1873.] MUSHROOM -FORCING. 53 



this purpose taken from a pasture, first paring off the turf and taking 

 the spit of soil immediately underneath. This should be got in in 

 August. Where the ground is dry we use a poor yellow sandy loam with- 

 out any vegetable fibre in it, but fine in texture, just where Mushrooms 

 grow naturally : it answers the purpose well. Leaves in the dung, 

 which some recommend, are objectionable; also the porous part of the 

 turf, because of its tendency to generate spurious fungi in the beds. 



Having enough dung ready to make a bed, and supposing the shelf 

 made as described above, begin by laying a layer of dry turf with the 

 grass side inwards all over the bottom, and a turf on edge along the 

 sides, to cover over the open spaces between the spars ; this is even 

 not absolutely necessary if turf be scarce, but use the rougher part of 

 the manure instead. Have the dung mixed with the soil on the shed- 

 floor in the proportion named ; throw it on the shelf in layers of a few 

 inches at a time, treading it with the feet or beating it with the back 

 of a spade as the work proceeds. If the dung be still thought rather 

 moist, add more soil — better for it to be on the dry side than over 

 moist; and the quantity of soil is no objection, as it is quite as good 

 for the Mushroom crop as the dung, and more in accordance with 

 nature than a body of dung alone. There is little danger of a 

 bed made in that fashion getting too hot or burning the spawn 

 after spawning. A glow of hea«t in a Mushroom-bed is at all times 

 objectionable, and the sooner the heat from fermentation is gone 

 the better. Two or three days after making, the bed will be ready 

 for spawning. We use trial sticks as a precaution, but we do not 

 find the beds ever to get over hot. 



Good spawn is the third essential, for without good spawn all the 

 other trouble will be useless ; just like bad vegetable seeds, it is of 

 importance to avoid bad spawn. It is annoying to wait say six weeks 

 in the hope of seeing the looked-for Mushrooms grow, and find that the 

 dung must be cleared out like a spent bed. Good spawn can always be 

 had from respectable seedsmen, especially from those who have a good 

 business in the article : some have got a name for good spawn, but we 

 avoid naming tradesmen. Spawn will keep good for years, provided 

 it be kept in a thoroughly dry and rather warm place. Good spawn 

 wiU be known by its fresh appearance : on breaking the cakes the 

 spawn should show a very fine silky flocky appearance pervading 

 the bulk of the cake ; if of a very packthready appearance it is not so 

 good, although a few packthreads through it will be no objection ; it 

 should also have a sweet mushroomy smell, which an experienced 

 person at once knows. 



To spawn the beds, the cakes should be broken up into pieces the 

 size of hens' eggs or less, and planted into the surface of the bed with 



