ON THE CULTIVATION OF CERTAIN FUNGI. 189 



particulai's.^ It is enough to say here that, for domestic use, there 

 is no crop that can be raised more simply, easily, and inexpensively. 

 Any cellar, shed, or outhouse can be utilized for the purpose. 

 Cottagers, particularly in the neighboui'hood of towns, would find 

 it very advantageous to grow this Pratelle for home use. At the 

 expense solely of a little time and trouble, they could secure a 

 sensible amount of palatable and nourishing food. An outhouse, 

 ten or twelve feet square, provided with two or three tiers of 

 shelves, would afford room enough in which to raise crops worth 

 several shillings a week, the greater part of the year, or which 

 would save more if allowed to take the place of other articles of 

 food. Townsfolk can easily provide themselves with a few dishes 

 weekly by making mushroom-beds in boxes and so forth, bestowed 

 in cellars or any out-of-the-way corner. This domestic cultivation 

 may be carried out according to either of the following sets of 

 instructions. The first is from Paxton's Botanical Dictionary, as 

 quoted by Dr. Badham : — 



" Collect a sufficient quantity of fresh horse-dung, as free from straw as 

 possible : lay it in an open shed in a heap or ridge ; here it \vill heat violently, 

 and in consequence should be now and then turned for sweetening ; after this has 

 subsided to moderation, it will be in a fit state for forming into a bed. In the 

 process of making the bed, the dung should be put on in small quantities and 

 beaten firmly and equally together, until it is the required size. In this state 

 let it remain until the highest degree of heat to which it is capable of coming is 

 ascertained, which may be readily done by inserting a stick, occasionally with- 

 drawing it, and feeling the heat of it with the hand. When the heat is not much 

 greater than that of the hand, a spawn-brick (obtainable from any nurseryman 

 for 6d. or 9d.) may be broken up into pieces of two or three inches square, and 

 put into holes about three inches in depth and six inches asunder, over its 

 surface ; after this throw a very small quantity of well-broken dung over the 

 whole. In this state let it remain for two or three weeks, when a loamy soil 

 may be put on, about an inch or an inch and a half thick, and gently patted 

 with the spade. If the temperature of the house be kept about 60^ or 65^ Fahr., 

 mushrooms may be expected in six weeks. It is not well to water the beds 

 much, particularly when bearing ; it is much better to throw a little water over 

 the paths and flues, etc." 



As regards the spawn, shoiild gardener's spawn-bricks not be 

 obtainable, it may be got by taking the soil about the roots of 

 Pratelles growing naturally in. the fields. The debris of old beds 

 is afterwards generally sufficient wherewith to fertilize new ones. 

 Mushrooms may also be obtained without artificial fertilization of 



^ The following can be recommended : J. Cuthill, On the Cultivation of the 

 Mushroom. W. Robinson, On Mushroom Culture. W. Earley, How to Qrow 

 MushmovAS. 



