The Elusive Mushroom 165 



forma. For several years he conducted the work in 

 the cellar of his home, supplying the best hotels and 

 clubs of Los Angeles at a uniform rate of $1 a pound. 

 As the locality became more thickly settled there were 

 some objections on the part of the neighbors to the 

 existence of a flourishing mushroom plant in the midst 

 of their homes. Although Mr. Rouge had incurred 

 considerable expense in the preparation of his plant 

 (one of the most perfect exhibits of its kind I have 

 ever seen), he cheerfully changed the location of his 

 industry. Where do you suppose he went? To a long 

 tunnel a deserted city water main in Elysian Park. 

 Here he began his work anew, and at first in an experi- 

 mental way. It turned out to be successful. He ob- 

 tained a big crop of mushrooms which sold readily at 

 high prices. 



There are many other interesting experiences that 

 might be quoted, but they all come to the same thing. 

 Mushroom culture is a highly technical undertaking. 

 It requires not only skill and experience but much pa- 

 tience and some little capital. A good mushroom cave 

 of commercial proportions costs anywhere from $500 

 to $2,000. A successful grower is handsomely re- 

 warded, for there is an eager, unsatisfied market for 

 mushrooms almost everywhere, and the cultivated va- 

 rieties usually sell at a high price. It is possible to 

 raise them in a small way for home consumption with- 

 out much expense, and we shall see something of 

 methods advised by scientific growers, when we come 

 to deal with the mechanics of the garden home ; but the 

 probability is that most of our home gardeners will 

 depend on the wild crop that is abundant in many parts 



