THE PRACTICAL COUNTRY GENTLEMAN 



be prepared by stacking, turning, shaking, and 

 re-stacking every three or four days, until it is 

 in condition for preparing the bed. These op- 

 erations permit of the escape of noxious gases 

 and prevent burning. Keep moist, but not too 

 wet, and in about two weeks the material will 

 be ready for the bed, which should be about 

 twelve to fourteen inches thick after being thor- 

 oughly tamped or pounded down so as to be- 

 come firm and compact; then cover with long 

 straw. The usual width of a bed is two and a 

 half to three feet, and any length desired. 



If the material is in proper order, the mer- 

 cury in the thermometer (which can be bought 

 expressly for such work) will rise to lOO degrees 

 or more, then after a time it will fall slowly. 

 When ninety degrees has been reached, the time 

 for planting the spawn has arrived. If Eng- 

 lish mushroom spawn is used, it should be 

 broken into pieces about two inches square and 

 planted nine inches apart each way and two 

 inches deep. Be sure to firm the manure over 

 the spawn. After the spawn has been planted 

 for a week or ten days, it should have begun 

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