The Columbus journal., 1903-06-24
The Artieholee Field.

from the Farmers Review: But
. few years ago great claims
were made In favor Of the artichOke.
especially a. food for swine. In fact.
many Of these claims seem to be %
exaggerated that many farmers have
lost faith entirely in the merits OF
this tuber crop. Their real value II
no doubt underestimated BY the gen
eral public. One important factor In
its favor Is its ability to remain In
the soil all winter and still retain its
terminating power. II also has . won
derful habit Of surmounting all DIM
culttes and growing against all oppo-
sition. This Characteristic Of the plant
enables the farmer to grow artichOkes
from year to year on the same ground
with little or no outlay for making
. seed bed or cultivating the crop.
Also II this tendency u well under.
stood there Is little need of the farm
er letting this plant become . weed
pest In his garden. lawn or cultivated
held. Il is well then to consider the
location for the artichoke field. II In
the near future the land Is intended
for q garden or for q hoed crop Of
any kind 1t should not be planted to
artichokes. for once in the ground
they become q veritable weed pest and
continue 50 for years to come. They
must be planted where stock can be
pastured II SO desired to kill them
OH. The tops are greedily eaten by
cattle and horses. and II allowed to
bite them for q summer or two they
die out.
II the artichoke patch can be plant
ed in or near q feed lot. sway from
cultivated land or the garden and
where 1t can be used for pasturing
hogs for several years. the artichoke
crop can be very cheaply grown after
the first planting and prove indeed
very profitable crop.
Keep in mind. however. that they
are not rich food: they do not. in pro
portion to bulk, contain large amounts
Of the elements. protein. carbohydrates
and fat. All are in dilute form. Water
is the principal constituent of the raw
artichoke, and the protein element IL.
indeed. quite Insignificant.
1t belongs to that class Of farm
products that Is worth more for feed
ing than its chemical analysis shows.
Pumpkins, beets, turnips. cabbage.
rape and sorghum cane are also mem
bers of this class.
Every feeder knows that cattle.
hogs and sheep will gain much faster
when fed on grass or clover. The
same Is true. II pumpkins are fed with
the corn ration. In the winter during
many dry days the hogs can not get
anything green. the pumpkins are
gone. When fed corn alone, they be-
come sluggish and 0ftentimes 20
fevered that they eat lightly Of the
corn ration resulting in very slow
growing. Here Is where the artichoke
field can play q strong hand. When
the ground Is not frozen. II the hogs
are turned into it. they get exercise
harvesting the tubers and the effect
of eating the roots is to cool the sys-
tenn improve digestion and assimila-
tiOn. The animal eats more grain
and makes a greater per cent Of gain
for grain consumed.
The first planting of artich0kes IS
very much like planting potatoes. The
tubers are cut 80 as to have q germi-
mating eye for every piece. They are
then planted in rows just as potatoes
are planted and cultivated during their
early growth. The next season the
,tubers will permeate the entire soil
and the plants will grow thick. pr0mis-
cuously over the area. II they are to
be cultivated in after years space
must be cut out. and the standing
plants made IL . row together as In
the first year. II heavily pastured
the hogs will do the breaking, and
then by attaching gopher knives to the
cultiyat0r shanks 1t is comparatively
easy to arrange rows for cultivation.
Try a patch where you can pasture
them II not satisfactory. Remember
to keep them entirely away from the
garden, lawn or cultivated fields.-W.
b. Anderson.