THE VALUE OF ARTICHOKES.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Nearly two years ago you published a letter from me advo- cating the extension of allotments. The importance of that move- ment is now, I think, sufficiently recognized. But I should like to add a supplementary suggestion to your article of March 16th on " Potatoes and Pigs." There must be a very large number of town dwellers to whom an allotment is oat of the question, and who have neither time, strength, nor skill to cultivate most vegetables.- To all of these who are anxious to do their bit in producing food, and who have only a small bit of garden, or even a backyard, I would strongly recommend the growing of Jerusalem artichokes. They are perfectly hardy, they will grow in any aspect and any Neil, and they give the minimum of trouble. They have only to be planted now, and need no further attention till they are ready to be dug up and eaten in November, or any time during the winter. Each tuber should be planted four inches deep, and should be given a space of about two and a half square feet. In food value they rank next to the potato among root crops. An additional advan- tage is that the stalks make excellent fire-lighters. If all dwellers in towns who cannot do more were to grow artichokes in their backyards, an appreciable addition would be made to our food [We entirely agree. Jerusalem artichokes will grow anywhere. We know of some which thrive in a neglected gravel path where they were once trodden in accidentally. Those who do not like soup made of Jerusalem artichokes do not know what good soup is. —ED. Spectator.]
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