170 



CULINARY OR KITCHEN GARDEN. 



sively, so as to keep up the constant supply. 

 Those replanted in May are fit to cut in August, 

 and those planted in November are ready to cut 

 in spring. It will be expedient to place planks 

 in such a way, a few inches above the water, as 

 to facilitate the operations of gathering. 



The young shoots, to the length of from 4 

 to 6 inches, should be cut (not broken) off, and 

 then carried to the vegetable-house, and thrown 

 for two or three hours into a tub of clean salt- 

 water, to rid them of insects or their larvae. They 

 should then be rinsed in clean water, and tied up 

 in little bunches of about half a handful each. 



Tipula repens (Linn.),T.smcea(Gmelin). — The 

 larva of this insect fixes its cocoons very firmly 

 to the under side of the leaves of water-cresses, 

 and in this state is unconscioiisly eaten by thou- 

 sands. The precaution stated above, of washing 

 them in salt water, seems to be the only way of 

 ridding the leaves of these insects. 



The European names are — Cresson de fontaine 

 in French ; Berro in Spanish ; Brunnenkresse in 

 German ; Agriao in Portuguese ; Waterkers in 

 Dutch ; Cressione di sorgenti in Italian. Many 

 gardens have their water-cress beds; and no 

 park in the kingdom, where water is to be had, 

 even at the expense of an Artesian well, should 

 be without one. The Parisians have formed 

 water-cress plantations, and one or two exist in 

 the neighbourhood of Edinburgh ; and one ex- 

 isted a few years ago, and may do so still, at 

 Mistley Hall, of 30 acres in extent. 



American cress, or Belleisle cress (Barbarea 

 prcecox Dec), belongs to the same class and 

 order with the last. The name is derived from 

 its having anciently been called the herb of St 

 Barbara. Indigenous to Britain, and found in 

 watery places. 



The Winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris H. K.) 

 belongs to the same genus as the last, and is also 

 indigenous to Britain, and found in moist shady 

 situations. 



Both are used as winter and spring salads. 

 They are reared from seed ; half an ounce will 

 sow 20 feet of drill. Sow in drills a foot apart, 

 and an inch deep, choosing a damp shady situa- 

 tion. Sow about the 20th of August or 1st of 

 September for a winter and spring supply. In 

 Scotland a warmer and better situation should 

 be afforded them. For summer use sow once a 

 fortnight from March to July. Water abun- 

 dantly in dry seasons. 



Pick the outside leaves for use, and cut down 

 flower -stems as the} 7 " appear. In November, 

 afford the winter-standing crop a slight shelter 

 of small branches stuck amongst them; and 

 if too crowded, thin out to prevent injury from 

 damp. The seed of both is produced in abun- 

 dance by leaving a few plants to come into 

 flower during the summer. 



The European names of the American cress 

 are — Cresson dAmerique in French; Ameri- 

 kanischer kresse in German. It is also called by 

 some English seedsmen Black American cress, 

 and also French cress. The winter cress is 

 known as Cresson de Terre in French ; Hierba 

 de Santa Barbara in Spanish ; Winter kresse in 

 German ; Erba di Santa Barbarea in Italian ; 

 and Winterkers in Dutch. 



Indian cress, or Narsturtium, abbreviated to 

 Sturtion by many (Tropceolum majus L.), be- 

 longs to the natural order Tropseoleae, and to 

 the class Octandria and order Monogynia in the 

 Linnaean arrangement. This genus forms the 

 whole of this order, which is remarkable as being 

 the only natural order in which the peculiar acrid 

 flavour of the Cruciferae is found to exist. The 

 generic name is derived from Tropmum, a trophy. 

 The leaf resembles a buckler, and the flower an 

 empty helmet, of which trophies were formed. 

 It is a native of Peru, and was introduced to 

 England in 1686; but the minor variety was 

 first brought to Europe by the Spaniards in 

 1580. In the first edition of Gerard's " Herbal " 

 we find it described by him as growing in his 

 garden, where Holborn now stands. Both T. 

 majus and T. minus are cultivated in our gar- 

 dens — the former most generally. The French 

 style the flower La grande Capuchin. 



Both varieties are much cultivated as orna- 

 mental climbers ; and the fruit, if gathered before 

 it ripens, makes an agreeable pickle without the 

 aid of spice, and is an excellent substitute for 

 capers, which it much resembles. It is accounted 

 a good antiscorbutic. The flowers as well as 

 the young leaves are used in salads. The 

 flowers are also used to garnish dishes, particu- 

 larly by artificial light, and were in our early 

 days much more employed for this purpose 

 than at present. The seeds are pickled in salt 

 and vinegar, when made into imitation capers. 



Although both varieties are perennial in their 

 native country, the coldness of Britain prevents 

 their continuance through the winter; they are 

 therefore treated as annuals, and sown every 

 March or April. They are usually sown in 

 single rows, one row of a few yards in length 

 being sufficient for the culinary purposes of a 

 private family. The seed, which is large, is 

 deposited in drills 2\ inches deep. When grown 

 for ornament, they are sown two or three seeds 

 in a patch at the foot of a trellis or pyramidal 

 support, and, if intermixed with sweat pease, 

 have a very good effect. When grown by mar- 

 ket-gardeners, or upon a large scale for their 

 seed, they are sown in drills 3 feet apart, topped 

 when about 2 feet in height, and treated the 

 same as scarlet runners (which see). They trans- 

 plant freely, and to have them early in flower, 

 particularly in Scotland, they are sown in March 

 in pots or boxes placed in a mild frame or pit; 

 when 3 or 4 inches in height, they are set in a 

 shaded sheltered place for a few days to harden 

 off, and are then transplanted to where they are 

 finally to grow. This is the best way to manage 

 them, as the seed, if too early sown in cold soil, 

 is apt to rot; and if planted out too soon, is as 

 apt to be killed by the frost, more than 1 ° of 

 which it will not stand. 



Soil. — This should not be too rich, else a 

 gross disposition is induced, rendering them 

 rambling in growth, and producing fewer flowers 

 or seeds than if on a rather poor light soil. 



Neither disease nor insects seem to attack 

 the plants. The blossoms are endowed with 

 the power of emitting electric sparks towards 

 evening, a phenomena first observed by the 

 daughter of Linnaeus. It is most distinctly seen 



