MUSHROOMS 



421 



each mushroom will be picked just as soon at it attains 

 the desired size. If a fancy price can be obtained, they 

 may be picked in the "button" stage. If maximum 

 weight is desired, they should be gathered after the crop 

 is fully expanded but before the veil begins to break, for 

 there will be no increase in weight beyond this time. 



As a rule the mushrooms are removed by giving them a 

 twist, although cutting is sometimes practiced ; but it is 

 thought by some that decay is more likely to occur if 

 stubs are left as a result of cutting the stems instead of 

 breaking them. When the removal of one or more mush- 

 rooms from a cluster leaves a depression in the bed, it 

 should be filled with soil such as was used for the casing. 

 The mushrooms are placed in shallow trays or baskets 

 and taken to the packing room where the ends of the 

 stems are cut smooth before the mushrooms are packed. 



Fig. 154. A morning's picking. Note variation in size. 



The grower should never lose sight of the fact that he is 

 producing an article regarded as a luxury by consumers, 

 and that they expect to pay a good price, in return for 

 which they demand the highest quality. Careful grading, 

 therefore, is essential. All inferior or defective specimens 



