238 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



previous year, or at least not planted to any vege- 

 table of the cabbage family, such as mustard, cab- 

 bage, cauliflower, etc. The rows are usually about 

 15 inches apart and the seed sown thickly and then 

 thinned to 2 or 3 inches between the plants when 

 these have grown about 6 inches high. Late tur- 

 nips are usually grown after some early crop has 

 been harvested. They follow peas, snap beans, 

 and similar crops very well. Among the purple 

 varieties are Early Flat, Early Milan, Redtop, Strap 

 Leaf and White Egg. Among the later kinds, which 

 usually take four weeks longer to mature, are Pur- 

 ple Top Swede and White Rock. Like other va- 

 rieties, turnips should be stored for winter use in 

 pits or root-cellars as described elsewhere. 



WATERCRESS 



Watercress is an aquatic plant whose long-leafed 

 stems are used largely as a salad. It is of the 

 simplest cultivation where the soil is very moist. 

 It does best, however, in running water or the edges 

 of brooks. All that is necessary is to sow seed 

 along margins of the brook and let the plants take 

 care of themselves. After once being started the 

 plant readily propagates itself either from seed or 

 by slips of the root. These slips may be pushed 

 in the soil and allowed to take care of them- 

 selves. Often watercress becomes a nuisance where 

 it clogs the flow of small streams. It is in its 

 prime during late fall and early spring. When it 

 begins to flower it is rather too pungent for popular 

 taste. In many places where the streams do not 

 freeze severely this plant may be had all winter in 

 perfection. 



