GLOBE ARTICHOKE

Cynara Scolymus



The Globe Artichoke is grown mainly for the sake of its flower-heads

which make a delightful dish when cooked while immature. The plant is

easily raised from seed, although not quite hardy in some districts. It

will grow on almost any soil, but for the production of large fleshy

heads, deep rich ground is requisite. The preparation of the soil should

be liberal, and apart from the use of animal manure the plant may be

greatly aided by wood-ashes and seaweed, for it is partial to saline

manures, its home being the sandy seashores of Northern Africa.



The simplest routine of cultivation consists in sowing annually, and

allowing each plantation to stand to the close of the second season.

Seed may be sown in February in boxes of light soil, or in the open

ground in March or April. In the former case, put in the seeds one inch

deep and four inches apart, and start them in gentle heat. Grow on the

seedlings steadily, and thoroughly harden off preparatory to planting

out at the end of April, giving each a space of three to four feet apart

each way. Under favourable conditions the plants from the February

sowing will produce heads in the following August, September, and

October. In the second year, the heads will be formed during June and

July. This arrangement not only insures a supply of heads from June to

October, but admits of a more effective rotation of crops in the garden.



Sowings in the open ground should be made in March or April, in drills

one foot apart. Thin out the plants to six inches apart in the rows and

allow them to stand until the following spring, when they may be

transplanted to permanent beds.



Globe Artichokes may also be grown from suckers planted out in April

when about nine inches high. Put them in rather deep, tread in firmly,

and lay on any rough mulch that may be handy. Should the weather be dry

they will require watering, and during a hot dry spell water and liquid

manure should be given freely to insure a good supply of large heads.

Seedlings that are started well in a suitable bed take better care of

themselves than do plants from suckers, especially in a dry season.

Vigorous seedlings send down their roots to a great depth.



To advise on weeding and hoeing for the promotion of a clean and strong

growth should be needless, because all crops require such attention.

But as to the production of large heads, a few words of advice may be

useful. It is the practice with some growers to twist a piece of wire

round the stem about three inches below the head. This certainly does

tend to increase the size, but the same end may be accomplished by other

means. In the first place, a rich deep bed and abundant supplies of

water will encourage the growth of fine heads. Further aid in the same

direction will be derived from the removal of all the lateral heads that

appear when they are about as large as an egg. Up to this stage they do

not tax the energies of the plants in any great degree; but as the

flowers are forming within them their demands increase rapidly. Their

removal, therefore, has an immediate effect on the main heads, and these

attain to large dimensions without the aid of wire. The small heads will

be valued at many tables for eating raw, as they are eaten in Italy, or

cooked as 'artichauts frits.' The larger main heads are the best for

serving boiled in the usual way. After the heads are used the plants

should be cut down.



Chards are the blanched summer growth of Globe Artichokes, and are by

many preferred to blanched Cardoons. In the early part of July the

plants selected for Chards must be cut over about six inches above the

ground. In a few days after this operation they will need a copious

watering, which should be repeated weekly, except when heavy rains

occur. By the end of September the plants will have made much growth and

be ready for blanching. Draw them together, put a band of hay or straw

around them, and earth them up, finishing the work neatly. The blanching

will take fully six weeks, during which time there will be but little

growth made--hence the necessity for promoting free growth before

earthing up. Any Chards not used before winter sets in may be lifted and

preserved by packing in sand in a dry shed.



The Artichoke is hardy on dry soils when the winter is of only average

severity. But on retentive soils, which are most favourable to the

production of fine heads, a severe winter will destroy the plantations

unless they have some kind of protection. The usual course of procedure

is to cut down the stems and large leaves without touching the smaller

central leaves, and, when severe frost appears probable, partially earth

up the rows with soil taken from between; this protection is

strengthened by the addition of light dry litter loosely thrown over.

With the return of spring the litter is removed, the earth is dug back,

and all the suckers but about three removed: then a liberal dressing of

manure is dug in, care being taken to do as little injury to the plants

above and below ground as possible. At the end of five years a

plantation will be quite worn out; in somewhat poor soil it will be

exhausted in three years. But on any kind of soil the cultivation of

this elegant vegetable is greatly simplified by sowing annually, and

allowing the plants to stand for two years only, as already advised.