LUTHER BURBANK 



provision of a covering to shield the flower- village, 

 particularly during its early development. 

 EDIBLE FLOWER-HEADS 



In at least one case, a plant of the tribe has 

 been induced to develop this receptacle until the 

 leaves of its scale-like covering have been 

 enlarged and thickened and made succulent at 

 their base, so that they are edible; the receptacle 

 on which the flowerets grow being correspond- 

 ingly developed. 



The flower that has thus been induced to put 

 itself at the service of man and add to the delica- 

 cies of his dietary is known as the artichoke. 



This plant is widely cultivated in Southern 

 Europe and is exceedingly popular there. In Italy, 

 indeed, it occupies in some regions about the posi- 

 tion in the dietary of the masses that the potato 

 does in Northern Europe and America. In this 

 country, however, the artichoke has only some- 

 what recently begun to gain popularity. As the 

 manner of its cultivation is better understood, it 

 will doubtless gain wider vogue, for its leaf scales 

 and pulpy receptacle are regarded as delicacies by 

 epicures everywhere. 



I have worked somewhat extensively with the 

 artichoke in very recent years, beginning with the 

 French Globe artichoke and the Oval Brittany arti- 

 choke in 1908; subsequently using also the Paris 



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