168 Bulletin 227. 



terfere with proper curing. The manure is piled from 3-4 feet deep 

 according to the amount needed and the space available. The 

 length or width of the pile is immaterial. The manure is cured by 

 allowing it to heat and ferment in the pile, but great care must be 

 exercised not to allow it to bum, that is, it must not get white inside. 

 To prevent its becoming too hot, the manure must be forked over and 

 made into a new pile. This is done by beginning at one end, turning 

 the manure over, shaking it slightly as it is turned into the new pile. 

 It may feel to the hand quite hot, but as long as it does not turn 

 white or get too dry the heating will not harm it. Usually after the 

 manure is well heated, turning once in two or three days will answer, 

 but sometimes it is necessary to turn every day. This will depend 

 on conditions ; and the conditions of the manure must be examined 

 every day in order to prevent its burning or becoming too dry. It 

 is far better to handle the manure in such a way as to avoid the neces- 

 sity of moistening wuth water; but if it is too dry to begin with or if 

 it becomes too dry in the process of heating, enough water should be 

 sprinkled on to make it moist, but not wet. It usually requires from 

 10-15 or 18 days to cure manure, and it is then ready for making into 

 beds. It should not be made into beds, however, until the tempera- 

 ture of the fermenting manure is down to about 100° Fahr. 



Preparation of the Beds. 



Having prepared the boxes, the manure can now be placed in them. 

 The manure is either used alone or with the mixture of some rich 

 loamy soil, about one part of soil to four or five parts of manure. 

 Most commercial growers of mushrooms do not employ any soil, but 

 use the manure pure. This gives much less trouble and is usually 

 considered a more successful method than the mixture of soil. When 

 the beds are made up without soil, a layer of manure is spread over 

 the bottom; usually the coarser and more strawy material is selected 

 for the bottom layer, since this ferments for a longer time and keeps 

 up the heat in the bed. When the first layer of manure is thoroughly 

 tramped or pounded down, another layer is added which in like 

 manner is thoroughly tramped down. This is continued imtil the 

 bed is filled, when the manure should be from 10-12 or 14 inches deep 

 and must be firmly packed. In using soil to mix with the manure, a 

 layer of the manure is first put in the bottom of the bed as described. 

 Over this is sprinkled a thin layer of soil. Another layer of manure 

 is then added and another sprinkling of soil. Each time the layers 

 are thoroughly packed down, as before, until the beds are filled. 



In the experiments described above, soil was mixed with the ma- 

 nure. Where soil is used, care should be exercised in its selection 



