Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 133 



them. A liberal supply of asparagus fertilizer should be 

 used. The first year a few heads may be produced; 

 and in the second and following years the regular crop 

 will come in. Care must be taken to remove all heads as 

 they become fit, for to allow any to go to seed will de- 

 generate the plant rapidly. As soon as all the heads have 

 been taken, the stem should be cut close to the ground. 

 These heads will stand shipping to distant markets if the 

 crate is not open enough to allow them to wilt. 



Only a certain number of the plants raised from seed are 

 good artichokes, consequently seeds should be used only 

 to start the crop and then the field perpetuated from 

 suckers. All plants in the patch that do not produce good 

 artichokes should be destroyed, and suckers taken only 

 from the best plants. In removing suckers from the old 

 plants, care should be taken that each one has roots, else 

 they may fail to grow. 



In the northern part of the southern United States, it will 

 be necessary to protect the field with a deep coat of mulch 

 in winter ; this will also be found to be of advantage in 

 the southern part. 



