\ s SB 351.A8R6 e " UniVerS " yLibrary E *™. r E.^f,:?.?,!!:.?*!n9.. , hat the economic Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003696402 Observing the luxuriant growth of stalk of the artichoke with its fine, delica 1 and abounding leafage, it occurred to me that the stalk as well as the tuber might 1 valuable. Therefore, cutting some of the green stalks, and at the same time cuttin stalks of green corn, we placed them before our horses. Invariably the horses woul leave the green corn fodder for the stalks of the artichoke. We then tried them on ot sheep and swine with the same results. Our few elk and buffalo seem to like them be ter than any other food we can place before them. Our cows were less unanimous, tl jury splitting six to six. The palatability of the artichoke as compared with that of its relative, the su: flower, was surprising. Where the sunflower with its rough stalk and extremely cour fiber would be neglected, the artichoke would be eaten with avidity. Wishing to find the food value of the artichoke stalk, we addressed a letter the Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Meredith, briefly explaining the reasons for our anj ety to have this information. He kindly referred our communication to Dr. W. A. Ta lor, Chief of Bureau of Plant Industry, who requested us to send him some stalks, str ing that they would at once undertake to make an analysis. I think Dr. Taylor mu have become somewhat interested in the result of that investigation, for, rememberii as he did that before the War the French and other chemists had made some investig tions, he kindly secured their reports, caused them to be translated, and favored me wi copies. These, together with the results obtained in his Department, will be given in a table attached as an appendix hereto. They indicate that the analyses made by the dif- ferent foreign experimenters and those made by Professor Taylor are in substantial if not exact harmony. Having been a more or less extensive breeder of live stock for fifty years of my life, I had long since recognized the value of taking into account in a ration for an- imals the factor of palatability. We all know there are many plants which contain ele-, ments which should afford a very valuable ration, the only trouble is, the stock will- not eat them. There are other plants having high nutritive values, with palatability, but which at the same time carry poisonous alkaloids. When, however, we combine high food value with the elements of safety and palatability, it then becomes a question of pure mathematics in estimating the worth of the ration and we will leave the determina-.) tion of these problems to other and wiser men. Those writers on agriculture who have dealt with the yield of the artichoke tuber place the average crop within a range of from two hundred to twelve hundred bushels per acre. This year, Mr. Hanna, the Manager of River Ridge, had our head gardfier and the assistant head gardner in several different portions of the field dig enough hills to fill a bushel basket and make an estimate of the yield of the tubers. Our head gardner reported slightly in excess of twelve hundred bushels per acre. The as- sistant head gardner made his separate report, showing in excess of eight hundred bushels per acre, but stating that he thought his report a very conservative one. Being for the last twelve years an invalid under the constant care of a trained nurse, I re- quested Professor H. H. Haverstick, our County Farm Bureau Agent, to make a verifi-. cation test of his own, and his sworn statement of a yield of 850 bushels per acre will be found in an Appendix attached hereto, also the sworn statement of Mr. C. L. Goodwill* one of the most prominent and highly esteemed farmers of this section, showing a yield of 967 bushels per acre. Unlike the sunflower, the Mammoth French White Jerusalem Artichoke has a very fine leaf. Its foliage is profuse, and although the plant attains a height as great as 1 •2- twelve feet, it is bushy and bunchy in its growth; and the stalks of our ensilage range from one-eighth of an inch to one-half of an inch in. diameter. When the crop was up to an average height of three feet, we made our first cut- ting for hay, the largest stalk being smaller than a lead pencil, with a preponderance not larger than the oat stalks growing on our farm. When perfectly dried and cured,' the first cutting on June 11th was at the rate of 3815 pounds per acre. On August 1st we made the second cutting, at the rate of 3045 pounds per acre. The third growth was plowed under when about ten or twelve inches in height to lay green humus beneath the soil. On another field we made our first cutting on August 1st of 6960 pounds, and on September 2nd, our second cutting of 2392 pounds per acre, or over four and one-half tons per acre. Our horses, cattle, sheep