Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-02
Culture OF Watercresses.


Culture OF Watercresses.
Watercress, nasturtium officinale, is
well known for its sharp. pungent, but
agreeable flavor, and for its uses as
healthy vegetable for the early spring
and summer use. 1t contains, like most
of the other varieties of the crucifere
family. as mustard, cabbage, &c, con-
siderable sulphur, and is therefore cool
ing and laxative in its effect upon the
system. Eaten in the form of a sand
wich between thin slices of bread and
butter, it was one of the luxuries of nv
early life, and have always managed
to secure a liberal supply ever since,
and would not willingly he without it.
As market crop it is one of the
most saleable and profitable-a four
quart basketful selling now in New
York for seventy-five cents at whole
sale, and retailing at fifty cents for
quart. AS it is perennial crop. and
once planted will take care of itself for
years. and increase and spread very
rapidly, and as no insects or diseases
trouble it, its culture is easy and mex
pensive. 1t is an aquatic plant, but
grows only in clear, running water,
having a sandy bottom. A springy
swamp with such a bottom makes an
excellent place for plantation. If the
swamp is surrounded with high ground,
from which springs break out at the
foot. it makes an exceedingly favorable
location.
y description of a plantation made in
such piece of ground, will give very
tair idea OF what is required for success
in this culture. The meadow rs full of
springs. The high ground at the edge
OF 1t slopes down 20 feet to the meadow.
At the foot OF the slope is large spring
basin, II feet wide and "a feet long,
which supplies a copious stream of
water that never freezes. This stream
is carried in ditch, four feet wide, along
the bank for about 400 feet, and then
across the meadow for about l, 200 feet
it is then turned at right angles, in the
same direction as the first one, and car
ried about 800 feet down to a S ream
which bounds the meadow. The fall is
about three feet in the whole distance
AT the first, the basin only was planted.
by dropping in few cuttings of the
stems of the plants. in balls of mud, To
the bottom, where they quickly took
root and soon spread all over it. The
plants seed in July and August, and as
the seed floats down the stream. it is
soon sown through its whole length, as
is now the case with this plantation.
The bitches, however, should be made
six feet wide, if the water is sufficient
to keep in motion through them, or at
any rate not less than four teet. At
the foot of the bitches there should be
a flOOdgate, to close the stream and
back up the water in the winter in or
der to cover the cress and keep it from
freezing at the lower end of the bed.
AT the head of it, it would be advisable
TO board up the sides of the bitches.
making the space 3! feet. and covering
it with hot-bed sash in the cold wealth
or, thus forcing the growth when it is
naturally stopped, and securing a
bright, clear leaf, which would sell ut
high prices at the holiday season.
The crop is gathered as follows: A
plank is thrown across the bitches as
near the surface as possible. For obvi-
Gus reasons it will not do to wade in the
bitches to gather the crop. The leaves
are gathered in n bunch with the fin
gers of the left hand, and the stems are
cut off with a sharp knife, three or four
inches below. The cut cress is placed
carefully in basket on end until
smooth, even layer is made at the bot
tom of it. The baskets are narrow and
deep cOnical ones, made of splints,
about | / deep. and seven inches wide
ut the top, or the baskets are placed in
crates for shipping. The cress quickly
throws out new branches and fresh
leaves, and may be cut two or three
times in the season, in time to permit
the seeding in July.
The protection of sash in the winter
will of course very much hasten the
growth. and will be equivalent to two
extra cuttings. Frost browns the leaves
and spoils the crop for sale, so that
when sash is not used flooding is very
desirable. With some sash at the head,
say for 200 or 800 feet. and the lower
part of the ditch flooded, the grower
could have a constant supply through
out the whole season. i have known
two square feet of surface to fill q
basket, when the creSs had been kept
covered with water, and the water
lowered before cutting; and the baskets
sold for so cents each on the ground,
the purchaser cutting for himself.
The lowest price / have known has
been 20 cents per basket. At this rate,
1000 feet of bed. four feet wide, should
realize $500, and at the highest price
81. 900 for each cutting. AS all sorts of
animals. from ducks to cows. are greed
lily fond of water cress, it will not do TO
pasture meadow, or permit geese or
ducks TO trespass upon It, in the season.
A flock of ducks may be turned in with
advantage after seeding, as they will
clear out the snails and other animals
which will sometimes gather on the
plants Trout may also be reared in
the bitches. with additional profit. The
small turtles found in bitches of this
kind devour the snails and keep the
cress elem. and are to be encouraged.
AS the beds are so easily made. and the
crop so easily grown and gathered, its
culture night be greatly increased. al
q ciigh the price nigh. fall TO 10 cents
tAs'e;, for 1t this figure there is no
tho crop to lie 2rOwn that will paw 81
L ] e Guy reau sites are the
olt--i IN a near market a., D..,.