THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 13 



beds will continue in bearing much longer than is the case when 

 they are in unheated structures on the ground level. Those who 

 have no cellar may make preparations with the full assurance of 

 reaping an ample harvest, for tbe beds can be kept warm even in the 

 winter by means of a thick covering of short hay or straw and mats. 

 The most suitable place of all for making up a bed is in a shed, 

 through which a hot-water pipe passes on its way to one of the plant 

 or fruit houses. In gardens where a shed of this kind exists, it 

 should be taken advantage of for the purpose indicated, as they are 

 in their way well nigh equal to a properly constructed mushroom 

 house. Indeed, these sheds are so valuable in mushroom growing, 

 that I would advise their being fitted up with shelves, formed of 

 stout rough planks of wood, to admit of two or three beds being 

 formed to insure a continuous supply. 



A suitable place for the bed having been found, the next matter 

 requiring attention will be the preparation of the materials of which 

 it is to be formed. Mushroom beds may be made up with all horse 

 droppings, or part horse droppings and part short litter. The 

 mixture is the most economical, as a much larger bed may be had 

 with the manure obtained from the stables in a given time, or from 

 a certain quantity of manure purchased. The horse droppings and 

 short manure must be shook out from the bulk and spread out 

 somewhat thinly for it to dry a little to prevent its heating too 

 violently when thrown into a heap. When the manure for a mush- 

 room bed is collected day by day, it is very important to spread it 

 out under cover, to prevent its exhausting itself before the bed is 

 formed. "When sufficient has been collected, it should be thrown 

 together and turned over every other morning, for a period of ten 

 days or a fortnight, to sweeten it. 



The dimensions of a bed likely to yield good results has been 

 already stated, but it may be of a greater or lesser width and length 

 if more convenient; the depth must in all cases be about twelve inches. 

 As each layer of manure is put in its place it must be well beaten 

 with the back of the spade, for it cannot well be too solid. Sticks 

 should be inserted in the manure and drawn out and examined occa- 

 sionally to ascertain the heat. If at the end of a week the sticks are 

 of a nice degree of warmth, the bed can be spawned ; but if they feel 

 hot, the spawning must be deferred until the heat begins to decline. 

 It will be perfectly safe to spawn when the heat of the bed is about 

 75°, provided it is not increasing, and at the end of a week there 

 will be no difBculty in determining this point if the test sticks have 

 been examined daily, or a thermometer buried in the manure, and 

 drawn out every other day. 



Mushroom spawn is purchased in small cakes, similar in shape to 

 bricks, by the peck or bushel. It may be had of any seedsman, and 

 a peck will be ample to spawn a large bed. The spawn must be 

 broken up into pieces about the size of a walnut, and dibbled into 

 the bed at a distance of six inches apart ; it should be buried about 

 four inches below the surface, and the holes filled in. If the tem- 

 perature is as low as 70* at the time of spawning, with no likelihood 

 of its going higher, cover with an inch or so of fine dry soil ; if 75*?, 



January. 