and swine all eat this hay with seeming relish, especially the horses, sheep and pigs. We filled one silo with artichoke ensilage, which was fed to all classes of stock. While it was eaten comparatively clean, we thought the cows liked the corn ensilage bet- ter because the ears were abundant and the corn had become partially glazed before cutting. It should have been said before passing over dry fodder that the butts of the Ualks were. not eaten as clean as would have been good clover, timothy or alfalfa stalks, nit the waste was inconsiderable, for we found the stalk butts made an excellent bed- ding, capable of absorbing six pounds of fluid for each pound of dry stalks as hauled from the field in the winter and spring. Through the winter we have fed the tubers to our horses, cows, sheep and swine, as well as to our poultry. When we place the artichokes in the boxes where the horses are eating their oats or corn, they will leave the grain to eat the tubers. The pigs and sheep will do the same, though the cows will not always do so. It would not be fair to say that our milk yield has averaged greater than ever before simply from the artichokes, but we know that the average has been higher. Later, we hope to be able to make the test which will indicate whether the largely increased flow of milk was due to the artichokes or to some other cause, but on this farm we have formed this opinion — that possibly the artichoke is a very good substitute for the beet pulp, and at only a tithe of the cost. Our faith in the Mammoth French White Jerusalem Artichoke is such that this summer we have planted more than ninety acres. In America's leading dairy papers we frequently read of those who have cultivated the sunflower for silage but will not again make the attempt. At the same time that we have been carrying on our experiments with the artichoke we have also grown sunflowers, and our observation and experience have convinced us that in point of palatability and possibly nutrition the Mammoth French White Jerusalem Artichoke is as much superior to the sunflower as the best cured 'alfalfa or clover hay surpasses the value of swamp grass. We believe it to be so much superior that their relative values will have to be judged, not by comparison, but by con- trast. There is another feature connected with the Mammoth French White Arti- xhoke as a forage — when once planted it is probably permanently planted, while the land for the next year's sunflower crop must again be plowed and planted. A few years ago when our artichokes in the garden were found to be such a valuable adjunct to our menu at the dinner table, and the yield so prolific, the order was given not to dig another tuber, but to save them for seed. We had left in the small patch an insufficient quantity to plant an acre. We, therefor, dug out of the ground every Luber from the size of a 3 bean upwards in order to get the six bushels necessary for planting" an acre of land. When our garden was plowed the next season, the land where the artichokes had been planted was also plowed and harrowed. To our surprise, as well as delight, we found ten or more times as many plants on that same patch of ground as before. Seemingly wherever there had been left an almost infinitesimal tuber or root particle it had grown, and through the harrowing the seed had been distributed throughout the entire patch. ; Upon the ground where last year we cut our hay and ensilage, this year with a cultivator set at three feet we will go through the fields leaving a narrow strip of arti- chokes growing in rows of that width. We will then, with the cultivator set at eighteen inches, cross the fields at right angles, leaving the field with rows three feet apart and hills eighteen inches distant in the rows. By three early cultivations to keep down the new growth we will consequently have at the distance named approximately 9,680 hills of artichokes to the acre, from which we confidently anticipate, in the light of our ex- perience, not less than five hundred bushels, and possibly on some portions of the field one thousand or more bushels to the acre. When that field of tubers has been harvested, and the last visible artichoke dug, we will run over it our spring-tooth harrow, next year to have a thick stand of forage which may either be cured for hay or allowed to mature for our silos. It is with some satisfaction that we feel ourselves allowed to elect whether we shall have tubers or fodder — or both the same season. (In those fields from which our ensilage was harvested, though the tubers are not so large, we had a crop of 535 bushels per acre.) We have found that dur artichokes do better or at least as well planted in the fall as in the spring. Even when no other crop could be safely put into the ground, we can plant our artichokes and know that the hard freezing of the