Vegetables with Edible Leaves or Stems 123 



cress, Barbarea mdgaris and B. prcecox; and the water- 

 cress, Radicula Nasturtium-aquaticum. 



Garden cress. 



Garden cress is a plant of long cultivation in Asia and 

 Europe, and is used in salads. It produces leaves fit 

 for use in about a month and a half. The leaves are only 

 of use when tender. It may be sown broadcast and thinly, 

 and may be grown in the tropics during the cool season. 

 In England it is often used for salads when the first true 

 leaves are very young; in which case it may be sown 

 thickly in pans or boxes at almost any time of the year, 

 and from the Arctic to the equator. There are varieties 

 with curled and plain leaves. 



Upland cress. 



Upland cress is an American wild cress (Barbarea) and 

 takes rather longer to grow than the garden cress. It is 

 used in salads and much like water-cress. It is grown 

 in the cool season. 



Water-cress. 



Water-cress can be grown readily in cool spring water in 

 tropical countries, and may be met with in the West Indies 

 along the banks of the streams. It is not advisable, 

 however, in the tropics, to grow this plant in any water 

 except that which is fit to drink. The best place for plant- 

 ing water-cress is some running stream that has a firm or 

 more or less solid bottom and is supplied by a spring. A 

 small stream that is subject to floods during the rainy 

 weather will not be suitable, as the plants are liable to be 



