THE

VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR.

1. ARTICHOKE.

- CYNARA.

THE generic term cynara is supposed to have been so called by the ancients, on account of its ash-coloured leaves; and the word choke is no doubt taken from that part of the head which is left after the bottom part of the scales is eaten, and which, if accidentally swallowed, produces a sensation similar to choking.

This vegetable, which affords a pleasant and nourishing diet, is a native of Africa, and also of some of the warmest parts of Italy, whence it was first brought to this country in the reign of Henry the Eighth, in the year 1548; and, from the moisture of our climate, and the attention bestowed upon its cultivation, the size and flavour were so much improved, that the Italians sent for plants from England, supposing them to be of another variety. They were, however, mistaken, for the plants soon returned to their original size and quality, upon being restored to their native climate.

B

The artichoke is principally cultivated in the gardens of the higher classes, by whom it is much esteemed; and it is considered more as a luxury than a profitable esculent.

The heads, in their immature state, and before the flowers open, are boiled in salted water, till all such parts of them become soft as are capable of being so. The scales are then plucked off one by one; the lower part, or bottoms, as they are called, are dipped in a mixture of melted butter, well seasoned, and the fleshy substance sucked from the rest. But there is generally so little to be obtained, as almost to justify the observation of a raw country servant, who, having waited at supper, when artichokes made one of the dishes, was eager, on his return into the kitchen, to taste a kind of food which he had never seen before; but, to his great disappointment, finding little more than a kind of horny substance, which equally defied his tongue and his teeth, declared, with great naïveté, that gentlefolks seemed to him to have strange fancies, for, as far as he could discover, one leaf would do as well to lick up the butter as a thousand.

On the Continent, artichokes are more generally used than in England; they are eaten by the French and Italians in a raw state, as a salad, but are preferred after having been boiled, and they form a standing dish at a French breakfast.

Artichoke bottoms are also dried in the sun for winter use, forming an agreeable side dish throughout that season.

There are three varieties of the artichoke, but

two only are cultivated, the third being very small and indifferent.

1. The globe, so called from its globular head, of a dusky purplish tint; the scales are turned in at the top more than in any other variety: it is generally preferred for the main crop, as the scales or edible parts are thicker, and possess the most flavour. It is, however, a much more tender sort; and, in the severe winter of 1739-40, was nearly lost to the country. Previously to that time, it was the only kind in cultivation; and, on account of its superiority on that occasion, our gardeners were supplied from Guernsey with the French kind, until the globe variety could again be propagated.

2. The French is known by its greenish head, which is oval; the scales are more open, and not turned in on the top so much as in the globe; though it has not the same thickness of flesh, it is much hardier, and very prolific, and deserves cultivation in every garden: both sorts continue producing the heads from July to November.

3. This variety I call the Italian, which I should not have noticed, had I not seen it creep into many gardens, producing small conical heads, and very thin pointed leaves or scales. It is of no use for the table, and should be entirely excluded.

Culture. The artichoke is propagated by rooted suckers or young shoots, rising in the spring, from the roots of the old plants: these are fit to slip off for planting at the end of March or beginning of April, when from eight to ten inches high.

For a new plantation, select an open compartment, with a light, rich, and rather moist soil, of good

depth: let it be well dug and manured; then plant the sets with a dibble, four feet between the rows, and two feet apart in the row; give some water to each plant, and occasionally, if the weather continues very dry, till they have taken root.

This method of planting in single rows will be found superior to the triangle system, which forms too great a mass, and causes the plants to become weakly, besides occasioning more labour to the gardener. They must constantly be kept free from weeds by means of the hoe, which likewise prevents the surface from getting hard; and I have fully proved, from observation for a number of years, that the more frequently the ground is disturbed with the hoe in dry seasons, the more moisture it retains.

In the autumn, remove all the large decayed leaves; then dig and well manure the ground between and along each row. In severe weather, artichokes require more or less protection, and may be covered with the earth taken from between the rows; but if the severity increases, the globe kind, especially, must have an additional covering, with plenty of dry litter from the stable.

In the spring, the litter and earth must be removed. In March, according to the weather, the stocks are examined, and about three of the strongest left to grow and produce heads; the rest are removed by pressure with the thumb, or by a knife. These shoots or suckers are used for the new plantations. Dig the whole ground level, and close up to the crown of the root of each plant, using at the same time plenty of good rotten dung,