ground or drouth will not destroy the planting. It is also a source of satisfaction to be able to dig this crop of tubers either in the fall or in the spring, for freezing seems in no manner whatever to prove injurious to them. With us, during some winters the thermometer will register from zero to twenty- five degrees below for a week or ten days in succession. Fearing no damage, we may store this crop more easily where it was planted than elsewhere, with the consequent saving in labor of rehandling. On this farm, and throughout this county, which is an ex- ceptionally fine fruit county, a very heavy late frost last year killed the orchard fruits, but the freeze which destroyed our apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries in nowise affected injuriously our crop of artichokes. When we were ready to put in our ensilage, we did not worry lest the early autumnal frost might get ahead of us. (In this, per- haps, we presumed too much, but our experience has shown us that the artichoke seems to be considerably hardier and more frost-resisting than most other plants.) Our flock of Oxford Down sheep during the last winter were fed largely on the tubers, hay and ensilage of these artichokes, and we believe that, like the potato, the ar- tichoke must be extremely rich in vitamines, for, although our lambs came this year in February rather than in January as heretofore, we have never seen them larger, or our flock seemingly in better physical condition — if so good. One young ram was shown me that had an exclusive diet of artichokes during the winter. He had gained thirty pounds and tipped the beam at two hundred and thirty pounds. Breeding Airedale dogs, we fed the raw tubers to the house dogs. They ate them greedily, and we think the problem of vitamines for the dogs, as well as for the lambs, pigs, calves, poultry and the human family, is in the way of settlement. 4 This year we anticipate planting a portion of our pasture fields and then, by di- viding the fields, feed both our cows and our sheep by a well ordered system of rotation from field to field, coming back when the last field is reached to a new and tender growth in the first field. From our observation, as far as our experiments have gone, we believe that we will be able in any given pasture to feed more than twice the amount of stock than we have been able to do with our native grass supplemented by the choicer pasture grasses. It is also anticipated that our flow of milk will not fall off so greatly in the late summer with tender and succulent forage abundantly in reach. It is a further satisfaction for us to know that we have ninety acres of land plowed which will not have to be plowed and planted again next year — ■ ninety acres again to be plowed only when we shall attempt to turn under a large growth of the green artichokes for humus that through the bacterial energy in their decomposition we may keep, as we believe, abundant nitrogen within the reach of our growing plants. We have planted the artichokes on land that has been plowed where sixteen tons per acre of fairly coarsely crushed limestone was applied to something like three hun- dred and fifty acres of this farm ten years ago. We have also planted these artichokes on sour soil, but have not as yet made the test enabling us to speak with definiteness as to whether they will do as well without as with lime; but the portion of the field from which we cut our hay had not had any lime, and the yield of about four tons of perfectly cured hay to the acre indicates that the artichoke, being an indigenous American plant found growing practically wjld from the State of Maine through the arable lands to the Pacific Coast, is of such hardy character that its chance of permanence is better than almost any other plant we know. A visitor to River Ridge Farm a few days ago, expressing his delight at the ar- tichoke, told us how last fall in touring through New England he found them growing in many different places along the roadside nearly to the point of Cape Cod, and fre- quently stopped his automobile and dug them because he was fond of eating them raw. Probably most boys, especially in the Eastern and Middle States, remember how they liked to dig artichokes for the peculiar nutty flavor they possess; but the Mammoth French White is a great improvement over the ones we used to eat. Because the artichoke has a much higher protein content than the potato, it may prove of great economic value as a human food. It has long been an "Article of Faith" with me that the Creator of all things intended all things for the welfare of cre- ated life. As illustrative of this, I wish to digress just a little: For several years we have had students of the State College coming to River Ridge Farm to get some prac- tical experience, as well as financial recompense. Some of these students