Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-04-09
THEJERUSALEM ARriCuOKE :

THE JERUSALEM AR riCHOKE.-
Heiianthus Tuberosum, Linn.)-Mr A.
U. Summer, Of Poma ria, South Carolina.
IN letter to tho editor Of the ALBANY CuI.
tivaIor, dated December /, 1874, saws.
NV attention was directed to the history
and culture OF this plant in consequent e
OF Halter ng experiments made with il by
Mr. Gunne'i and others in Greenville. in
this State; and rs il is rapidly obtaining
IN some parts Of the State, few remarks
ia connection with its superior advania-
ges ms root crop, may not be oblect,ona-
Bile TO the readers OF the Cultiyaior. AL
though it is called so, il is bo,anically. in
no way allied 10 The artic hoke, but is of
The same genus as the sunn 'wer, which il
much resembles The term Jerusal lem,
u.s. according TO Webster, a corruption oil
g'raso'e, the Italian name for suniiower:
and IT derives the appellaion Of ar,choke
from some faaced similarity in the taste
oil the tubers with the ar ichoke bottoms.
Twelve or ifteen hundred bushels have
been obtained from an acre. when proper
w cultivated, and being rcl,shed by hor>
ses. cattle and hogs, It is undoubtedly the
most profitable root crop which can be
planted in the South; and pc rhnps i, nigh,
succeed IN more northern regions. Il is
rich IN farrlnaceous substance, and all an
'mals do well and improve when fed upon
them. Last spring friend sent me- ubou,
a quart OF tubers. did not think this
small quantity worth planning, as the,
were much injured and dried up by their
long exposure. On the Sd of Nav, fully
two months after they should have been
planted. had small space Of ground,
about rod, prepared, and put them in.
"A drought ensued. and they did not come
up soon. and consequently lost a great
deal by their being so late They were
planted IN d. ills two and half feet ana ri,
und twenty inches in the drill; but the
seed being so badly injured, the plants
were very irregular. They were plough
ed once, and The grass and weeds after.
wards removed with the hoo. In Nos
vember had them ploughcd up, and upon
gathering them, found had ten bushels;
and j, is my opinion ,hst if they had been
picked clean from he land, the yield mus,
have reached twelve bushels. The iubers
llled all parts OF the soil, and some OF
Them were two feet long, consisting of|
small bulbs connected by succulent roots
der, whtist tav'ydi.a md .viEemeIv ten
with red. The roots make the best slips
for p'anlin :, and if cnt up, leaving an eye
io.each slip, they readily vegetate. When
1t is intended TO feed this crop to hogs,
they require no harvesting, for they rea.
Oily Withstand our mild winters; and If
the hogs are turned on them. they usually
provide for themselves For calves,
sheep, and horses, they must be gathered
and washed, but unlike other roots. they
require no cutting up. They might lie
fed to sheep by merely p'oughing up
few daily, and letting the sheep eat them
Immediately f,om the ground In con
Stunning this crop, the hogs give the ground
a thorough ploughing. and by turning
under the stalks and leaves, they add
much to the soil. Some have asserted
that it j. an .xhausIing crop, but from the
genus Of the plant, infer il - not. he
leaves are large,and The STALL nare crown
ed with beautiful yellow fo~srs.
| shall plant them at the rate OF three
bushels to the acre next year.. think
that quantity sufficient They grow here
on ali dry sails, but wall not succeed well
on damp locations.
n