ARTICHOKES FOR PIGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 382, 16 June 1928, Page 27

ARTICHOKES FOR PIGS

WORTHWHILE CROP The so-called Jerusalem artichoke is a common garden vegetable, but ha« never been exploited very seriously as a farm crop- It is, however, a plant with many good points, among which are its heavy cropping powers, its freedom from disease, its ability to withstand all sorts of weather, and the ease with which it can be cultivated. On good ground this plant will yield as much as a gallon of tubers to the root, and although a moderately-wet season, suits it better than a very dry one, it will always give a fair return and sometimes a very good one. Even the poorest soil the plan: will yield moderately well, but it pays for good cultivation, and it is then not at all Particular as to the nature of the actual soil.

The artichoke, therefore, (says an English authority), has many points In its favour as compared with the Potato, and it is said that in its natural Btate it is equal in feeding value to the more popular tuber when the latter has been cooked. To obtain their toll value as food, potatoes must be cooked, so that if we have a substitute which does not call for this additional labour, surely that is a considerable gain. h may be that experiments have ® ee . u made as to the feeding value of artichokes for various kinds of stock, nut hitherto they have been grown mainly, and then only in small quantities, for pigs. That the pig thrives J*n them has been definitely ascersined. and the animal can, if need be, {J? turned out to find the tubers for lniself. i! is, however, the case that e ar tichoke forms its tubers late ill u® Seasoll ’ and the crop is not ready utu t he haulm has completely died ay * Very often this does not take no/ 6 winter is upon us, and it is uiZ on e 'ery soil that one can turn that ° Ut l ° arable land so late as at Ut But harvesting can take place tuhe during the winter, for the frost] 8 are not a ** ectec * by the severest