were foreign- ers from Holland, from Greece and from China who were going to take back to their na- tive land a better understanding of some of the so-called "mysteries of agriculture." One day, sitting where I could see a Chinaman at work weeding my garden, I called to him and found that he spoke English very well. The weed he was pulling was pusley, and. I told him that when we wanted to express our contempt for anything, or anybody, we said that it, or he, was "meaner than pusley." At once he interrupted me, saying: "This is very good, very good. In China we eat it as you do spinach." This served to confirm me in my opinion that we know little about what is good and what is really bad. I have many times since eaten pusley, and now, being able to secure it in an improved form from Holland, we cultivate pusley and find it among the more delicious of so-called greens. I have shown the artichoke hay and ensilage to several gentlemen of high sci- entific attainment, and have written some other friends in regard to them. It has been 5 deeply gratifying to find much commendation, and in some instances, a faith matching my own in the future economic value of the Mammoth French White Artichoke, or pos- sibly some more valuable variety which may be developed by planting the seeds rather than the tubers. Personally, I have not yet reached that point where I would recommend any- one to plant so extensively as we have done; but my faith in the value of the Mammoih French White Artichoke does permit me to suggest that each farmer plant enough in his garden for table use and raise enough seed that another year at small cost he may use them if he desires. I would even urge our stockgrowers to plant an acre, preferably in a field where if they wish to get rid of them they can do so effectively by turning in their hogs, for the hog is so fond of them that he will exterminate them; or they can be ex- terminated by planting in a field where crops are to be cultivated, otherwise, the arti- choke is a permanent product of the farm, and I hope and believe it will rank among tbe most valuable of assets necessary for succesful animal husbandry. It requires about six bushels of artichokes to plant an acre. If when a year has elapsed, the stockgrower's faith in them is justified, he could rightfully anticipate having sufficient quantity of tubers from that acre to permit of his planting as large an acreage as might seem de- sirable. Should he doubt their value, he may turn in his pigs and exterminate them, and according to scientific authority make ''a ton of pork" per acre (see United States Department of Agriculture Appendix), which at $10.00 per hundred for pork would make $200.00 for an acre crop. This indicates that there are .those qualified to speak who do not hesitate to go much farther than I would wish to go with my present in- formation and experience. According to the showing found in the Summary given by our United States Department of Agriculture, four acres in Texas were sufficient to carry sixteen head of hogs through the winter in good condition, and at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in New South Wales, sixty pigs were .pastured on one acre of artichokes and made a gain of one pound a day per head for six weeks and produced a ton of pork. (See Appendix.) Up to this time, River Ridge Farm has made no experiment in this direction, for we have constantly aimed to produce more artichokes rather than to exterminate any. It seems probably, however, that the Mammoth French White Jerusalem Artichoke will in the not distant future play an important part in solving the problem of the meat supply of the world. It is only a surmise that there are millions of acres of so-called worthless land in the United States that would yield large forage values in artichokes and semi- arid wastes which would afford food for summer and winter. With artichokes it may prove that no future drouth will be a menace to the cattle grower, for where on any arid lands a scanty herbage is found growing the artichoke would probably survive and flourish. _ ___^ What we do know is that the artichoke will, when grown as hay or ensilage, kill out most other weeds on our farm, for its shade is so dense that the other weeds are smothered. We also know that for us the Mammoth French White Artichoke has proved the most satisfactory crop we have ever planted. It is a plant that has fought for its ex- istence through the extremes of climate, against insect pests in North and South Amer- ica, and so far as we have been able to learn, has mastered all its enemies. We know no other crop that can be produced at so small expenditure of time, labor or cash. It is the only crop we have ever grown that takes care of itself long enough to let the farmer straighten up and take all the kinks out of his back at one time. To me the