RS COS aS ITE 
For the Southern States. 139 
being exeellent food for both man and beast, it certainly deserves to 
be considered one of the most valuable cereals, and is worthy of the 
attention of every farmer in the South. Even as feed for chickens 
nothing is its equal. 
During the last two or three years a variety, which experience 
shows to be radically different from those above described, has been 
sent out by the enterprising proprietors of the Rural New Yorker. The 
seed heads of this variety, popularly known as the ‘‘Rural Branching 
Sorghum,” are borne upright, in a vertical position, while the heads of 
the others are mainly dropping, bending downwards ina graceful curve. 
Also, the seed of the Branching variety are somewhat smaller and 
more spherical than in the other kinds. In addition the seed mature 
much more slowly, but in ample time to be harvested in the lower 
Gulf States before frost. The stalk growth of the ‘‘Rural Branching’’ 
variety is far larger than that of the others, being in fact as large as 
that of large Southern Corn; while it obtains a height of from 15 to 16 
feet on very ordinary piney-woods lands. The leaf also is fully as large 
as that of Indian Corn, thus producing more fodder by at least one- 
fourth than Indian Corn on the same land. This variety, moreover, 
tillers or suckers at the ground enormously, each seed producing from 
three to a dozen stalks, and sometimes more. When once well under 
way, it can be cut for green soiling oftener, and will yield at each cut- 
ting far more fodder than the other varieties. It suckers and tillers 
more and more the oftener it is cut; and, so far, it exceeds greatly in 
yield of green fodder and hay any of the familiar fodder plants, not 
excepting perhaps even the Pearl Millet. The ‘‘Rural Branching”’ 
variety is, therefore, more valuable as a forage plant to be cut for 
green soiling, or for curing as hay. This variety should be planted 
exclusively in drills four feet apart, and not nearer than 18 to 20 inches 
in the drill, on account of its mammoth growth. All these varieties 
are annuals. 
THE JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. 
(Helianthus Tuberosus.) 
By E. M. Hupson. 
Used as a vegetable, the Jerusalem Artichoke makes a delicious 
pickle; and when cooked, as hereafter directed, it is esteemed by con- 
noisseurs as a luxury. 
Wash and scrape or pare them; boil in milk and water till they are 
soft, which will be from fifteen to thirty minutes. Take them out and 
stew them for a few minutes in a sauce made by rolling a bit of butter 
of the size of a walnut in flour, mixed with half a pint of cream or 
milk, and seasoned with pepper, salt, or grated nutmeg. 
It is as a forage or root crop, however, that the Artichoke possesses 
unusual merits for the farmer. Its habit may be styled self-propa- 
gating, for when once established it is almost perpetual; and this 
gives it a peculiar value. It will grow on exceedingly poor land and 
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