284 



Mycological Bulletin Nos. 71 and 72 



[Vol. IV 



represent careful selections from diliferent strains of mushrooms and 

 have been thoroughly tested. * * * 



"Success in growing mushrooms is not so much dependent upon long 

 experience as an intelligent study of the conditions. There are three 

 important things to consider : 



1. The spawn. 



2. The manure and its composting. 



3. The temperature of the place in which the beds are made. 



"Prepar.xtion of Compost. — Mushrooms grow naturally in half de- 

 cayed manure piles. This is the natural soil of the mushroom. The 

 spawn would be killed by the heat of fermentation if placed in a bed of 

 fresh manure. It must undergo a preliminary fermentation. The ma- 



Fig. 220. From Atkinson, cnt furnislud l)y Pinx Culture Spawn Co. 



nure, preferably that from well nourished draft animals with a moderate 

 amount of grain straw or shavings used for bedding (never hay or coarse 

 weeds) should be reasonably fresh to begin with. It will in general not 

 be advisable to use manure that is more than ten days old, tniless it has 

 been kept dry and under shelter. Tf it shows no blackening from fer- 

 mentation it may be much older. For composting the manure should be 

 I)lace(l in ricks. The usual method is to pile down in ricks four to eight 

 feet wide and three to five feet high and as long as may be necessary. As 

 it is piled down in layers it should be well moistened and tramped down. 

 Tt will begin to ferment immediately, and in one or two days will be quite 

 warm below the surface. This warmth is a result of the fermentation 

 and should continue for some time. The manure may be allowed to fer- 

 ment in tl'is way for five to eight da\'s wlien small whitish spots will be 

 observed in the hottest portions. About thislime the compost should be 

 riven tlic first turning." 