artichoke seems worthy of attention and ought to be tried out over wider areas and under differing conditions of soil and climate, for it could be tried out in a small way very cheaply. Perhaps my enthusiasm as I have noticed results on River Ridge Farm has tended to warp my judgment, and possibly others may not get as favor- able results as we have obtained. Its extremely high digestible value as shown by the scientists (See Appendix) seems to confirm our favorable opinion. I deeply regret that heretofore we have not tested its pasture value; a year from now we will be able to speak from practical experience. At the present time we know but little, but all we have been able to learn promises such favorable results that after consultation with friends they have thought it desirable to give this information to the farmers and stockgrowers, to the end that they may be able to try it out in a small way and growing their own seed effect this change, if it proved desirable, at a minimum of expense. Except for the compendium of the scientific results secured from Germany, France, Australia and other scientific sources, I should not have presumed to offer our practical results as authorizing us to make recommendations to others. Finding, how- ever, that both theory and practical results elsewhere are about as favorable as those coming under our own observation and those investigations covering such wide areas in each instance the results seemingly as favorable as ours, seem to warrant me in making this publication. I plainly recognize that [ have contributed but little information con- cerning the artichoke tuber. I do believe, however, that our experience in converting the stalks into hay and ensilage and the many feed tests on different kinds of livestock are of interest because so far as I have been able to learn they are novel, and have been on a more extensive scale than elsewhere, entitling us to be considered with those others who have sought to play a helpful part and contributed some additional knowledge con- cerning what more and more each day we regard as a wonderful plant. The executive heads of Agricultural Colleges and Experimental Stations are. hereby invited to visit River Ridge Farm or send their representatives to pass upon tests of pasture, hay, ensilage, tubers, yields, and note feeding results and values. These re- sults, if possible, should be observed for an entire year. We will endeavor to co-operate to the best of our ability so that accurate and definite conclusions can be reached. With ninety acres under observation rather than an experimental plat of a few square feet in area and an opportunity of testing on all classes of livestock, it should be possible to form opinions of practical working value to the average farmer and stockgrower. Yesterday we turned our cattle and sheep into our pasture fields where about an acre in each field had been planted this spring to artichokes. Though this pasture field was rich in clovers and many other grasses, both cattle and sheep absolutely ne- glected all but the artichokes, the plants of which were twelve to fifteen inches high. A year or more will settle the question of pasture, but this initial test has served in build- ing up our hopes even if not confirming our faith. If this plant is valuable the Agricul- tural Departments and Colleges have it in their power to render great service to the farming public; if it is valueless the farmers should not suffer financial loss. Some time since I wrote the Agricultural Department that the problem was too great for a single individual. If the sunflower or other feeds are worth the excess labor and monetary cost for hay and ensilage, let us have the facts. With the facts about the artichoke before us' it may properly be left to the individual farmer to determine if he wishes to take the hazard of planting them. Since writing the above we have put in five additional acres in our pasture, so that now our planting is ninety-five acres. For the material contained in the appendix attached hereto I am -indebted to our United States Department of Agriculture, and it is only right in closing to give ex- 7 pression to my deep sense of obligation to Ex-Secretary of Agriculture Meredith and Secretary of Agriculture Wallace, as well as to Dr. W. A. Taylor, Chief of Bureau of Plant Industry, for their kindly and earnest interest and co-operation, without which sci- entific aid we probably would still be groping in fogs if not in darkness. (See United States Department of Agriculture Appendix.) (Appendix) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY WASHINGTON Office of Cheif of Bureau December 27, 1920. COPY Hon. Joseph C. Sibley, River Ridge Farm, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Dear Mr. Sibley: Referring to previous correspondence on the subject, and especially to yours