WATER CRESS. 



161 



smpll, white, in terminal spikes; seeds, usually few, very fine, 

 in slightly curved pods. 



Culture. — It can only be cultivated successfully in moist sit- 

 uations and generally does best along the edges of streams, 

 where it grows partially in the water. It may, however, be 

 grown successfully in any moist soil, even in a greenhouse. It 

 is very hard^^ but for best results should be covered with water 

 during winter. Most of the supply for our markets comes from 

 along the courses of natural streams. In Europe, trenches from 

 16 to 20 feet wide for growing water cress are often excavated, 

 into which running water may be turned at pleasure. In the 

 bottom of these trenches, the roots of the cress are planted. The 

 water is then let in, and the plants are not interfered with until 

 they have grown strong enough to yield a crop of leaves. It is 

 often practicable to make narrow beds about springs or slow 

 running streams for this purpose. 



CRESS, or PEPPER GRASS. (Lepidium sativum.) 

 Native of Persia.— Annual. — An early spring vegetable, used 

 as a salad and for garnishing, and of the easiest culture. It 

 should be sown very early in the spring in the hotbed or out- 

 doors in rows one foot or less apart. As it quickly runs to seed, 

 a succession of sowings should be made every eight or ten days. 

 It is only in demand in the early spring or in winter. It can 

 easily be grown in a window box in a dwelling house. Flowers 

 white and small; seeds comparatively large. 



RADISHES. (Raphanus sativus.) 



Probably a native of Asia. — Annual or, in the case of the 

 winter radish, biennial. — The flower stalks are branched, about 

 three feet high and have white or lilac-colored flowers, but never 

 yellow. The seed is roundish or oval, but somewhat flattened 

 and much larger than cabbage or turnip seed and much more 

 variable in size. Some recent experiments show that the large 

 radish seeds germ)nate better and produce marketable roots 

 sooner and more uniform in shape than small seed. 



Culture. — The radish is a vegetable of very easy culture. 

 The roots of some kinds reach edible size in three weeks when 

 grown in best conditions and are a favorite vegetable of early 



