40 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  21,  1898. 
The  ground  meanwhile  will  have  been  prepared  for  their  reception 
by  deep  digging,  and  the  addition  of  good  spit  manure;  it  can  hardly 
be  too  rich.  Before  planting,  the  plot  must  be  firmed  well  by 
treading  or  rolling,  and  before  the  plants  get  the  least  root-bound  they 
should  be  placed  out  in  rows  2  feet  apart  each  way,  well  watered,  and 
kept  moist  at  the  root  if  the  weather  be  dry.  In  planting  from  small 
pots  it  is  hardly  possible  to  go  wrong  as  to  depth,  for  the  roots  will 
not  require  spreading  out,  and  the  surface  of  the  compost  must  be  only 
just  covered  with  a  little  fine  soil. 
With  runners  from  the  open  ground  it  is  quite  different,  but  for 
first-rate  culture  these  are  not  suitable.  Keep  the  surface  soil  loose 
by  frequent  stirring  through  the  autumn  months,  and  leave  the 
plants  to  finish  stout  leafage  and  good  crowns.  Thin  the  flowers 
a  little  when  the  forwardesf  fruits  are  set,  but  avoid  doing  this  too 
early,  as  occasionally  the  earliest  flowers  aie  spoilt  by  late  frosts. 
Varieties  are  now  very  plentiful,  but  to  give  a  list  is  misleading, 
as  what  succeeds  in  one  place  is  a  partial  failure  in  others,  and  vice 
versa.  For  instance,  the  finely  flavoured  Empress  of  India  is  not 
worth  growing  on  our  heavy  soil,  the  plants  never  making  a  free 
growth  or  fruiting  at  all  well ;  but  where  it  succeeds  it  is  splendid. 
Nor  are  its  companions,  Gunton  Park  and  Lord  Suffield,  any  more 
at  home.  As  a  good' all-round  variety,  thriving  alike  in  dry  or  wet 
seasons,  and  in  all  kinds  of  soil,  the  well  known  Royal  Sovereign  is 
supreme.  Propagated  annually  I  question  if  it  can  be  beaten  for 
size,  while  the  quality  is  distinctly  good.  Monarch  is  a  fine  Straw¬ 
berry  in  a  wet  season  like  the  present,  but  last  year  the  weather  was 
too  dry  for  it.  The  flavour  is  good,  and  it  is  very  handsome.  I  do 
not  grow  Leader,  which  was  sent  out  at  the  same  time,  but  in  a 
neighbouring  garden,  on  a  light  sandy  soil,  it  has  been  excellent  this 
year. 
Noble  and  Sir  J.  Paxton  I  am  doing  away  with.  Both  have  their 
good  points,  but  the  flavour  of  both  is  poor  here,  though  I  must  say 
of  the  latter  that  in  some  places  experienced  growers  are  loth  to  part 
Avith  it.  It  is,  however,  easily  beaten  by  Royal  Sovereign,  and  will 
have  to  go.  British  Queen  will  not  thrive,  but  Dr.  Hogg  is  the 
Strawberry  ; par  excellence  on  this  soil.  It  has  not  a  bad  point,  being 
free  in  growth  and  bearing,  and  of  excellent  flavour.  I  never  leave  it 
on  the  ground  more  than  two  years,  and  the  fruit  is  best  the  first 
season. 
A  very  distinct  and  good  Strawberry  is  Latest  of  AH,  though  the 
name  is  somewhat  misleading.  It  crops  over  a  long  season,  but 
its  earliest  aud  best  fruits  appear  in  July.  The  foliage  is  pale 
green,  the  fruit  exceptionally  large,  and  excellent  in  flavour.  My 
experience  with  the  newer  Veitch’s  Perfection  is  limited,  but  it  will 
probably  take  a  high  place  in  the  near  future. 
These  are  the  best  I  have  grown  out  of  a  somewhat  large  collection. 
