Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-11
ARTICHOKE.

we have frequently seen mention made
by our exchanges of the value of this vege-
table as food for hogs. The Rural AldbGn-
ian, one of our most highly priced ex-
changes, has in its March number an arti-
Gle on the subject, which will be read with
interest by such Of our readers as desire to
engage in its culture. 1t is, says the Ala-
bGDlidn, quite a favorite with the South.
1t is a perennialplant, growing thriftily and
coarse and developing large flower heads, the
lower parts Of which, before they open, are
the edible portions of the product. There
are various ways Of preparing them, one of
which is TO boil like cabbage and eat with
butter and pepper and little salt.
There are three varieties of artichoke
grOwnin the South: the globe, the olive green
and the purple. They may be grown in
every State in the Union. They are, &C
cording to authority, luxury of rare merit
and many people are depriving themselves
of a choice vegetable by neglecting to plant
them in the gardens. The 14IaJamian con-
tiLUes:
ave generally propagate the artichoke
from seeds, though it can be propagated
very successfully from slips taken from the
cid plants, where a person already has a
start Of it. You can obtain seeds of any
good seedsman-if at the North, you will
be likely to find them under the name of
the Globe artichoke; but if at the South, it
will be well TO inquire for the Bur aTti-
choke, as that is the name by which We
generally distinguish it from another pro-
duct, which l shall mention at the close of
this article. Sow your seed early in spring
(oUr rule is to SOW when peach blossoms
are fairly Out,) making your rows four feet
apart, and letting your plants stand about
eighteen inches from each other in the
rows. Sow some in beds, and when the
plants are up few inches, transplant into
proper position. 1t is a very good way, but
not the best, We tbink-for the transplant
ing retards the growth week at least.
"Once the artIChOke patch is fairly set, it
requires no further attention, other than to
keep the weeds worked out (for about five
years., after which the plants 20 into de-
cline, making it necessary to start a new
patch.
"The better the soil the better the arti-
choke, and, as it is q growth which delights
in sunshine, it viii not be amiSs to give it 4
south m exposure; and above all things,
care should be taken not TO have it shaded
by trees or buildings during any part of the
day. 4 fertilizer well adapted to its wants
is barnyard manure and leached hard wood
ashes, in the proportion of three parts OF
the former to one Of the latter, compOsted
together and well rOtted.
Another plant which We have already
promised to notice, is a species of sunfOwer
(HeljaRthus tU5er0SllS,) known, generally,
as the artichoke, and sometimes as the
Jerusalem artichoke. 1t grows well almost
everywhere ami in every character Of soil.
The root is the edible portion, and though
not much priced as vegetable for the table,
it is said to be valuable product for fat
teuiug hogs, and that cattle will feed upon
it with 4 relish, and with profit. Is gener-
ally propagated from the root like Irish
potatoes. Once started, it is perfectly at
home for all time to cOme-in fact, it be-
comes q weed which is hard to exterminate
when the ground is wanted for some other
crop