GROWING CULTIVATED CROPS IN DRY AREAS 309 



They should be planted to about the same depth as 

 potatoes, that is from, say, 4 to 6 inches deep, accord- 

 ing as the soil is light or heavy. The deeper planting 

 should take place in the lighter soil. If planted deeply 

 in heavy soil swine cannot harvest them so readily. The 

 sets are placed from, say, 15 to 20 inches in the line 

 of the row, and in hills 2 sets will usually suffice. 



The amount of seed called for is considerably greater 

 in fall planting than in spring planting, since in the 

 former the seed is not cut. Usually 10 to 12 bushels 

 per acre will suffice for fall planting and about 40 per 

 cent, less for spring planting. 



Care of the crop. The artichoke plants will stand 

 severe harrowing. The harrow or the weeder, or both, 

 may be used upon the land several times from the time 

 of planting until the crop has reached the height of, say, 

 10 to 12 inches. The cultivator will then follow as long 

 as it may be found practicable to continue the work. 



Should the crop be allowed to remain in the ground 

 from year to year the excess of plants that may begin 

 to grow in the spring should be removed by the culti- 

 vator. These plants will come from tubers left in the soil 

 from the gleaning of the swine referred to below. They 

 should be left in rows, or, what is even better, in squares 

 wide enough to admit of cultivation between them with 

 the usual implements. The care of this volunteer crop 

 will be in outline much the same as has been submitted 

 in the paragraph immediately preceding. 



Harvesting. Artichokes may be harvested, after 

 removing the tops, by a fork or by a potato digger. They 

 may also be harvested by swine_after they have matured. 

 This process may continue where the supply holds out 

 until the following spring, when frost does not interfere 

 with the gleaning, and when it will not interfere with 

 the soil at such a time. In heavy soils the plow is used 

 to bring the tubers to the surface as the swine may 

 need them. Artichokes yield more freely than potatoes. 