The  soil  is  a  heavy  loam,  overlying  chalky  gravel,  the  position  cold, 
and  all  have  been  grown  in  a  garden  enclosed  with  Yew  and  Box 
hedges,  where  birds  of  all  kinds  are  so  abundant  as  to  necessitate  the 
netting  of  all  the  Strawberry  quarters.  Now  that  the  merits  or 
otherwise  of  different  varieties  are  fresh  in  the  minds  of  cultivators  it 
would  be  interesting  to  know  the  opinions  of  other  growers  who  have 
to  deal  with  soils  of  diverse  character. — H.  Richards,  Ooldham  Ilall 
Gardens,  Bury  St.  Edmunds. 
VEGETABLES  FOR  HOME  AND  EXHIBITION. 
Jerusalem  Artichokes. 
Almost  every  garden  has  its  plantation  of  Jerusalem  Artichokes, 
but  in  many  it  does  not  get  justice.  There  is  nothing  fresh  to  relate 
in  regard  to  its  culture,  as  it  is  amongst  the  most  accommodating  of 
plants,  and  will  groAv  freely  in  almost  any  soil.  It  is  here,  hoAA~ever 
xvhere  the  evil  shows  itself,  unless  a  thoroughly  systematic  method  of 
cultivation  is  adopted.  Many  gardeners  have  had  good  reason  to 
deplore  the  prolificness  of  the  Artichoke  in  cases  where  plantations 
have  been  made  and  little  or  no  further  attention  given.  After  over¬ 
crowding  the  space  intended  for  them,  and  producing  a  large  quantity 
of  insignificant  tubers,  the  plants  wander  beyond  their  boundary,  ancL 
if  not  taken  in  hand,  in  course  of  time  become  a  nuisance. 
Methodical  cultivation  may  be  told  in  a  few  words.  A  deep  reten¬ 
tive  soil  is  the  most  suitable,  but  an  excess  of  moisture  is  detrimental. 
In  planting  it  should  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  under  suitable 
conditions  a  vigorous  top  growth  of  10  or  12  feet  is  made,  this 
necessitating  ample  room  between  the  roxvs  and  the  sets.  February 
or  March  is  the  best  time  to  plant  on  well  worked  and  deeply  manured 
ground.  Having  marked  out  the  space  to  be  planted,  form  trenches 
about  a  yard  asunder  and  6  inches  in  depth.  In  these  place  whole 
sets,  allowing  a  distance  of  about  a  foot  apart,  and  rake  in  the  soil* 
When  the  plants  appear,  and  are  growing  freely,  soil  should  be  drawn 
up  to  them  Avith  the  hoe,  and  beyond  an  occasional  stirring  of  the 
surface  soil  between  the  rows  no  further  attention  is  required  till  the 
time  arrives  for  lifting. 
In  anticipation  of  severe  weather  a  portion  or  the  Avhole  of  the  crop 
may  be  lifted  in  November,  and  stored  in  the  manner  recommended 
for  Carrots,  always  reserving  sufficient  tubers  for  fresh  plantations. 
Our  custom  is  to  lift  part  of  the  crop  in  the  early  Avinter,  leaving  the 
remainder  in  the  ground  to  be  dug  as  wanted,  but  all  are  cleared  out, 
the  ground  thoroughly  cleaned,  and  fresh  plantations  made  in  the 
spring,  When  digging  it  is  a  mistake  to  go  over  the  bed,  taking  out 
tubers  here  and  there.  A  fork  should  always  be  used  in  the  operation, 
and  a  wide  trench  opened,  removing  every  portion  of  root,  as  each 
particle  that  is  left  in  the  ground  will  grow,  and  become  a  nuisance 
later.  Strictly  speaking,  the  Jerusalem  Artichoke  is  not  an  exhibi¬ 
tion  vegetable,  though  at  late  sIioavs  they  are  occasionally  seen  in  large 
collections,  and  for  this  purpose  eA^en  tubers,  moderate  in  size,  and 
washed  clean,  are  the  best.  The  white  variety  produces  smooth  well¬ 
shaped  tubers  of  superior  quality.  A  new  variety  has  been  exhibited 
by  Mr.  Wythes  with  Cucumber-shaped  tubers  about  a  foot  in  lengths 
Globe  Artichokes. 
