Artichoke 41 



when the grower secures a good strain of hardy and pro- 

 ductive plants he should propagate them by means of the 

 suckers that spring from the crown; or he may purchase 

 suckers of reliable dealers. 



Seeds give bearing plants the following year, but if 

 they are started early under glass and planted in "quick" 

 soil, a small number of heads may be had the first year. 

 Suckers may give heading plants the first season, but the 

 main cutting may be expected the second year. Eemov- 

 ing some of the stalks, if many start, will increase the 

 size of the remaining heads. Figs. 11 and 12 show the 

 fruits (seeds) and 

 the seedlings. 



Distances for 

 planting vary with 

 the grower and the 

 price of land. In 

 rich soil they may 



1 n i-i . 12. Seedlings of artichoke (X about %). 



be farther apart. 



Eows may stand 4 or 5 feet, and the plants 2 to 3 feet 

 in the row; 3 by 5 feet, or 3 by 4 feet, are good dis- 

 tances. 



The Artichoke Plant 



Cynara. About a dozen species of large thistle-like per- 

 ennial herbs, in the Mediterranean bas.in, of the CompositEe or 

 Sunflower Family. 



C. Scolymus, Linn. Sp. PI. 1S27. Plant stout, more or less 

 cottony, forming a clump or stool : stems few to several, erect, 



2 to 6 ft., grooved, branching or forking, commonly appearing 

 after the first year: leaves many, mostly radical or basal, 

 dull green and more or less gray-webby above and densely 

 gray-tomentose beneath, divided almost to the winged raghig 



