440 
Cress, American (Barbarea precox).—The 
American or Belle-isle Cress is a native per- 
ennial, growing naturally by the sides of 
brooks. The leaves are used for the same 
purposes as those of the common Cress. It 
prefers a light and somewhat moist soil. It 
is raised from seeds, which should be sown 
thinly in shallow drills 9 inches asunder, thin- 
ning out the young plants to 4 inches apart in 
the row. A sowing for winter and spring use 
may be made in the beginning of September. 
To have tender leaves in winter, some plants of 
this sowing should be transplanted to 3 or 4 
inches apart, so that they may be covered by 
hand-glasses in severe weather, or they may be 
protected by spray covered with dry litter. If 
required in summer, seeds may be sown in a 
warm situation in March, and again in May and 
July; but if in constant demand, they should 
be sown monthly from March till September. 
All the culture required is to water occasion- 
ally in dry weather. In gathering, the plants 
may either be cut over, but not too close to the 
ground, or the leaves may be gathered singly ; 
in either case fresh leaves for another gathering 
will be produced. 
Cress, Garden (Lepidium sativum).—A hardy 
annual, native of Persia. It has been culti- 
vated in this country since 1548. 
For a succession, sowings may be made in 
an open border in March, April, and May, 
choosing a shady situation for the May sowing. 
The varieties are :— 
Broad-leaved Cress.—A coarse sort, seldom grown, ex- 
cept for feeding poultry. 
Common Cress.—The sort most generally grown. 
sown and treated in the same way as Mustard. 
Curled or Normandy Cress.—This is a very hardy and 
excellent sort of Cress. The leaves, being finely cut, also 
make a good garnish. 
Golden or Australian Cress.—Dwarf, yellowish-green, 
slower in growth than the preceding, and of a mild flavour. 
Sow thinly from March to August, and in September and 
October for winter and spring use. For sowings in the 
latter two months a sheltered situation should be chosen. 
It is 
Cress, Water (Nasturtium officinale). — A 
hardy native perennial, found growing in ditches | 
It is considered to possess 
and small streams. 
antiscorbutic properties; it is also said to contain 
iodine, to which probably some of its virtues 
may be attributable. It is extensively culti- 
vated for the London market. At Erfurt, and 
in the neighbourhood of Paris, large quantities 
are also grown. It is propagated by seeds; 
but, in forming plantations, seedlings from the | and rubbish; which, however, it should be re- 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
natural habitat of the plant, or rooted divisions, 
are usually employed. j 
There are three sorts, namely Green-leaved, 
Small Brown-leaved, and Large Brown-leaved. The 
Green-leaved is the easiest of cultivation, and 
the Small Brown-leaved is the hardiest, whilst 
the Large Brown-leaved—which, on account of 
its appearance, and probably also from its having 
a less proportion of stalk to the leaf, is preferred 
in the market—is thc only one which can be 
well grown in situations where shallow water is 
not to be obtained. At Northfleet, Springhead, 
the plants grew better, and had a superior 
flavour, when disposed in rows parallel with the 
course of the stream, than when left in irregular 
patches. When in rows the plants are more 
regularly exposed to the influence of the current, 
and the water is not so much impeded in its 
course, because there are regular open channels 
between the rows. It is also more easily 
gathered from the rows, and more readily freed 
from weeds and the different matters which 
pass down the stream and become entangled 
with the plants. It was found necessary to 
vary the spaces between the rows according to 
the depth of the water. When it is deep the 
rows are 5, 6, and even 7 feet apart, whilst in 
shallow waters about 18 inches between the 
rows is considered as sufficient. The plants 
are found to thrive best in shallow water, that 
is, when the depth is about 14 inch, which 
increases to about 3 inches when the plants 
begin to grow, and thereby to check the current. 
In deep water the roots are easily drawn out of 
the soil, which makes it difficult to gather the 
vegetable freed from the roots; if, therefore, a 
sufficient space covered with shallow water could 
be obtained the deep water would not mm any 
case be used. 
The shoots are cut for market, not broken 
off, which is the usual mode of gathering the 
wild Cress, and is very injurious to the plants 
in the beds. After frequent cuttings the heads 
are found to grow small. 
The most expensive part of the cultivation is 
the necessity of clearing out and replanting the 
beds twice a year; as the mud quickly collects 
about the roots, and the duck-weed and other 
plants become intermixed with and choke up 
the Cress, it is almost impossible to pick it in 
a fit state for market after the plantation has 
been made five or six months. 
The mode of replanting is to remove all the 
rows of plants, beginning at the stream-head, 
and then clear the bed of the stream from mud 
3 
