330 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



tion in all soils, although as a commercial enterprise, 

 success is much more certain with favorable natural 

 conditions. It is readily propagated by scattering the 

 small seeds along brooks or about springs or by planting 

 short pieces of the stems in wet soil. When planted in 

 wet, shady spots or under irrigating lines the plants 

 should be set 5 to 8 inches apart each way. They may 

 be easily started under glass early in the spring and 

 transplanted into flats i^ inches apart and watered fre- 

 quently. 



428. Garden or Pepper Cress (Lepidium sativum), a 

 popular European salad plant, is grown to a limited ex- 

 tent in the United States. It is an annual and one of 

 the best early salad plants, easily grown in any good 

 garden loam. Moist soils should preferably be very fer- 

 tile, to encourage a rapid growth and the production of 

 crisp, tender leaves. With favorable cultural conditions 

 the leaves will be large enough to use in four weeks 

 from sowing. Sow thickly in shallow drills about a foot 

 apart. Conserve the moisture by frequent tillage and 

 water artificially, if possible. Gather the leaves when 

 wanted and allow another crop to develop. Garden cress 

 is a spring and fall crop and does not thrive in mid- 

 summer. 



429. Upland Cress (Barbarea vulgaris and B. proecox) 

 is the least important of the three forms. It is native 

 to a large part of the United States, but is not cultivated 

 to any great extent. It is perfectly hardy and does best 

 as a fall or winter crop. The seed remains in the ground 

 all winter and germinates in the spring. Cultural direc- 

 tions given for garden cress apply equally well to up- 

 land cress. 



CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativis) 



430. History anu importance. — The cucumber is one 

 of the oldest of our cultivated vegetables. It has been 



