The Jerusalem Potato or Artichole. 
579 
geographical considerations, lead M. A. Brongniart to presume that the 
plant belongs to the 'more northern parts of Mexico. 
" The Jerusalem artichoke rises to a height of from 9 to 10 feet ; it 
flowers late, and I have not yet seen it ripen its seeds. It is propagated 
by the tubers which it produces, and which are regarded, for good reason, 
as most excellent food for cattle ; in times when the potato was not 
very extensively known, it also entered ])retty largely into the food of 
man ; when boiled, its taste brings to mind that of the artichoke, whence 
the name. 
" Tlie tuber of tlie Jerusalem artichoke, from an analysis of M. Bra- 
connot, appears to contain in 100 parts: — 
Uncrystallizable sugar ..... 14"80 
Inuline 3-00 
Gum 1-22 
Albumen 0-99 
Fatty matter 0-09 
Citrates of potash and lime . . . .115 
Phospliates of potash and lime . . . 0"20 
Sulphate of potash ..... 0*12 
Chloride of potassium ..... O'OR 
!Malates and tartrates of potash and lime . . 0"05 
Woody fibre 1-22 
Silica 0-03 
Water II-OS 
100-00 
M. Payen found a larger proportion of sugar in this tuber than that 
stated above, and he ascertained that the fatly matter consists chiefly of 
stearine and elaine. In the Jerusalem artichoke I myself found : — 
Of dry matter .... 20-8 
Water 19-2 
loo-o 
" One trial for azote would lead me to conclude that M. Braconnot 
had estimated the albumen too low in his analysis, or, as is more pro- 
bable, tliat several azotised principles had escaped him. The dried 
tuber gave me 0*16 of azote, a number which would indicate 1-0 as the 
proportion of vegetable albumen. Tiiere are few plants more hardy 
and so little nice about soil as the Jerusalem artichoke ; it succeeds every- 
where with the single condition that the ground be not wet. The tubers 
are planted exactly like those of the potato, and nearly at the same time ; 
but this is a process that is performed but rarely, inasmuch as the culti- 
vation of the helianthus is incessant, being carried on for many years 
in the same piece ; and after the harvest, in spite of every disposition 
to take up all the tubers, enough constantly escape detection to stock the 
land for tiie following year, so that the surface appears literally covered 
with the young plants on the return of spring, and it is necessary to thin 
