558 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The best temperature at which to grow mushrooms is placed at 53 to 58° F. They 

 grow more rapidly at a higher temperature, but such higher temperature also favors 

 the development of foreign fungi, molds, and bacteria, as well as insects, and the 

 quality of the mushroom does not appear to be as good as with the lower tempera- 

 ture. Freshly fermented manure gives the best results in mushroom culture and 

 should include the straw used in bedding the animals. # Cereal straw appears to be 

 better than that from grasses. The manure from horses fed hay and green feed does 

 not give satisfactory results. 



Commercial fertilizers appear to add nothing to the value of good horse manure 

 for mushrooms, though beds to which cotton-seed meal were added gave slightly 

 increased yields. The experiments indicate that the temperature of the beds should 

 be allowed to fall to about 70° F. before they are spawned. Exhausted beds should 

 be discarded from the standpoint both of profit and sanitation. 



Outdoor mushroom culture is seldom commercially profitable, since temperature 

 and moisture conditions can not be controlled. It is thought that the most favor- 

 able regions for mushroom culture out-of-doors are in Eureka and San Francisco, 

 Cal. The absolute moisture condition for mushroom beds and bricks in spawn 

 making is placed at 40 per cent. The vitality of spawn appears to decrease rapidly 

 with age. Brick spawn appears to maintain its vitality longer than the flake material. 



A number of American firms are now manufacturing spawn in accordance with the 

 methods described by the author. About 50,000 1 nicks were sold in 1904, and it is 

 believed that this amount will be increased to several hundred thousand in 1905. 



Pure culture mushroom spawn, F. Canning {Amer. Florist, 24 {1905), Xo. 891, 

 p. 1029). — The author states that he has used a number of pounds of the pure 

 mushroom spawn developed by this Department. 



A noticeable feature of the mushrooms produced from this spawn appears to be the 

 evenness of size, weight, solidity, and tenderness. At the time of writing mushrooms 

 averaging \ lb. in weight were being picked which had not lost their tenderness. 

 The Columbia variety is considered especially satisfactory, as it looks well for market. 



Edible and poisonous mushrooms, G. McCarthy {Bui. X. C. Bd. Agr., 26 

 {1905), Xo. 1, Sup. : pp. 3-24, fig*. 4)- — A botanical classification and illustrations and 

 descriptions are given of a large number of edible and poisonous mushrooms which 

 grow in North Carolina. 



The American fruit industry and the development of American fruit 

 exports, P. J. Schlosser {Die amerikanische Obstindustrie mid die Entwickelung des 

 amerikanischen Obstexportes. Frankfort: TrovMzsch& Son, 1905, pp. 72, dgm. l). — The 

 author visited America and describes the fruit industry in different sections of the 

 country with reference to cultural practices and the utilization of the different fruits. 

 Statistics are given showing the exports of fresh, canned, and evaporated fruits 

 from the United States to different countries of the world. 



General considerations in regard to pruning", G. E. Stone {Massachusetts Sta. 

 Bid. 105, pp. 83-39, tig*. 3). — A discussion of some of the general principles of prun- 

 ing plants. 



Winter injury to fruit trees, H. J. Eustace {New York sta ft Sta. Bid. 269, pp. 

 323-343, pi. 1). — An account is given of the injuries to fruit trees in different sections 

 of New York during the winter of 1903-4, which was unusually long and cold, and 

 of different methods of treating injured trees. 



The minimum temperature of the winter ranged from —10° to —15° F. in the fruit- 

 growing sections of western New York and ^40° F. in the Hudson River Valley. 

 The season of 1903 had been especially trying on the trees, owing to early and pro- 

 longed drought, excessive fall rains, and serious ravages by insect pests. These fac- 

 tors combined with the long cold winter caused the unusual injury. All kinds of 

 fruits were more or less injured, the peach and pear suffering most. The branches 

 and trunks were most commonly injured, the roots seldom. 



