22 HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 



How to Grow Globe or ''French" Artichokes 



In France, Italy, Great Britain, etc., these are extensively grown, almost every garden 

 having at least a few plants. The fleshy scales and soft base of the flower heads being 

 the portions so much esteemed, these parts may be eaten raw, but are usually boiled and 

 served with butter sauce or as " Artichoke Salad" or are pickled after cooking; the suckers 

 or young side plants may also be tied together to blanch and be used as Asparagus. Also 

 the mid-ribs of the larger blanched leaves may be used as "Chard." 



The Globe Artichoke is a large-growing, thistle-like, quite ornamental perennial, and is 

 fairly hardy, though in cold climates the crowns should be protected with a covering of 

 leaves, straw or stable litter, after the old stems have been cut off and the large leaves 

 shortened. Should an extra covering of earth be advisable, be careful that none gets into 

 the heart of the crown. 



The plants should be grown 2 to 3 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. But 

 few plants will be required for the family garden as established plants produce a number 

 of flower heads each year. All flower heads should be removed even if not used, for if allowed 

 to ripen, they reduce the vitality of the plant; and when gathering the heads if the whole 

 stem is also cut off near the ground, new suckers and flower stems will shortly appear, thus 

 keeping up a successive supply of edible heads until late in the season. 



Globe Artichokes are grown both from seed and suckers taken from the old plants. On 

 account of their variability from seed, the sucker method is frequently preferred, for plants 

 from these produce true to the parents, and only the best of the latter need be chosen. 



Plants from seed sown very early under glass or in a spent hot bed — the seedlings potted 

 off and afterwards transplanted to the garden — will produce flower heads late the first 

 season. Those sown later in the garden seed bed — the young plants transferred to their 

 permanent quarters when large enough — will commence bearing the next season. Estab- 

 lished and old plants produce around the neck, underground, a number of suckers or young 

 offset plants which replace the stems which flowered the season before. These young side 

 shoots are usually too numerous for all to develop equally well. Therefore it is the practice 

 in spring to remove sufficient soil around the old stools and detach all suckers but two or 

 three of the strongest which will supply the first or main crop for that season. Care should 

 be used to wound the old plant as little as possible, else it might rot away. If some of 

 the detached suckers are wanted for a new plantation they should be removed with a" heel, " 

 that is a portion of the root of the old plant; an Asparagus knife or paddle trowel is handy 

 for the operation. Then with a pruning knife, trim from the "heel" all bruised or torn 

 parts. Shorten the leaves a little and plant out in the "nursery bed" so that watering and 

 shading can be attended to if needed until the young plants are well rooted, which should 

 be in from 4 to 6 weeks' time, then transplant them in their permanent places and they will 

 yield an abundant supply of flower heads in the autumn. 



It is advisable to start a few new plants each year and discard the old plants after their 

 fourth year of bearing, the plants being at their best during their second and third years. 



Globe Artichokes will grow in almost any soil, but attain greatest perfection in well- 

 dug, deep, rich, moist loam. Low lying black valley or "bottom" land is ideal if well drained, 

 but the plants will not live over winter in wet land. Good cultivation and a mulching 

 of manure every spring with applications of manure water during dry weather will induce the 

 liberal production of immense succulent heads. 



Witloof — The New Christmas Salad 



This large-leaved variety of Chicory — when especially grown and blanched — forms 

 the so-called " New Christmas Salad" long known in Europe as "Witloof. " It is very easily 

 grown from seed sown in the open ground in spring, where it makes long Parsnip-like roots 

 by fall if the seedlings are thinned to stand 5 to 6 inchesapart and kept well cultivated; 

 it is usually the leaves that are used, the outer ones being discarded, the inner or crown leaves 

 being blanched by various practices, and eaten raw as salad, or boiled and served like 

 Cauliflower. The simplest way to blanch the leaves is to bank the plants over with 

 earth, like Celery, in the fall. The European method, however, is a little more trouble, but 

 probably produces better "Witloof." The roots are dug at the beginning of winter, all 

 leaves cutoff 1 3^ inches from the neck, the largest and best roots selected and then replant- 

 ed 1 to 2 inches from each other in a trench dug deep enough to allow 8 inches of fine soil 

 to cover the tops, in which new leaves will grow, and being weighted with soil they grow 

 incurved, and together, forming small, _ well-blanched heads like small Cos Lettuce, the 

 quality being then especially tender, crisp and free from bitterness. The leaf heads are 

 cut off as required with a portion of the root attached, so the leaves will not fall apart. 

 If a portion is wanted earlier, a covering of manure 13^ to 3 feet in depth over a section 

 of the trenched roots will raise the temperature below so the leaves will have attained their 

 proper size in about a month's time. Those not so covered will be correspondingly later, 

 so that a succession may be enjoyed. 



Another way is to dig and store the roots in a cool place, so they will remain dormant, 

 and plant a few at intervals — either in boxes or large pots — for succession during the winter; 

 place under a greenhouse bench, or in a warm shed or cellar. It requires from 4 to 6 weeks to 

 produce the heads ofleaves in a temperature of 55 to 60 degrees. If too warm a spindling 

 growth will result. Inverted pots, soil, or other methods of keeping the tops dark so they 

 will blanch, may be utilized. The heads of leaves after being cut must be kept from the 

 light or they will quickly turn green. 



