930 Jerusalem Artichokes as a Food for Stock, [feb., 



tage on good, well-drained loamy soils such as are most 

 suitable for potatoes ; they will, however, give very fair yields 

 on the poorer sandy soils, on gravels, and on peaty soils, but 

 are not so suitable for heavy land. They respond at once 

 to manuring and cultivation. They are very hardy to frost, 

 and will give fair yields several years in succession on the 

 same ground. For all these reasons artichokes may usefully 

 be planted on odd or waste patches of land on the farm, and 

 may be continued from year to year by leaving a few tubers 

 in the soil. In Wilson's Farmer's Dictionary it is stated 

 that the plant grows well under shade, "it can be cultivated 

 in woods and half-waste grounds ; it is sometimes planted 

 in English woods, and left to propagate itself, in order to 

 afford shelter to game ; and it might very advantageously be 

 raised on semi-barren or exhausted soils as food for stock." 

 The American Farmer's Cyclopcedia of Agriculture (1904) 

 states that the plant will thrive and produce abundantly on 

 light sandy or gravelly soils, too poor for many other crops, 

 the main requirement appearing to be a dry soil. If the soil 

 is wet the tubers rot. The plant is resistent to drought, and 

 as a rule remarkably free from insect or fungus pests. The 

 stems grow very tall (up to 10 ft. in height) and the foliage 

 is plentiful, and the dense shade during the summer months 

 tends to the suppression of all weeds on the ground occupied 

 by the crop. 



In planting artichokes the land may be ploughed and 

 ridged as for potatoes, manuring in the same way if desired, 

 planting the tubers 18 in. apart in the rows, with 30 in. to 

 36 in. between the rows. From 12 to 15 cwt. of tubers per 

 acre are necessary. When once established, planting every 

 year is unnecessary, as the small tubers left when the crop is 

 raised will produce a sufficient number of plants. Planting 

 may take place in autumn or spring. The best and most shapely 

 sets should be planted, particularly when intended for human 

 consumption. Hoeing should be continued until the plants 

 are 2 ft. to 3 ft. high. The crop of tubers may be utilised 

 from October onwards, but they are generally left in the 

 ground until spring and dug up as required. Frost does not 

 injure the tubers if they are allowed to thaw in the ground. 

 The yield of tubers at the Oregon Experiment Station was 740 



