the ARTICHOKE; a genus of plants belonging to the syngenesia class. See BOTANY Index.

The varieties of the artichoke are propagated by slips or suckers, arising annually from the root or root of the old plants in spring, which are to be taken from good plants of any present plantation in March or the beginning of April, and planted in the open quarter of the kitchen garden, in rows five feet asunder; and they will produce artichokes the same year in autumn. It should, however, be remarked, that though artichokes are of many years duration, the annual produce of their fruit will gradually lessen in the size of the eatable parts after the third or fourth year, so that a fresh plantation should be made every three or four years. The cardoon is a very hardy plant, and prospers in the open quarters of the kitchen garden. It is propagated by seed sown annually in the full ground in March; either in a bed for transplantation, or in the place where they are designed to remain. The plants are very large, so must stand at considerable distances from one another. By this means you may have some small temporary crops between the rows, as of lettuce, spinach, endive, cabbage, savoy, or broccoli plants. In the latter end of September, or in October, the cardoons will be grown very large, and their footstalks have acquired a thick substance; you must then tie up the leaves of each plant, to admit of earthing them closely all round for blanching, which will take up fix or eight weeks; and thus the plants will come in for use in November and December, and continue all winter.