Raising Mushrooms at Home 



tilizer which would otherwise be driven off by the heat. It also takes 

 up any surplus of moisture. 



After the compact pile has been thus prepared it should stand two or 

 three days, then be well forked over and again piled. This forking 

 should be repeated from four to six times, at intervals of from two to 

 four days, depending upon the use or not of loam, which affects the 

 rapidity of heating. If loam is used the forking should be at longer in- 

 tervals unless the heat becomes excessive. The manure will probably 

 then be in good order to go into beds. It is upon proper, careful prep- 

 aration of this medium that successful mushroom-raising greatly de- 

 pends. All work and hopes are thrown away if the greatest care is not 

 exercised. Just as it is folly to buy poor seeds upon which to expend 

 costly labor, so it is folly to make beds of poorly prepared manure. 



The manure must neither contain too much nor too little water. By 



BRICK CUT FOR PLANTING. 



far the largest percentage of failures is due to too much. It rots the 

 spawn vine (mycelium), and thus destroys the starting place of the 

 fruit, or mushroom. The object in forking the manure so frequently 

 is to sweeten it (as the operation is called) and to prevent overheating 

 from fermentation. If it gets too hot it "burns" gets too dry. 

 Molding, too, is avoided. Moldy manure will not produce. If, in 

 forking over the pile, dry places are found, they should be sprinkled 

 with water; if, when the fermentation grows less active, the manure is 

 too wet, spread it out to air and dry somewhat. It is in good condi- 

 tion and properly moist when tight squeezing will not press water from 

 it. Far better that it should be too dry than too wet. The manure now 

 ready should be moved to the cellar and made into beds while warm. 



Good ventilation is a necessity. Two thermometers are needed 

 one to mark the temperature of the cellar, the other to place well and 

 solidly down in the bed to record what it is doing in the heat way. It 

 is probable that the mercury will rise slowly. It may go as high as 



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