ELEVEN IMPORTANT WILD-DUCK POODS. 



21 



WATER-CRESS. 



VALUE AS DUCK FOOD. 



Knowledge of the importance of water-cress as a duck food is 

 derived entirely from breeders of wild ducks, who almost without 

 exception consider it a valuable 

 plant for a duck farm. Not only is 

 it relished, but it is said to grow so 

 fast in some places that the ducks 

 can not eat it out. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLANT. 



Water-cress (Sisymbrium nastur- 

 tium-aquaticum) either floats in the 

 water, rooted only at the lower end, 

 or creeps along on mud or in shal- 

 low water, throwing out roots at 

 every joint. It is a smooth, fleshy 

 plant, with divided leaves and small 

 white flowers (fig. 18). The leaves 

 consist of 3 to 9 symmetrically ar- 

 ranged oval or roundish segments, 

 of which the apical of each leaf is the 

 largest. The pods vary from one- 

 half to one and one-fourth inches in 

 length, are slightly curved, and con- 

 tain numerous small seeds. There 

 is a constant succession of flowers 

 and pods throughout the growing 

 season. The plant sometimes is 

 strongly tinged with olive-brown, 

 suggesting one of its common names, 

 brown-cress. Other names are 

 well-cress or -grass, water -kers, -kars, 

 -karse, or -grass, crashes, and brook- 

 lime. 



DISTRD3UTION. 



Water-cress occurs practically 

 throughout the United States. 



PROPAGATION. 



Water-cress usually is propagated 

 by seed. This may be obtained 

 from most seedsmen. The plant is also easily transplanted by cut- 

 tings. It grows in springs, brooks, small streams, and shallow ponds. 



Fig. IS.— Water-cress. 



