182 THE FORCING GARDEN. 



Mushroom houses at the back of hothouses in locali- 

 ties infested by this pest will always prove futile for 

 complete success, unless some additional provision is 

 made to keep off these marauders. It is much better 

 in such localities to go to the expense of building a 

 Mushroom house quite independent and detached from 

 all other buildings, so that in extreme cases there may 

 be no harbour to encourage these pests more than can 

 be well avoided. They will, I know, find their way if 

 possible, to any rendezvous where they can get the 

 warmth, seclusion, and food that they like ; but they 

 are rather careful not to expose themselves too much, 

 lest they may get picked up by an enemy and be eaten. 

 And here let me give a little of what I think timely 

 and valuable advice. In such localities as I refer to 

 where the woodlouse naturally abounds, let intending 

 Mushroom growers get as many hedgehogs and guinea 

 pigs as they can and keep them about the place. 

 Hedgehogs ! say some : how are you going to keep 

 hedgehogs ? Why, keep them in the Mushroom house, 

 to be sure, where they will destroy every beetle and 

 woodlouse, and the guinea pigs will do the same work 

 outside. 



The Mushroom house should be so constructed as 

 to prevent the intrusion of the woodlouse. In the 

 first place the outside walls must be proof against the 

 ingress of all such pests ; and secondly, no beds should 

 be made on the immediate ground floor, but should be 

 raised about a foot, so that a trough of water may run 

 round the floor, as seen in the above plan ; this will 

 prevent them from climbing the walls and the stays of 

 the beds above. The woodlouse will not enter water. 



The troughs of water will give off a congenial vapour 



