Читать книгу The Taste of Britain - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Страница 228

The main areas for cultivation are the valleys of the rivers Test and Itchen, in Hampshire.Cress is also grown in Dorset and Wiltshire. A very little cultivation is still carried on in Hertfordshire and Kent. Watercress requires hard water at constant temperature; the latter is important in winter. In southern England these conditions are provided by the chalk aquifers in the counties of Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire; this maintains a temperature of 11°C; the beds have a gravel base and a gradual even slope to ensure the correct flow. The cress is cut by hand or harvested mechanically, cooled, washed, and packed. All watercress seed used in Britain is home-produced; in summer, beds are cleaned and replanted at frequent intervals to ensure a regular supply of young leaves, whilst in winter, crops are grown under protective covering.