of October 7, last, to the Acting Secretary of Agriculture, I am reporting here- with the results of analysis of the artichoke stalks received from you at that time. The analysis was made by the Bureau of Chemistry and reported under date of December 20 : Per Cent. Moisture 4.62 Ash 11.78 Ether extract 89 Protein 9.72 Crude Fiber 36.29 • Nitrogen-free extract 36.70 If we can be of further service in this connection, please advise me. Yours very truly, (Signed) W. A. TAYLOR, Chief of Bureau. (Appendix) From United States Department of Agriculture SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTS AND ANALYSES REGARDING ARTICHOKES In experiments with the Jerusalem artichoke for hog pasture it was found in Texas that 4 acres would carry 16 head of hogs through the winter in good condition. At Hawkesbury Agricultural College in New South Wales, 60 pigs were pastured on 1 acre of artichokes and made a gain of 1 pound per head per day for 6 weeks. An acre of artichokes produced 1 ton of pork. , The yield of tubers ranges from 4 to 18 tons per acre, although in western Washington record yields of 20 tons and over are reported. Plats of the Jerusalem arti- choke on the Department field station at Bard, California, under irrigation, gave a yield 8 of 11,6.20 pounds of tubers per acre. The Wisconsin Experiment Station found raw arti- chokes equal to cooked potatoes for feeding hogs. It is reported by certain experi- menters that 3 bushels of the tubers fed with 1 bushel of corn are equal to 2 bushels of corn for fattening hogs. Besides a number of tests in feeding the Jerusalem artichoke to dairy cattle, some tests have been made in France in feeding the tubers to work horses. It was found in these tests that satisfactory results were obtained if the chopped tubers were mixed with crushed grain and fed in connection with an equal quantity of hay by weight. German experimenters have found that the artichoke tubers when fed alone cause considerable fermentation in the alimentary canal and that it is advisable to make the ration one-half of some bulky feed, like hay. (Appendix) In the use of the tops and leaves of the artichoke for forage it was found in Ar- kansas that rather poor soil, if fertilized with 300 pounds of cottonseed meal per acre, made a yield of 4200 pounds of forage in an unfavorable season. German experiment- ers have determined the digestibility of the dried leaves and stems, by feeding them to sheep and dairy cows. The digestibility coefficients for these parts of the artichoke plant are as follows: Organic matter 65% Protein 55% Fat 70%, Nitrogen-free extract 72% Crude fiber 54% The energy value of these parts of the plant is rated at 65 per cent. These fig- ures show a rather high digestibility coefficient for the fodder obtained from the Jeru- salem artichoke. On the following sheet are a number of analyses showing the composition of the leaves, stalks and tubers of the Jerusalem artichoke. For those interested in the study of varieties, an article will be found on this subject in the American Naturalise, volume 53, pages 188 to 192. (Appendix) Helianthus tuberosus. tc/ Composition of artichokes: Water 77.2% Composition of dry matter: Ash ■ 5.4% Crude Protein 10.6% Crude fiber 4.0% ' Ether extract 7% Nitrogen-free extract 79.3% — C. L. Newman, Arkansas Experiment Station Bulletin No. 34, 1895, p. 127. 9 Analysis of leaves and stalks : Sugar 44 (leaves) Protein 3.50% Fats 66 Carbo-hydrates 13.88 Cellulose 1.67 7.18 (stalks) 3.10% .13 9.15 3.65 Organic matter 20.15 Mineral matter 3.05 Solid matter 23.20 Water 76.80 23.17 1.23 24.40 75.60 Analysis of tubers: Protein 5.51 Fats 48 Sugar ) Starch V 18.65 Carbo-hydrates ) Cellulose 1.32 Organic matter 25.76 Mineral matter 1.76 % Solid matter 27.52 Water 72.48 Phosphoric acid 31 -Prof. Landowski, government expert, Department of Seine et Oise, France. Analysis of tubers : Protein 5.31% Fat 48 Carbo-hydrates 18.65 Cellulose 1.32 Minerals 1.76 Water 72.48 Analysis of leaves : Protein 3.50 Fat .66 Sugar 44 Carbo-hvdrates 13.88 Cellulose 1.67 Digestible fiber 1.25 Insoluble minerals 1.90 Water 76.70 — B. Harrison, Agricl. Gazette, New South Wales, Sept. 2, 1912, pp. 813-814. RIVER RIDGE FARM APPENDIX To whom It May Concern : The undersigned was present on April 21st, 1922, when the artichokes were dug on River Ridge Farm, located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Several tests were made to ascertain the number of bushels that were obtained to the acre, and I found that the average yield was 850 bushels. (Signed) H. H. HAVERSTICK, Extension Rep. State College, Pa. Venango County Farm Bureau Agent STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA ) COUNTY OF VENANGO j ss> H. H. Haverstick, being duly sworn, deposes and says that the facts set forth in the foregoing are true and correct. (Signed) H. H. HAVERSTICK. Subscribed and sworn to before me thij 21st dav of April, A. D. 1922. (Signed) BLAINE G. HARRINGTON, My commission expires Fcbru^rv 19, 1925. Nctarv Pubti,:. 