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be preferred to thai of the ficld^ for garden cul- 

 ture . 



It has bi-en remarked, tliat where mushroom 

 spawn is obtained from places wliere the dung 

 happens to consist principally of that from stone- 

 horse stal^les, it is of a stronger tjiiaiitv than that 

 of the common horse-dung; ami, in its culture, 

 more productive in large thick fltsliy heads, and 

 continues longer in production in the same bed. 



The cultivators of mushrooms near larije towns, 

 where vast quantities are raised for sale, gene- 

 rally prefer w hat they call virgin or maiden spawn, 

 to such as has never been worked or produced 

 nuishroonis, and that has not been generated 

 from old beds, as possessing greater vigour in 

 its cultivated irrowth, and affording a more cer- 

 tain and superior production. 



It is sometimes produced by art in composts 

 formed of a quantity of horse-stable dung, of 

 ver)- moderate heat. The shortest moist parts, 

 and as much of the dunging of the horses as 

 possible, should be usda, the whole being mixed 

 with some rich mellow earth, or if of a loamy 

 kind, the better; and deposited under the protec- 

 tion of some covered shed, or other place, the 

 mass being closely covered with dry litter: the 

 spawn in this way is sometimes formed in the 

 compost in the course of six or eight weeks. 



Spawn is likewise produced by procuring a 

 quantity of full-fi;rown mushrooms, cuttintrthem 

 to pieces, or only detaching the gills, and depo- 

 siting them into composts as above, or at once 

 strewing them over the surface of the regular beds, 

 earthing ihem over, and covering them with 

 straw litter. 



The best season for finding natural spawn in 

 plenty and perfection, is the autumn and early 

 part of winter, «hile in full viffour, after the 

 preceding summer's production ; though good 

 spawn is occasionally met with at all times of 

 the year, and may be collected accordingly : it 

 is most advisable, however, to procure the ge- 

 neral necessar\' supply in the above seasons; for, 

 spawn being of a singular nature, and liable 

 to perish or be greatly injured by much wet and 

 cold, it should oc carefully collected in proper 

 time, before it is weakened by the inclemency 

 <»f the weather; as it is of much importance to 

 have it in full vigour. If it he in a tolerably dry 

 state, it may be immediately used tor spawning 

 such beds as are ready for its reception : but if 

 rather moist, it should remain under coyer a fcw 

 days, to dry a little. 



In collecting it, care should be taken to have the 

 lumps or cakes of the spawnv dung, kc. in which 

 it appears, taken up entire, laving tiiciu in a 

 basket or wheel-harrow , and c.;rryiiig them into 

 svme dry close shed, or other aparuneiu, to be 



deposited securely from wet, cold, he. previously 

 examining whether any of the luinjjs be \\*et; in 

 which case, spread ihein to dry a little: and 

 if not innncdiately wanted, let the whole be 

 placed closely together in a w:irm dr\' corner, 

 or put in hampers or sacks ; and be closely co- 

 vered with straw, or dry long litter, or garden 

 mats, till wanted for spawiinig the beds. In 

 this way its vegetative power may be long re- 

 tained ; and, if necessary, may be safely sent to 

 any distance, as is often the case in places where 

 a suthciency cannot be procured at the time when 

 wanted. 



Where great quantities of mushrooms are 

 raised, and consequently considerable supplies 

 of spawn required, there are mostly mushroom- 

 men w ho, at the proper season, go about col- 

 lecting, both in town and country, the true sort, 

 which they dispose of by the bushel, at from half 

 a crown to five or six shillings, according to its 

 goodness, and the ease with which it is obtained. 



There is a variety of the mushroom termed 

 White Cup, which rises with a small, thin, white 

 head, without any material fleshy part, the 

 spawn of which is entirely useless. It is distin- 

 guished by its very line silky or cobweb-like 

 nature, and exquisitely white hoary appearance, 

 closely spreading in the spawny lumps, and 

 emitting scarcely any smell of the mushroom. 



Constructing the icds. — In the production of 

 this crop much depends upon the proper con- 

 struction of the beds. The best season for mak- 

 ing the principal ones, for the winter and sprinir 

 production, is the uitumn and beginning of 

 w inter. Tlie autumn beds may be prepared about 

 the middle or latter end of Ausrust, or any time 

 in September, and occasionally till the middle or 

 end of October; as in this season the spawn can 

 be had in the best perfection and abundance, 

 and the beds be made and prepared for the spawn 

 to better a(Jvantage than later, when cold wet 

 weather prevails ; and the spawn will work sooner, 

 and afi'ord a more speedy and abundant crop 

 during the winter; but beds for suecessional 

 production, or where unavoidably omitted in 

 autumn, may be made in November, or even as 

 late as December. 



The most suitable material for this purpose is 

 horse-stable dung, which, as it heats too much 

 at ^lr^t for the growth of mushroom spawn, 

 should always be (irepareil before it is worked up 

 mto the bed, in order to reduce it to a more mo- 

 derate temperature, by forking it well up toiiether 

 in a heap for a week or tivo, ;md turning it over 

 once or twice, that the rank burning sieaui may 

 sooner and more ellectually evaporate, behire it 

 heats in too 'j.K..it a degree: a quantity of tlie 

 best luodeiuiely fresh dung should be procured. 



