186 THE FORCING GARDEN. 
beginning at the bottom, place the first handful the 
width you intend the mat to be, bring up the twine 
over the handful of straw, pass the end round the line 
of twine behind and draw it tight—this ties every hand- 
ful in tight. Then place another handful of straw of 
the same size on the last, and tie that, and so on till 
you get to the top, and the mat will be of the width 
you wish it. Now with a pair of sheep shears cut off 
the corn ends of the straw to make the mat straight 
and even at that end. So the mat is made, and if 
made well, and tied tightly as you proceed, it will last 
two or three years. These mats are easily made, are 
cheap, and far better than Russian mats or any others 
which are used for covering frames, Mushroom beds, 
and various other things. 
Place these mats like thatch on the Mushroom bed 
just spawned ; examine the bed at intervals of twelve 
hours to see if the heat is too much or too little ; if too 
much, remove some of the covering for a short time; if 
too little, put on more dry hay, ferns or straw. If after 
three weeks from the time the spawn is put in the bed 
the surface has become very dry, give it a little water 
without the rose, putting it between the original places 
where the spawn was introduced, but not too much. 
In the course of six or seven weeks the Mushrooms 
will appear. Covering to the bed is necessary, but 
merely sufficient to protect it from the hot sun, and 
cold nights. This method of Mushroom growing may 
be pursued by all who desire to have them at all times, 
except in the dead of winter. 
In the case of growing them in the house, shelves 
and well-prepared horse droppings are necessary; and 
thoroughly well-made beds on shelves, which should be 
