The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-10

small piece of land, near some large city
with a small stream of clean water run
ming through it, and no matter how large
or small the stream, or land which is
nearly always wet and has been thought
useless. Now provided the weeds and
brush Of any are cleared off, and the soil
just looSened up with a cultiVator hoe, or
even an iron rake, the seed should be
scattered lightly over the surface, and
win very quickly terminate, and when
the plants have roots enough to hold them
in place, the stream can be damned up
and the ground flooded so as to thorough
ly saturate it, but should the ground be
always wet, this will not be necessary.
Hundred of dollars may thus be made by
people who thought their land useless.
1t may safely be said that in the vicinity
of the two cities above-named, many men
make more money from one-eighth
of an acre of water-cress, than from
twenty acres of farming land / have
seen it grow in some places in nicely kept
beds six feet wide with eighteen-inch
walks between, to enable the pickers to
get at it without treading on the plants.
The picking is very simple, when about
four inches or so in length, 1t is just
pinched Oft. leaving the roots, and a small
piece attached, in the soil, the plucked
pieces can then either be thrown into
baskets and sold by the peck or nicely
punched, as 1 have many times seen 1t,
and sold for cents per bunch These
words may not interest those in the inn
mediate neighborhood of New York city,
but should, 1 fancy, open the eyes of
many, in the swampy districts not far
from Boston, where, as yet, very little
water-cress is grown, and by the major
ity. entirely unknown.
Indian Cress (Tropeolum)-Thi plant Is
known as the common garden Nasturtium,
and although probably grown in nearly
every garden, is not so often used in sal
ads as it should be. l have seen people
walk miles after a few pecks of Dandelion
green's and yet had in their own little gar
den, quantities of Nasturtiums, which
they were not aware could be made into
salad, and one which is perhaps quite as
wholesome and pleasant to the taste. The
leaves and young shoots are used just
cut up fresh and green as picked. The
seeds of this plant when green also make
a first-class pickle.
Lepidium Sativum or common garden
pepper cress. This makes a very delicious
salad, and should be grown in every gar
den. 1t is probably the easiest and quick
est grown of any cress, and should he
sown in drills in the garden, or better, in
boxes in the green house or window every
week or two, for a constant supply. The
seed when sown in boxes need not be COW
cred, as the soil is liable to make the
cress gritty Il is cut when two inches
high. either with a sharp knife or scis-
sors and eaten fresh when cut, is very ap-
petiZing l have also grown it as an or
nament for the table in various shapes.
One good way being to take a large soup
plate, placing a shapely flower vase, or
bottle in the center, and covering the
whole with common white muslin, which,
when thoroughly wetted with water is
covered with the pepper cress seed, and
never allowed to get dry, by keeping the
water daily. If put in a dark warm clos
ct for few days, the seeds terminate.
and may then be brought into the light
of a window or green house, and in TWO
or three weeks, will be ready for USE The
dish or plate can then be placed on the
table, and the cress cut as needed az
each meal. Growing it in this way on
muslin, many pretty effects can be mad.
and, besides, the cress is always cleaner
and entirely free from grit of any kind.
1t needs plenty of water when grown in
any way. W. L. Palmer,
Massachusetts,.