10 RIVER RIDGE FARM APPENDIX To Whom It May Concern: I personally made tests of the Artichoke yield on River Ridge Farm, April 22, 1922, and found that the average yield was a t the rate of nine hundred and sixty-seven (967) bushels per acre. (Signed) C. L. GOODWILL. STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA 1 COUNTY OF VENANGO | ss " I, C. L. Goodwill, being duly sworn, do depose and say that the facts set forth in the foregoing are true and correct. (Signed) C. L. GOODWILL. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 29th day of April, A. D. 1922. (Signed) BLAINE G. HARRINGTON, Notary Public. My commission expires February 19, 1925. SUGGESTIONS FOR COOKING MAMMOTH FRENCH WHITE JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES Carefully pare the larger portions of the tubers and immerse for two hours in cold water. Then cook as you would boiled potatoes, adding proper amount of salt when water boils. Cook until all parts of tuber are soft and remove from fire. Dress as you would for Creamed Potatoes, seasoning to suit taste — of serve with drawn but- ter-sauce. Puree d' Artichoke Though there are many recipes for making artichoke soup, we have found a puree d' artichoke possessed of an unrivaled delicacy and flavor. Pare the artichokes and boil in as small amount of water as will properly cover them. (We prefer to use a porcelain kettle.) When thoroughly done remove^the arti- chokes, saving the water in which they were boiled, and mash as finely as possible, then put them back in the same water, adding a little milk. When this has come to a boil, add flour for thickening, mixed with butter and any other seasoning that may suit your taste. Artichoke Surprise Pare the artichokes until they are about the size of a hen's egg, then quarter them and place in cold water. Thoroughly beat a sufficient quantity of eggs. Take preferablv stale bread, dry and slightly brown the same so that it is crisp and can easily be finely rolled. Remove the artichokes from the cold water, dry thoroughly with either absorbent paper or warm towels. (It is important that the tuber be /iped perfectly dry.) Dip them in the beaten egg and lay them in a warm cooking pan on absorbent paper until the egg coating on the tuber is fairly dry, then immerse again in the egg- and roll in the bread crumbs until you have a thick coating, to secure which it may possibly require a little more egg. 11 When well coated with the crumbs, drop gently into boiling hot lard and cook until done as you would doughnuts. The lard must be hot to quickly cook the egg coat- ing in order that no lard may penetrate to the artichoke meat. It will generally require fifteen minutes to cook them, but "taste and try" will let the cook know when to remove them from the kettle. When done remove them to a large warm cooking pan, the bottom of which is covered with a few thicknesses of absorbent paper, and covering the pan with some warm absorbent paper place them on the "plate warmer in order to absorb as much as pos- sible of the grease. The artichokes should not be piled on top of each other in the warm- ing pan. By the use of the absorbent paper and the warmth the surplus grease is taken up and the artichoke can be served in warm napkins or on warm plates on which a warm napkin has been laid. If the grease permeates the artichoke your product is spoiled. With a little care and experience this never need occur. Surprise artichokes will prove a delight to epicures and when first served with this dish your guest will probably imagine he is eating scallops, at least many conceive that they are either eating scallons or some 'form of fish life. Artichoke Salad Many like artichokes raw served with French or mayonaise dressing to suit taste. We like them better boiled until there are no hard spots left in them, then served with either French or mayonaise dressing. Fried Artichokes •■•' Pare, boil and finely mash the artichokes, then mix with fine cracker or bread crumbs. Then fry in skillet greased with butter. Serve hot. Artichokes Baked in Cream Pare and thinly slice the tubers and put in baking dish with cream. Season to suit taste. If desired, eggs thoroughly beaten may be mixed with cream and stirred to- gether before adding the artichokes. Mix a lump of butter with a little flour and place in center of dish. Some people like a coating of beaten eggs or. grated cheese on top, but we think it hides the delicious flavor of ihe artichokes. Put in a moderate oven and bake until thoroughly done. Pickled Artichokes We have been told by a very old lady that when she was a girl that pickled arti- chokes were considered a rare delicacy. We have not tried them but shall do so. 12