SPAWN-MAKING 



of necessity advanced, as a result of the suc- 

 cessful competition. French flake spawn 

 was never in very great demand, and time 

 has convinced most growers that this type 

 rapidly loses vitality under the conditions of 

 importation. It is still desirable that the 

 grower should insist upon receiving fresh, 

 vigorous spawn; but the improvement in 

 conditions is obvious to any one of experi- 

 ence. The success of spawn of pure culture 

 origin has been so great that from 80 to 90 

 per cent, of the mushrooms grown during 

 the season of 1913-1914 are reported to have 

 been from American spawn of this type. 

 Some spawn was actually exported to Eu- 

 rope. 



Spawn-making a special enterprise. The 

 present day production of mushroom spawn 

 is based on a selection principle, and it also 

 involves a certain knowledge of laboratory 

 "pure culture" methods, or bacteriological 

 technique. Spawn-making is, in fact, a 

 special industry, and at the present time it is 

 not practicable for every mushroom grower 



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