330 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
tion in all soils, although as a commercial enterprise, 
success is much more certain with favorable natural 
conditions. It is readily propagated by scattering the 
small seeds along brooks or about springs or by planting 
short pieces of the stems in wet soil. When planted in 
wet, shady spots or under irrigating lines the plants 
should be set 5 to 8 inches apart each way. They may 
be easily started under glass early in the spring and 
transplanted into flats 1^4 inches apart and watered fre- 
quently. 
428. Garden or Pepper Cress (Lcpidium sativum), a 
popular European salad plant, is grown to a limited ex- 
tent in the United States. It is an annual and one of 
the best early salad plants, easily grown in any good 
garden loam. Moist soils should preferably be very fer- 
tile, to encourage a rapid growth and the production of 
crisp, tender leaves. With favorable cultural conditions 
the leaves will be large enough to use in four weeks 
from sowing. Sow thickly in shallow drills about a foot 
apart. Conserve the moisture by frequent tillage and 
water artificially, if possible. Gather the leaves when 
wanted and allow another crop to develop. Garden cress 
is a spring and fall crop and does not thrive in mid- 
summer. 
429. Upland Cress (Barbarca vulgaris and B. proccox) 
is the least important of the three forms. It is native 
to a large part of the United States, but is not cultivated 
to any great extent. It is perfectly hardy and does best 
as a fall or winter crop. The seed remains in the ground 
all winter and germinates in the spring. Cultural direc- 
tions given for garden cress apply equally well to up- 
land cress. 
CUCUMBER (Cucumis sativis) 
430. History ant. importance. — The cucumber is one 
of the oldest of our cultivated vegetables. It has been 
