188 THE FOKCING GARDEN. 



The Agaricus campestris will grow to an immense 

 size under favourable conditions. I have gathered 

 them as large as an ordinary dinner plate, at least nine 

 inches in diameter, and so full of catsup that one pint 

 has been made from one of them, and many a time 

 they have been gathered as large as a small cheese 

 plate. I merely note these things to show under what 

 conditions the Mushroom will do best, and to modify 

 the idea that they can be grown by very clever men 

 only. In the plan at the head of this chapter I have 

 no doubt that it will be seen that the water at the 

 bottom of the beds is necessary everywhere in houses 

 where heat is indispensable in order to obtain winter 

 Mushrooms ; and, as I have said before, in localities 

 where the woodlouse and beetle abound, it will be a 

 bar to their getting at the beds. It is necessary to 

 thinly but securely cement the trough a little beyond 

 the uprights of the beds, so that the feet of these posts 

 are surrounded by water ; or the beds may rest on 

 brick pillars one foot high from the floor of the house. 



This house is on a scale of one-eighth of an inch to 

 one foot. This gives four-feet pathways and eight-feet 

 beds, which may be rather wide, but they should not 

 be less than six feet wide ; then there is more body in 

 them, and they will not dry so soon. The beds should 

 be not less than one foot thick, and should be well 

 beaten together when made, with a mallet. The drop- 

 pings from the stable may contain some short straw ; 

 all should be well mixed and laid up in a heap to fer- 

 ment a few days before making the beds, and some 

 half-dry or old cow-dung may be mixed with the drop- 

 pings when the beds are made. The earthing of them 

 after they are made should be done immediately, and 



