SPAWN-MAKING 



kept at a uniformly low temperature, say, 

 50° or 60° F., but in only one single instance 

 have I obtained a satisfactory yield from 

 such spawn over one year old, and in no in- 

 stance have any mushrooms whatever been 

 thus far obtained in our experimental beds 

 by the use of spawn two years old. In fact, 

 we believe that it is preferable for seedsmen 

 and growers to use spawn not more than six 

 or eight months old. It would seem certain 

 that under the same conditions the vitality of 

 brick spawn is greater than that of flake 

 spawn. 



Experiments made with the view of re- 

 ducing the weight of the brick by employ- 

 ing a more spongy material in its prepara- 

 tion gave unsatisfactory results from the vi- 

 tality standpoint. It is probable that to 

 this fact is to be attributed the early general 

 use of brick or English spawn rather than 

 of flake spawn in America. Formerly, the 

 imported French product was flake mate- 

 rial only, and this proved unsatisfactory 

 time and again. A rather anomalous state 



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