Garden Plants Grown for Their Stems 281 
Fic. 161. Tubers of Jerusalem artichoke, all from one hill. 
- Indians at the time America was discovered. It was soon 
taken to Europe, where it has been rather extensively 
cultivated; but in its native land it has been neglected. 
The swollen underground stems are delicious; they are 
usually served boiled. 
The girasole thrives in any good garden soil. Plant 
three or four small tubers or pieces of large tubers in hills 
3 feet apart each way. Cultivate asfor corn. The leafy 
stems grow to a height of 6 or more feet, making a dense 
mass of foliage. The yield of the improved sorts is truly 
enormous; a single hill of the ‘‘ white-tubered ” variety 
often yields as much as 18 pounds of tubers. Some of 
the less prolific sorts, as Sutton’s Rose, have smoother 
tubers than those that yield more abundantly. 
The tubers are ready for use in October; and as the 
plant is hardy, they may be left in the ground during the 
winter without injury. 
