186 THE FORCING GARDEN. 



beginning at the bottom, place the first handful the 

 width you intend the mat to be, bring up the twine 

 over the handful of straw, pass the end round the line 

 of twine behind and draw it tight this ties every hand- 

 ful in tight. Then place another handful of straw of 

 the same size on the last, and tie that, and so on till 

 you get to the top, and the mat will be of the width 

 you wish it. Now with a pair of sheep shears cut off 

 the corn ends of the straw to make the mat straight 

 and .even at that end. So the mat is made, and if 

 made well, and tied tightly as you proceed, it will last 

 two or three years. These mats are easily made, are 

 cheap, and far better than Kussian mats or any others 

 which are used for covering frames, Mushroom beds> 

 and various other things. 



Place these mats like thatch on the Mushroom bed 

 just spawned ; examine the bed at intervals of twelve 

 hours to see if the heat is too much or too little ; if too 

 much, remove some of the covering for a short time ; if 

 too little, put on more dry hay, ferns or straw. If after 

 three weeks from the time the spawn is put in the bed 

 the surface has become very dry, give it a little water 

 without the rose, putting it between the original places 

 where the spawn was introduced, but not too much. 

 In the course of six or seven weeks the Mushrooms 

 will appear. Covering to the bed is necessary, but 

 merely sufficient to protect it from the hot sun, and 

 cold nights. This method of Mushroom growing may 

 be pursued by all who desire to have them at all times, 

 except in the dead of winter. 



In the case of growing them in the house, shelves 

 and well-prepared horse droppings are necessary ; and 

 thoroughly well-made beds on shelves, which should be 



