458 VILLA GARDENING part v 



used in unheated buildings to keep the beds at a regular tempera- 

 ture. 



Good Spawn is very important. No matter how much care 

 and pains may be taken in selecting and preparing the other 

 materials, yet, if the spaA\Ti is old or bad, all the labour will be in 

 vain. The question may be asked, "How shall we know good 

 spawn from bad 1" If a bricK of spawn is broken through, its 

 appearance and smell will indicate whether it is capable of produc- 

 ing Mushrooms. Spawn originally good may be rendered useless 

 by bad keeping. If kept in a damp place it may run itself out, 

 become exhausted, and perish. When it arrives from the dealer 

 it should be placed in a diy warm place and kept there till 

 required for use. It will then keep in good condition a long time. 



Temperature. — It requires rather more warmth to start the 

 spawn into work than is required afterwards. If the heat of the 

 bed rises to 90° or a little more when first made, as soon as the 

 highest point has been reached and the heat begins to decline, the 

 bed may be spawned. It is better to spawn at a temperature of 

 90°, if the heat is gradually declining, tlian to wait longer, as we 

 lose time by waiting. When in full bearing the temperature of 

 the bed must not be allowed to fall much below 60°. If at any 

 time beds in the ojien air or in unheated buildings become too cold, 

 add to the coverings. In cold weather I have found it advisable 

 to employ linings of manure to keep the beds at a comfortable 

 warmth. The bricks of spawn should be broken up into pieces as 

 large as hen's eggs, inserted just within the warm manure, 9 inches 

 apart, and pressed or beaten down firmly. As soon as the spawn 

 begins to work freely the bed may be soiled — 2 inches of loam 

 made firm by beating with tlie back of the spade, damping the 

 surface, and passing the back of the spade over it at the last to 

 give a smooth finish. If the house is heated with pipes there 

 should be troughs on the top to secure a moist atmos^jhere, or the 

 same condition may be obtained by syringing the walls and path 

 twice a-day. 



Covering the Beds and Watering. — A thin covering of hay 

 or straw tends to keep the temperature of the bed steady and 

 preserve the moisture, and the Mushrooms seem to like it ; but the 

 coverings must be changed sometimes, for if they get damp the 

 spawn may run out of the bed into the covering, and exhaust itself 

 uselessly. Open-air beds of course must have covers, but heavy 

 rains should not penetrate so as to saturate the hay or litter next 

 the bed. Beyond surface sprinkling occasionally no water will be 

 required till the beds have been in bearing some time. After the 

 first crop has been gathered and exhaustion seems to have set in, 



