MUSHROOM GROWING 



peratures, etc. Having found the mushroom from which it 

 is desired to propagate, plants as young as possible may be 

 used, and those which show the veil still intact are espe- 

 cially desirable. With a scalpel, or a pair of forceps, which 

 has been sterilized by passing the blade through a gas flame, 

 or even the flame from an alcohol or ordinary lamp, small 

 pieces of the internal tissue may be removed, and these 

 pieces transferred to the tubes, without, of course, coming 

 in contact with any object whatever which has not previ- 

 ously been sterilized. It is a good idea to wash the mush- 

 room first, so that no dust will be made. The plant may 

 then be broken open longitudinally and bits of the internal 

 tissue readily removed without fear of contamination when 

 one becomes adept in this kind of manipulation. Immedi- 

 ately upon inoculation the cotton plug is replaced in the tube, 

 and after all the tubes are inoculated they should be put 

 out of the dust, preferably in a situation where the tempera- 

 ture is about that of an ordinary living room. In the course 

 of several days a slight growth may be evident from the tissue 

 if the conditions have been perfectly sterile. In the course 

 of a week or more the growth should become very evident, 

 and in three weeks the mold-like development of mycelium 

 should spread to practically all parts of the medium in the 

 tube." . . . 



"When the tubes are thoroughly 'run* the contents may 

 be removed and used in spawning brick. The contents of 

 a single large tube may spawn several bricks when carefully 

 employed. If no transfers are made of the growing mycelium 

 from one lot of tubes to another, the writer has not found 

 it at all impracticable or unfavorable to utilize this first lot 

 of bricks later in spawning others. No further transfers, 

 however, should be made from these bricks to others under 

 any circumstances in spawn making. As elsewhere indi- 

 cated, such a continuous transference is injurious to the vigor 

 of the spawn, and diminishes the quantity of mushrooms 

 produced." 



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