These  are  prized  in  most  well-furnished  gardens,  and  may  be  treated 
in  a  variety  of  xvays.  They  are  sometimes  grown  as  perennials,  but 
they  deteriorate  after  a  few  years,  and  new  plantations  must  be  made* 
In  order  to  maintain  a  succession  a  good  method  is  to  make  a  sowing 
every  spring,  and  to  allow  the  plants  to  remain  till  the  end  of  the  * 
second  season.  By  this  means  two  plantations  are  kept  groAving,  one 
producing  and  the  other  coming  on  to  take  its  place.  The  Globe 
Artichoke  is  more  particular  about  soil  than  the  Jerusalem,  and  in 
order  to  obtain  fine  heads  a  deep  rooting  medium  enriched  Avith  good 
manure  is  requisite.  Seeds  should  be  soAvn  early  in  April  in  a  light 
prepared  bed,  and  the  plants  removed  to  their  permanent  quarters 
when  large  enough,  though  they  may  also  be  soAvn  Avhere  they  are 
intended  to  groAv.  A  yard  must  be  allowed  between  the  plants 
always,  in  order  to  encourage  their  development,  and  a  xdgorous 
growth  be  encouraged  by  keeping  the  surface  soil  well  worked  between 
the  plants.  Only  a  limited  number  of  seedlings,  hoAvever,  produce 
satisfactory  heads,  and  the  best  are  obtained  from  plants  raised  from 
suckers  of  an  approved  stock  inserted  in  the  spring. 
The  production  of  large  heads  depends  very  much  on  the  depth 
and  richness  of  the  soil,  and  the  assistance  subsequently  given 
During  dry  weather  frequent  application  of  water  will  assist  develop¬ 
ment,  and  an  occasional  supply  of  liquid  manure  will  also  help  greatly. 
In  order  to  obtain  large  specimens  for  exhibition  purposes  disbudding 
may  be  done,  and  this  consists  of  removing  small  heads  protruding 
from  the  main  stem,  by  which  means  the  vigour  of  the  plant  is 
thrown  into  one  channel,  and  the  heads  in  consequence  grow  to  a  large 
size.  Cut  the  plants  down  after  the  heads  have  been  removed,  and 
for  winter  use  the  latter  are  sometimes  dried  very  sloxvly  in  an  oven* 
wrapped  in  paper,  and  stored  in  a  dry  place  where  they  will  keep  till: 
required.  The  blanched  stick  or  lower  part  of  the  stem,  called  chards, 
have  a  similarity  to  Cardoons,  but  it  is  questionable  whether  they  are 
sufficiently  useful  to  bestow  on  them  the  necessary  time  and  labour  in 
preference  to  growing  the  crop  mentioned. 
Globe  Artichokes  are  not  quite  hardy,  though  they  will  pass 
through  an  average  winter  Avith  safety.  It  is  the  safer  plan  to  afford 
some  means  of  protection,  which  may  consist  of  a  covering  of  loose 
litter,  or,  Avhat  is  better  still,  cut  aw?ay  the  old  stems  and  large  leaves 
and  throw  up  the  soil  from  either  side  on  the  approach  of  severe 
weather.  In  the  spring,  if  the  soil  is  removed  and  a  dressing  of 
manure  applied,  the  plants  will  make  early  and  robust  growth.  In 
some  gardens  Globe  Artichokes  are  alloAved  to  grow  for  several 
seasons,  but  the  best  results  are  obtained  if  the  plants’  existence  is 
limited  to  no  longer  than  three  years. — Grower  and  Judge. 
