ACETARIACEOUS PLANTS.-CRESSES. 



169 



practice, to secure a constant supply from the 

 open air, as it is much hardier than any of the 

 other varieties, is to sow at the bottom of a 

 south wall in September and October ; for 

 Scotland, read beginning of September and 

 middle of October. This will, with very slight 

 protection during severe frosts, afford a supply 

 during winter and spring. Sowings made in an 

 open border in March and April, and in a rather 

 cool shaded place in May, produce crops in regu- 

 lar succession. In gathering it for use, the 

 younger leaves should be picked off singly, reject- 

 ing the older and larger; but on no account cut 

 the plants over as is done with common curled 

 cress, as the Normandy variety will continue 

 sending up fresh leaves for a long period. It is 

 difficult to procure the seed true, the common 

 curled being in general substituted for it. If, 

 therefore, one is fortunate enough to obtain it 

 genuine, it is better to save the seed for future 

 use. 



Broad-leaved Normandy. — A sub-variety of 

 the last, with broader and more succulent leaves. 

 Its culture is the same as the last. To have 

 either of these in perfection, they should be 

 thinned out to 9 inches or a foot apart. 



General remarks. — The European names are 

 ■ — Cresson Alenois in French ; Tuinkers in 

 Dutch ; Mastinco in Portuguese ; Gemenie 

 garten kresse in German ; Crescione in Italian ; 

 and Mastuerzo in Spanish. 



Water cress (Nasturtium officinale H. K.) be- 

 longs to the same class and order as the former. 

 The name is derived from Nasus, nose ; Tortus, 

 tormented — from the effects of most of the ge- 

 nera upon the muscles of the nose — a name 

 given by Pliny. Indigenous in most parts of 

 Britain, growing in small streams, generally 

 where the water is pure, and having a slight 

 motion. 



One of the most wholesome of all our salad 

 herbs, and one of the oldest in use. Its quali- 

 ties are warm and stimulating — the very reverse, 

 in some respects, to most other plants used in a 

 green or uncooked state. Xenophon strongly 

 recommended its use to the Persians; and the 

 Romans recommended it to be eaten with vine- 

 gar, as a remedy for those whose minds were 

 deranged, and hence the Greek proverb — " Eat 

 cress, and learn more wit." The Dutch and 

 English eat great quantities of this cress in 

 spring, as an antiscorbutic. Gerard and Lord 

 Bacon wrote strongly in its recommendation. 

 The young shoots and leaves are eaten by them- 

 selves, often with bread and butter, and also 

 used in spring soups and broths, as well as for 

 garnishing cold meats. A salad so easily pro- 

 cured, and of so much importance to the health 

 of townspeople and those of sedentary habits, 

 cannot be too highly recommended. The sup- 

 ply of water-cresses brought daily to Covent 

 Garden market alone has been calculated at 

 6000 bunches; and Mr Cuthill remarks that, 

 " if 10,000 bunches more than they already re- 

 ceived were brought every market morning, 

 they woiild be all sold ; " and this is perhaps 

 not more than the half of the quantity sold in 

 other parts of England daily. 



Propagated by seed, and by planting rooted 

 branches of the plants. Plants from seed are, 

 however, to be preferred, as they do not run to 

 seed so soon. 



Sowing and planting. — Planting should be 

 performed in spring or autumn, and sowing the 

 seed in February, April, and June, by which 

 fine young crops would be obtained. 



Phillips recommends those having large pieces 

 of water in their grounds to throw the plants on 

 the surface of the water. They will mature their 

 seed, and soon propagate an abundant supply. 

 Cuthill says, " Few small places are without 

 water, and nothing need be easier than to intro- 

 duce it into a neatly-formed trench, 2 or 3 feet 

 broad, and to plant the cresses," which may be 

 gathered in a seedling state on the margins of 

 brooks or streams, where they naturally abound. 

 Plant three rows along the bottom of such a 

 trench, setting the plants 2 feet apart in the 

 line. Cover the surface between the plants with 

 2 inches of clean gravel or small stones, and 

 allow the water to flow in to cover them to the 

 depth of 3 inches at first, increasing it to 6 inches 

 after they have taken root and begun to grow. 

 Very excellent instructions are given for their 

 cultivation in the 4th vol. of the " Horticultural 

 Society's Transactions," p. 540, and also in " The 

 Gardeners' Magazine," vol. i. p. 151. The fol- 

 lowing is the substance of the former : The best 

 place for forming a plantation is a clear-running 

 stream, not more than an inch and a half deep, 

 upon a sand or gravelly bottom ; and if the water 

 is supplied from a deep spring, so much the 

 better, on account of the increased temperature 

 of the water preventing it from becoming frozen 

 during winter, and hence securing a constant 

 supply of salad. The plants should be placed 

 in rows parallel with the course of the stream. 

 In shallow water, the plants should be set at the 

 distance of 18 inches apart; in deep water, allow 

 them from 5 to 7 feet. When the plants begin 

 to grow in water one inch and a half deep, they 

 soon check the current, so as to raise the water 

 to the height of 3 inches about the plants, which 

 is considered the most favourable circumstances 

 they can be placed in. The cress will not grow 

 freely in a muddy bottom, nor will the crop be 

 so clean and well-flavoured. They should be 

 planted in gravel or chalk. It is also absolutely 

 necessary to have a constant current, for the 

 plants will cease to prosper if the water is still 

 or stagnant. They should be kept pretty thin 

 by constant gathering, or pruning away occa- 

 sionally superfluous shoots. In winter the water 

 should be rather deeper than in summer, say 4 

 or 5 inches. 



The beds should be cleaned out and replanted 

 twice a-year, with a view of keeping them young 

 and clearing away weeds, and any mud that may 

 accumulate, as well as keeping the crop always 

 clean and fit for use. Young plants are procured 

 from the tops of the old ones, choosing those 

 best furnished with roots. These are placed at 

 the requisite distance on the bottom, with a 

 stone on each to keep them in their places until 

 they take root. The time of renewing the beds 

 is in May or June, and from September to No- 

 vember. This renewal should be made progres- 



