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during the winter months. Watercress is at home 

 in springs and running brooks where the water is 

 pure and clean. It will not thrive in muddy streams. 

 In many locations small dams are built at frequent 

 intervals in bends of the streams in order to slow the 

 current and make conditions more favorable for 

 development of this plant. Shallow canals are 

 sometimes constructed in such a manner as to per- 

 mit the water being turned into them and main- 

 tained at the desired levels. When canals are used 

 for this plant it is a common practice to excavate 

 and then fill in over the bottom to the depth of two 

 or three inches with well-rotted compost. The seed 

 is sown and the soil wet down only enough to secure 

 germination. After the young plants are well 

 started the water is turned in to a depth of two or 

 three inches and gradually increased in depth as the 

 plants grow larger. 



Watercress is sometimes grown as a greenhouse 

 crop directly in the soil. Any good greenhouse soil 

 will answer the purpose provided it is kept some- 

 what wetter than is usual for most other plants. 

 The crop may be easily established along banks of 

 streams by sowing the seed or by sticking cuttings 

 of the stems in the moist soil. Cress is harvested 

 by wading into the water and cutting off the young 

 tender tips of the stems and tying into bundles 

 of convenient size. Under favorable conditions 

 very profitable crops of this plant may be 

 secured, as the cost of production is ex- 

 tremely low. The garden or pepper cress is an 

 annual plant not in general cultivation in this coun- 

 try, but deserving of more consideration. It is 

 especially valuable as an early and late salad plant, 

 and grows well upon moist soils. 



