WHERE TO GROW MUSHROOMS 



caves, and cellars. In such places the tem- 

 perature, moisture, and other environmental 

 factors may be more readily regulated, or 

 made favorable, and this is the only possible 

 biological reason for designating such places 

 as peculiarly fitted for mushroom propaga- 

 tion. Near Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, 

 and some other production centers, mush- 

 rooms are grown wholly in special mush- 

 room houses. Unquestionably, the major 

 part of the product in the American market 

 is grown in this way. Some few commer- 

 cial growers in Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, 

 New York, and Missouri especially, have 

 been so fortunate as to secure underground 

 quarries, caves, or storage cellars of con- 

 siderable extent. Such places are excellent 

 when readily accessible, provided there is 

 no danger from the possibility of flooding, 

 or of becoming too wet from seepage water. 

 Seldom would the grower be able to tun- 

 nel out caves for his purpose, though in some 

 instances the product mined might pay for 

 the work, as in the case of rock for Port- 



35 



