MUSHROOM GROWING 



ment of a temperature of 140*^ to 150*^ F. 

 between the first three turnings may be con- 

 sidered advantageous. If there is little 

 moisture, the manure will ''burn" easily and 

 it will require a much longer period of fer- 

 mentation. Again, if the pile has been com- 

 pressed by tramping or by long standing 

 when more than 4 feet high, the fermenta- 

 tion will be retarded. It is the practice of 

 some who grow mushrooms in large quan- 

 tities to have the manure thrown into huge 

 piles, then moistened, and no further atten- 

 tion given it for two or three weeks, mean- 

 while collecting more material day by day 

 from stables for the product of which the 

 grower has contracted. Ultimately this 

 manure is turned once or possibly twice, and 

 then made into beds. The fermentation 

 continues to some extent after the beds are 

 made, but as they are well compressed and 

 moist there are no disadvantageous conse- 

 sequences, if spawning is delayed until there 

 is no danger of over heating. 



The difficulty of fermentation is in- 



50 



