CHAPTER X 



Mushroom Enemies 



When the conditions are favorable and 

 the surroundings sufficiently sanitary the 

 grower is not likely to experience any great 

 amount of difficulty in restraining the usual 

 mushroom pests. It is necessary, however, 

 to be constantly on the alert since several of 

 the common pests are invariably present in 

 untreated compost and these may at any time 

 become a great nuisance or a cause of fail- 

 ure. It is not feasible to include in this 

 discussion all organisms which attack 

 mushrooms, but there will be included both 

 those which cause the heaviest losses and 

 those generally present. The pests may be 

 conveniently divided into two classes, in- 

 sects and fungi. In the order of im- 

 portance the chief insects are (i) small flies 



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