New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 333 



In growing mushrooms we prefer not to have the temperature drop 

 below 50 degrees. 



The other house was piped under the side benches in the manner 

 just described for the tomato house, and in addition there was a 

 single pipe around three sides of the center bench. This pipe was 

 set on brick pillars, which raised it about two inches above the sur- 

 face of the bed. See Plate XI. The temperature of this house 

 was kept about the same as in the tomato house during the day and 

 about five degrees higher than that house during the night. 



While a temperature of less than fifty degrees is not fatal to a 

 mushroom bed, still it is commonly held that the crop does better if 

 the temperature is kept above fifty degrees Fahr. When the bed is 

 first spawned its temperature may run as high as ninety degrees. 

 Spawning beds at even higher temperature has been successfully 

 practiced, but we do not recommend the practice. Mushrooms 

 have been successfully grown where the temperature of the houses 

 runs up to seventy degrees or more in the sun, but, notwithstanding 

 all this, it is generally conceded that the crop thrives best in a tem- 

 perature of from fifty to sixty degrees, and that it delights in a cool, 

 •even temperature and in a moist, but not wet, soil. At less than 

 fifty degrees the crop does not thrive, although the spawn in the 

 soil may endure a temperature below freezing without being killed, 

 for mushrooms grow wild in the fields in this cKmate. 



Preparation of the Soil. 



In preparing the soil for the beds fresh horse manure was mixed 

 wdth loam in the following manner : The fresh loam was piled in 

 a shed, where it was sheltered at all times from rain, great care being 

 taken to keep it from getting wet. The manure was secured each 

 morning from the stables and taken to the shed. Here it was 

 carefully mixed with the loam, using three shovelfuls of manure 

 to one of loam, piled alternately in thin layers. It was kept 

 in a separate pile for two days and then thrown into the general 

 pile. This process was continued until the desired amount of 

 soil was thus accumulated. Both the general and the separate 

 piles were turned each day so as to thoroughly mix the soil 

 and manure and also to prevent too rapid fennentation or too 

 great heating. This process of mixing was continued each day till 

 it was thought that there was no longer danger that it vvould heat too 



