Book I. CULTURE OF THE MUSHROOM. 599 



common mortar, or as the clay used in grafting, as otherwise it would not come easily 

 out of the mould. Then take a small frame, such as brick-makers use for moulding 

 their bricks, — the size six inches long, four broad, and three deep. A portion of the 

 mixture should then be forced into the mould or frame, and the sides of the mould being 

 a little wetted beforehand, the spawn-brick will easily come out without breaking. After 

 the bricks have stood two hours or so, take a blunt or rounded dibble, and make three 

 holes in the middle of each brick, an inch from each other, and about half through the 

 brick ; these holes are for receiving the spawn. I find it is the best way to lay the bricks 

 as they are made upon boards, that they may be carried out of doors in a good day to 

 dry. The bricks should be rendered perfectly dry, as the least damp would spoil the 

 spawn. They will often seem dry on the outside, while they continue wet in the 

 inside. The best way to prove them, is to break a brick, and observe how dry it is in the 

 inside. It is to be observed, that great care must be taken in the turning them upon the 

 boards, for fear of breaking, they being very apt to go to pieces, till nearly fit for re- 

 ceiving spawn. When fit, they are firm, and quite dry on the outside : this happens in 

 the course of three weeks, if the weather be dry and the bricks be rightly attended to. 

 Now, take fresh horse-litter, which has been laid up in a heap to sweeten as when for 

 hot-beds ; lay a bottom course of this six inches thick, whereon to lay the bricks. The 

 horse-litter which is to be prepared for covering the spawn-bricks ought to be rank, be- 

 cause the drier and sweeter the heat, the spawn will work the freer ; and, as I stated 

 before, if the weather be warm, the less covering will serve ; also, if there be any heat in 

 the old covering at the expiration of three weeks, add no more new covering, as the old 

 will perfectly serve the end. Every hole in the bricks must next be filled quite close 

 up with the spawn ; and as the bricks are laid one upon another, the upper side of the 

 brick when laid, must also be covered with spawn : at the same time observing, as the 

 bricks are laid, to keep them as open between one another as possible, so as to let the 

 heat and steam of the dung go through all parts of the heap. The heap is to be ter- 

 minated at top by a single brick. When all are thus laid, place round the sides and top 

 six inches of the hot dung, which will soon raise a fine moderate heat ; observing, that 

 all this must be done in a shed, or where rain cannot enter to cool the dung. After 

 two weeks, add three inches thick of additional fresh dung upon the old ; this will renew 

 the heat, and make it work forcibly for the space of two weeks more, when the litter 

 may be taken off, and cleared all out from the spawn-bricks. Before the cover is taken 

 off, it will be proper to lay a little of it aside, and take out a few of the bricks, to see 

 whether the spawn has run all through each brick or not ; if not, replace the bricks 

 again, and the cover, and let them remain for ten days longer, when they will be found 

 to be every one, as it were, a solid mass of spawn. They may be allowed to stand and 

 dry for a few days in the heap : they are then to be laid up in some dry place till wanted 

 for use, where they will keep good for many years." 



3415. Propagation of mushroom-spawn. M'Phail offers two modes, as follows: "About 

 the beginning of the month of May collect a heap of nearly equal quantities of cow, 

 horse, and sheep dung ; add to it some rotten fern-leaves, or rotten dry dung, somewhat 

 resembling spawn, from the linings of hot-beds ; mix the whole well together, in the 

 way a bricklayer's laborer makes mortar ; spread it on a floor in a cool dry shed, where 

 it cannot dry too hastily, making it about five or six inches thick ; beat or tread it firm ; 

 and as soon as it is in a fit condition, cut it with a sharp spade into pieces in the form 

 of bricks ; set the pieces to dry till they can be conveniently handled ; then with a knife 

 make a hole in the middle of each, and put a little piece of good mushroom-spawn 

 into each hole, closing it up with a bit of that which was taken out ; then pile the im- 

 pregnated pieces up in a heap in a hollow manner, so that the air may pass through the 

 heap freely among the pieces, to dry them gradually ; and if the shed be light, cover the 

 heap with mats, or any other light covering to keep it dark. When the spawn has ex- 

 tended itself through every part of the prepared pieces of the mixture, lay them out se- 

 parately, that they may be perfectly dried, which will prevent mushrooms from growing 

 out of them ; which, if suffered, would exhaust the spawn so, that it would be much 

 weakened. In a dry state, the spawn, thus propagated, may lie till it be wanted in the 

 autumn or following spring. If such pieces of spawn be continued in a dry state, the 

 spawn will remain good for a long time." 



3416. Another way, similar to the preceding, to make mushroom-spawn, is as follows : "Some time in the 

 month of May or June, collect about two cart-loads of dung from the fields, or take it from the stables ; 

 separate it entirely from the straw ; add to it six barrows of fresh loam, two barrows of soil scraped from 

 the road, and one barrow of coal-ashes sifted fine : mix these well together ; then spread the mixture on 

 the floor of a dry shed, give it a gentle watering, and spread over it a quantity of spawn from an old 

 mushroom-bed ; after this, tread it as firm as possible, and continue to do so two or three times a-week. 

 In this situation let it remain till it is turned into a solid mass of spawn, which generally is about the end 

 of August ; then cut it into lumps, and lay them up edgewise to dry." 



3417. Abercrombie says, " Pieces of it may be laid along the ridge of a cucumber-bed raised in spring. 

 Plant them about a foot apart. In about two months, the surface of the spawn will assume a mouldy 

 appearance ; it is then to be taken up with the earth adhering thereto, broken into pieces, and laid upon 

 the shelf of a dry shed." 



Qq 4 



