194 GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 



It is said that when Sir Joseph Banks first arrived in 

 England after his voyage around the world, among the 

 first things he asked for were Water Cresses, well know- 

 ing their value as a purifier of the blood ; and that he 

 afterwards presented one of the largest Water Cress 

 growers for the London market, a Banksian Medal, for 

 energy shown in the business, believing that while he 

 had benefited himself he had benefited the community. 



I have no doubt whatever that in situations where irri- 

 gation could be used at pleasure, and regular planta- 

 tions made, as for Cranberries, that, grown in this way, 

 judging from the enormous price it sells at, picked up as 

 it is in the present hap-hazard way, at present prices, an 

 acre would sell for $1,000 to $2,000. 



To give some idea of the immense quantities of Water 

 Cress sold about some of the cities in Europe, we may 

 state that a recent number of "Covent Garden Gazette" 

 states that Water Cresses to the value of 60,000 are 

 annually consumed in Paris, and in London to the extent 

 of 30,000 annually. 



UPLAND CEESS. (Barbarea vulgaris.) 



This has recently been introduced as a new vegetable 

 by a Mr. Beyer, of Iowa, and Mr. Beyer may be well par- 

 doned for believing it to be new, for he says that he is 

 informed by the largest seed firm in Paris in a letter 

 written in 1885, that in their belief it is " new in 

 France." 



Now, it is not " new," but a very old plant, as I well 

 remember it in my 'prentice days, when it was grown 

 as Spinach, and used exactly as Water Cress. In fact, 

 it so much resembles Water Cress in taste that the 

 difference is scarcely discernible, and the wonder is that 

 its use has not become more general, as it is of as easy 



