MARKET AND PRODUCTION 



Again, florists formerly furnished a con- 

 siderable and often dominant portion of the 

 mushroom supply. By them the work was, 

 of course, conducted as a side line, utilizing 

 the available space under the greenhouse 

 benches during the colder months. 



Formerly, those who attempted mush- 

 room growing here were, for the most part, 

 English or French gardeners, or persons 

 who had come in contact with such work in 

 Europe, or who had at least come under 

 European influence. The production for 

 home consumption was very small, and 

 altogether there was nothing to be spoken of 

 as a mushroom industry. Furthermore, the 

 amount of wild mushrooms [Agaricus 

 campestris) collected and sold in the au- 

 tumn was not a very important item. It 

 may be that at that time the market would 

 not have handled a much greater supply. 

 There was then a tendency in this coun- 

 try to look upon mushroom growing as a 

 great secret; a mystery which few could 

 fathom, and it was not often possible to 



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