MU S 



387 



MUS 



Mushrooms may be grown in a cellar, 

 or other vaulted place, with equal suc- 

 cess, and not unfrequently with a greater 

 advantage, the same rules being adopt- 

 ed ; but no fire is necessary, and lees 

 water. 



Heating by Hot-Water. — Instead of 

 flues, as used by Mr. Oldacker, the fol- 

 lowing plan, by Mr. Sellers, gardener 

 to L. V. Watkins, Esq., of Pennoyre, 

 may be substituted : — 



Fig. 103. 



is to be inserted in three or four days 

 after making the holes; when the ther- 

 mometer indicates the desired degree 

 of heat, the insides of the holes are 

 dry; and while the heat is on a decline, 

 every hole is to be filled, either with 

 lumps or small fragments well beaten 

 in, and the surface made level. 



In a fortnight, if the spawn is vege- 

 tating freely, which it will if not dam- 

 aged by excess of heat or moisture, 

 and the beds are required for immediate 

 production, they may be earthed over; 

 but those for succession left unearthed, 

 three or four weeks in summer, and 

 four or five in winter. If the spawn is 

 introduced in hot weather, air must be 

 admitted as freely as possible until it 

 has spread itself through the beds, 

 otherwise these will become spongy, 

 and the crop be neither good nor abund- 

 ant. 



The mould employed should be 

 maiden earth, with turf well reduced ; 

 neither too dry nor too wet, otherwise it 

 will not be capable of being beat solid. 

 It must be laid regularly over the beds 

 two inches thick. From the time of " This cut represents a section of the 

 moulding, the room is to be kept at a interior of the house, with three beds 

 temperature of 50° or 55°. If higher, j for mushrooms, a a a, eighteen feet 

 it will weaken or destroy the spawn ; I long, and three feet wide, and three 

 if lower, it will vegetate slowly, and shelves for forcing rhubarb, b b b. If 

 if watered in that state, numbers of' circumstances permit, these shelves 

 mushrooms will be prevented attaining may be made wider, and used for mush- 

 perfection. Water must be applied with rooms. Stones are placed on each side 

 extreme caution, being nearly as warm i of the passage, at c c, for the standards 



as new milk, and sprinkled over the beds 

 with a syringe or small watering-pot. 

 Cold water destroys both the crop and 

 the beds. If suffered to become dry, 

 it is better to give several light than 

 one heavy watering. 



Beds thus managed will bear for 



to be placed on which support the 

 bearers of the shelves, and mortised at 

 d d. The stones should be about six 

 inches square on the surface, and three 

 inches thick ; and the standards about 

 three inches and a half square. 



" When the slaiuiards and cross- 



several months; and a constant supply I bearers are fixed, the shelves maybe 

 kept up by earthing one bed or more j formed by laying along the latter boards 



every two or three months 



If, when in full production, the mush- 

 rooms become long-stemmed and weak, 

 the temperature is certainly too high, and 

 air must be proportionately admitted. 

 As the beds decline, to renovate them, 

 the earth must be taken off clean, and 

 if the dung is decayed they must be re- 

 formed, any good spawn being preserv- 

 ed that may appear; but if the beds 



one inch and a half thick; and it will 

 be convenient, when removing or put- 

 ting fresh dung, if a board eight inches 

 broad and one inch thick is placed be- 

 hind the standard at i, or cut so as to 

 come flush with it. 



"When the shelves are fixed, a 

 trench, nine inches deep, is made in 

 the passage, m I vi, for the reception of 

 the pipes ; on each side this trench a 



are dry, solid, and full of good spawn, i brick-wall, i i, is built, to prevent rub- 

 a fresli layer of compost, three or four ; bish from falling in. The bottom of 

 inches thick, must be added, mixed a : the trench must be puddled with clay, 

 little with the old, and beat solid as ! so that the water thrown on the pipes 

 before. l will not escape. 



