your ground. 



A plantation of artichokes will continue to produce good heads 

 for five or six years, but it must be observed, that if you wish to 

 have a succession of this fruit, you must make a small plantation 

 every spring, for the young plants will not produce their heads in 

 perfection till after the crops of the old standing ones are over. 



Sowing Artichoke Seed. 



There are two principal varieties of the garden artichoke; indeed 

 Mr. Miller makes two species of them; the eynara scolymus, or 

 French artichoke, and the eynara hor/ensis, or globe artichoke. 



The first being the sort which in former times was most com- 

 monly cultivated in France, is generally known by the title of 

 French artichoke. The leaves are terminated by short spines, the 

 head is oval, and the scales do not turn inward at the top like those 

 of the globe artichoke; the heads are of a green colour, the bottoms 

 are not near so thick of flesh, and have a perfumed taste, which to 

 many persons is very disagreeable, so that it is seldom cultivated 

 where the globe kinds can be procured. 



Of the second, there are two varieties, the green and the red 

 fruited, both extremely fine. The head is globular, a little com- 



