365. There are two varieties cultivated ; the French conical, or green artichoke ; and the Globe or red arti choke. The head of the former is rather of an oval shape ; the scales are open, and not turned in at top, as in the globe artichoke. The latter is distinguished not only by the shape, and by the position of the scales, but by being chiefly of a dusky purple colour. The receptable of the globe artichoke is more succulent than that of the French, but the latter is generally considered as possessing more flavour.
Artichokes are increased by rooted slips or suckers taken off at the time of the spring dressing, in the begin ning of April. They delight in a light loam, cool but dry, and which is at the same time rich and deep. In prepar ing for this crop, the soil should be trenched to the depth of three feet, or at least two feet and a half, and manure should be liberally placed in the bottom of the trench. In dry weather, the young plants require regular watering for some time. Artichokes will grow pretty well in a situation somewhat shaded, but they should not be under the drip of trees. In a free and airy situation,•however, the heads are of better quality.
Nicol mentions, that the strongest crops he ever saw, grew in rather a mossy earth that had been trenched fully a yard in depth, and had been well enriched with dung, and limed ; and that the plants were generally covered before winter with a mixture of stable litter and sea-weed. This last article, we believe, is one of the very best manures for artichokes. In no place is the plant to In seen in greater perfection than in gardens in the Orkney Islands ; and we know that the luxuriance of the plants in these is to be ascribed to the liberal supply of sea-weed dug into the ground every autumn. It was long ago re marked by a horticultural writer, that " water drawn from ashes, or improved by any fixed salt, is very good fur artichokes." Systenza ?griculturre, 1682.
366. The plants are often placed four feet apart every way : sometimes they are planted three feet apart in rows, and the rows are kept six feet asunder. In many of the inarket-gardens near London, the rows are eight or tell feet front each other ; intermediate low growing crops are sown or planted, the artichokes being always allowed live feet free. Some gardeners plant two offsets together ; and if both survive and prove strong, they afterwards re move one. Others plant three offsets in a triangular patch or stock, each offset being ten or twelve inches from the other ; and these stocks are afterwards treated as if they were single plants. A crop of spinach or turnip is gene
rally taken, for the first year, even between the closest rows. At the end of the first season after planting, a small and late crop of artichoke-heads is procured, generally in October. In the second year, the leaves of the plants will almost meet in the lows.
To encourage the production of large main heads, some detach all the lateral heads in a young state. These arc com monly in a fit state for eating raw, having attained about one third of their proper size ; and they are for this pur pose frequently sold in Covent Garden market, chiefly to foreigners. Another thing, practised with the same view, is the shortening the ends of the large leaves. When all the heads are gathered, the whole stalks are broken down close to the ground, in order to save the useless expendi ture of sap, and to promote the setting out of young shoots at the root.
In November the plants are earthed up, or,-in other words, a portion of earth is drawn around each plant. It was formerly a custom to make a trench between the rows, and to fill this trench " with dung which would not freeze ;" the earth thrown out, forming a ridge around the plants. Some modern writers recommended the making of the trench, but omitted to speak of filling it with dung; so that the roots of the plants were thus more exposed than if the ground had been left untouched. in this way the forming of any trench cattle into disrepute ; and, as already noticed, the best practical gardeners now only draw the earth from the surrounding surface towards the plants. Long dung, peas haulm, old tanners' bark, or such stuff, are then laid around, but kept at some distance from the stems and leaves of the plants.
367. The spring dressing is equally important. The litter and earth being removed, in March or April, ac cording to the kind of season, the stocks are examined ; and two or three of the strongest or best shoots being selected for growing up, the rest are removed : this is often done merely by pressure with the thumb, but some times a knife or chisel is employed. It was formerly men tioned that this is the proper time for procuring young plants. It is remarked by gardeners, that the shoots from the under part of the stock, which are soft and crisp, are preferable to those from the crown of the roots, which have hard and rather woody stems. if the shoot be six or eight inches long, it is enough ; and if it be furnished with two or three small fibres, they are sufficient to ensure its growth.