MUSHROOMS ON BENCHES. 



RICHARD MAXWELL. 



TO the amateur grower mush 

 rooms are ordinarily an uncer 

 tain quantity. This crop is as 

 fickle and hnincky as the pro 

 verbial old maid although, for my 

 part, I would far rather tackle the mush 

 rooms. 



The amateur mushroom grower, in 

 the usual order of things, generally has 

 "troubles of his own," troubles in which 

 even the old expert shares at times, 

 and often for a reason that is inexplica 

 ble, or for a cause that is not even 

 apparent. 



Some time ago I became interested 

 in a rather novel scheme in 'room pro 

 duction: It is that of growing the 

 'rooms on top of the benches as one 

 would his regular crops of lettuce, rad- 

 dishes, etc., instead of under the 

 benches and in cellars in especially 

 prepared beds for that purpose. With 

 this new method the 'rooms are grown at 

 the same time as and among the usual 

 crops. In view of the experience I 

 feel justified in saying that a profitable 

 crop of 'rooms may be grown with more 

 certainty by this method than by the 

 one ordinarily practiced. I art not 

 aware of a single instance where a 

 grower of ordinary intelligence has 

 ever failed to secure a satisfactory crop 

 in this way. 



The soil used is much the same as 

 the ordinary compost as generally put 

 up by the average hothouse operator. 

 In combination with the usual mixture 

 of rotted sod and horse manure the ad 

 dition of cow dung, at the ratio of 

 about one to ten, may be advanta 

 geously made. 



Should the cow dung be used it is 

 best to have that which is at least one 

 year old and in a fine, pulverized condi 

 tion, being careful to have the cow 

 dung well incorporated with the com 

 post. 



After the soil is placed in the 

 benches the bed may be immediatelv 

 spawned; no waiting for temperature 

 to go up or down. This work is done 

 just as in spawning an old-fashioned 

 bed, except that the spawn should be 



buried somewhat deeper, to guard 

 against the surface drying of the soil 

 during a hard day's sun on the glass. 



Since the operation of a hothouse is 

 a hard business proposition to the gen 

 eral grower, involving the question of 

 the greatest production on the space 

 at hand, it is advisable to get a crop 

 growing on the benches as quickly as 

 possible after the bed is spawned. 



If, some crop that will rapidly 

 cover the surface of the bed is not 

 planted immediately after spawning 

 it is advisable to furnish some sort 

 of a mulch to protect the soil from the 

 direct rays of the sun. It is all the 

 better to provide such a mulch even 

 with the planted crop, filling in the un 

 protected spaces. Partially decayed 

 leaves, fine salt hay, or any light, fluffy 

 material will serve the purpose. Pro 

 viding this mulch does not become 

 soggy or heavy there is no necessity 

 for removing it during the bearing 

 season of the mushroom. 



Should the regular bench crop, let 

 tuce, for instance, be depended upon 

 to furnish shade, some more or less ac 

 curate calculation should be made on 

 having such crop on the beds so that 

 it will protect the mushrooms when 

 they first make their appearance. 



There is one other condition upon 

 which success is contigent, and that is 

 in the proper watering of the soil or 

 secondary crops. Water should be ap 

 plied lightly and frequently with a 

 spray nozzle, the object being to main 

 tain sufficient moisture in the soil to 

 supply the needs of the surface crop 

 without soaking or flooding the soil to 

 such a degree that it becomes unduly 

 heavy or soggy. 



In cultivating the surface crop the 

 operator should not stir the soil to a 

 greater depth than two inches, that the 

 spawn may not be disturbed. 



When the crops are cleared from the 

 benches in the spring it is well to allow 

 a dense mat of weeds to grow up to 

 protect the mushrooms from the sun, 

 which, otherwise, would "burn" or 

 brown them. American Gardening. 



48 



