MUSCARI 



570 



MUSHROOM-BEDS 



M, atla'nticum (Atlantic), i-f . Bright blue. Spain ; 



N. Africa. 1902. 

 ,, azu'reum (azure). See HYACINTHUS AZUREUS. 



bosni'acum (Bosnian). J. Blue. S.E. Europe. 

 bolryoi'des (bunch-like), $. Blue. April. Italy. 



* a'lbum (white). \. White. April. Italy. 1596. 

 ca'ndidum (white). White, delicately tinted with 



flesh. 

 Lelie'vrii (Lelievr's). Flowers larger, earlier. 



Western France. 

 pa'llidum (pale). . Pale blue. April. Italy. 



1596. 



Bourga'i (Bourga's). \. Blue-violet. Asia Minor. 

 ,, brevisca'pum (short-scaped). J. Dark blue. Europe. 



1876. 



cilia'tum (hair-fringed). See HYACINTHUS CILIATUS. 

 ,, commuta 'turn (changed). . Blue. Italy. 1836. 

 como'sum (tufted). $. Blue. April. S. Europe. 



1596. " Tassel Hyacinth." 

 monstro' sum (monstrous). J. Pale blue. April. 



S. Europe. 1596. " Feathered Hyacinth." 

 compa'ctum (compact), f. Dark violet. Asia Minor. 



1878. 



,, conci'nnum (neat). $. Rich blue. 1878. 

 co'nicum (conical), i. Brilliant blue, fragrant. 1877. 



" Heavenly Blue." 

 cre'licum (Cretan). $. Green and purple. Crete. 



1875- 



dilu'lum (diluted). J. Lively blue. 1878. 

 e'legans (elegant). $. Bright blue, large. 1896. 

 /te'.w(Elwes's). . Bright blue. April. Caria. 1878. 

 glau'cum (milky-green), f. Purple, green. May. 



Persia. 1825. 

 ,, grandifo'lium (large-leaved). . Dull glaucous blue. 



1869. 

 Heldrei'chii (Heldreich's). 4-i. Amethyst blue. 



Greece. 1869. 

 ,, hymeno'phorum (membrane- bearing). See M. HELD- 



REICHII. 

 latifo'lium (broad-leaved), i-ij. Blackish- violet. 



April, May. Asia Minor. 

 leucophee'um (dusky- white). See HVACINTHUS LEUCO- 



PHMUS. 



lu'teum (yellow). See M. MOSCHATUM FLAVUM. 

 macroca'rpum (large- fruited). See M. MOSCHATUM 



FLAVUM. 



mawea'num (Mawean). J. Lively light blue. Ar- 

 menia. 1889. 

 ,, micra'nthum (small-flowered). J-. Rich clear blue. 



April. 1877. 

 moscha'tum (musky). |. Blue, yellow. April. 



Levant. 1596. 



fla'vum( yellow). }. Yellow. April. Levant. 1596. 

 ,, Motela'yi (Motelay's). France. 



negle'ctum (neglected). J-f. Violet. April. Medi- 

 terranean region. 1884. 

 pa'llens (pallid). J. Pale blue. May. Caucasus. 



1822. 

 ,, pArado'xum (paradoxical). J-i. Dull blue. April. 



Armenia. 

 parviflo'rum ((small-flowered). Blue. April. Sicily. 



1827. 

 peduncula're (king-flower-stalked). See M. BOTRY- 



OIDES. 

 polya'nlhum (many-flowered). J-f. Violet-blue. 



Asia Minor. 1896. 



,, prce'cox (early). See HYACINTHUS AZUREUS. 

 pulche'llum (pretty). $-\. Dull blue-violet. March. 



Greece. 1876. 

 racemo'sum (racemed). J. Blue. April. Europe. 



1780. " Starch Hyacinth." 

 brackya'nthum (short-flowered). See M. SZOVIT- 



ZIANUM. 



mi'nus (smaller). }. Blue. April. Europe. 1780. 

 sartoria'num (Sartorian). J. Pale dusky yellow. 



April. Greece. 

 Schliema'nni (Schliemann's). |. Light purple-blue. 



April and May. Asia Minor. 

 sesstlifio'rum (stalkless-flowered). See HYACINTHUS 



SESSILIFLORUS. 



Strangwa'ysii (Strangway's). . Blue. S. Europe. 



1837. 

 suave' olens (sweet-smelling). . Deep blue, fading 



light blue. Siberia. 1902. 



M. szovitsia'num (Szovitsian). . Rich bright blue. 



March, April. Caucasus. 

 ,, tenuiflo'rum (slender-flowered), i. Lower flowers 



olive-green, upper violet-blue. 1889. 

 ,, /ransst7t>a'm'cwm(Transsilvanian). See M. BOTRYOIDES. 



MUSHROOM. Aga'ricus campe'slris. 



MUSHROOM-BEDS, for winter production, should be 

 formed in August, and once in two months after, of 

 dry materials, such as four or five barrowfuls of horse- 

 droppings, which have been saved for the purpose, four 

 or five barrowfuls of road-sweepings, and four or five 

 barrowfuls of dry, husky dung from the stable dun^i- 

 heap. Let these be all well turned over three or four 

 times to sweeten in some dry place. If the mixturf 

 should be found top dry to ferment sufficiently, then 

 sprinkle it with a little water at the time of its being 

 turned over. Shake it and mix it well together. The 

 quantity of materials depends on the size of the beds 

 required. The place where the beds are to be made 

 should be dry at bottom. The materials being in good 

 condition, proceed to make up your bed as solid and 

 firm as it can be beat together with the fork, whether in 

 ridges or half -ridges, or whatever shape may be thought 

 most convenient. Let the outside be beaten smooth and 

 well with a shovel or spade. Then insert a stick to prove 

 the temperature of the bed by. In about ten days after 

 the bed has been made it will be fit for spawning, if all 

 has gone on well, and the heat be found about that of 

 cows' milk ; but if the heat be too great, defer it for 

 another week, and shake open the bed a little to let off 

 the rank heat. If too cold, add a little fresh materials, 

 and work it up well together. Before putting in the 

 spawn make the beds firm, smooth, and even ; then 

 open holes with the hand about an inch below the sur- 

 face, and eight inches apart every way. Place in each 

 hole a moderate-sized lump or handful of bits of spawn, 

 and cover it over again with the same dry materials of 

 the bed. If there is no fear of the bed being too hot, 

 it may be covered over at the same time, about an inch 

 and a half thick, with good turfy loam, rather dry, and 

 run through a sieve first. When all is regularly covered 

 over, sprinkle the whole with water from a fine rose 

 waterpot, and pat the whole surface down level, leaving 

 it as smooth as a fresh-plastered wall. Let it remain 

 to dry off, giving plenty of air to dry it off the quicker. 

 After this, the bed should have a covering of anything 

 like mouldy hay, such as tops and bottoms from the 

 hay-rick, or hay-bands untwisted, or the like. Cover up 

 according to the heat of the beds. If you have any doubt 

 whether it is too hot, let the covering be light ; and at all 

 times the short mulch, when gathering the mushrooms, 

 should be cleared off from the bed's surface, or it will 

 exhaust the bed by the encouragement it gives to the 

 spawn to run out. A little additional litter may be added 

 as required, so as to keep the beds in regular and uniform 

 bearing, and gentle applications of tepid liquid-manure 

 will be found of great benefit to those beds that have 

 been well gathered from. Where the convenience of 

 hot-water pipes, or other artificial means, can be com- 

 manded for mushroom culture, so that the right tempera- 

 ture can be at all times maintained, no kind of litter- 

 covering need be applied. Mushroom-beds are always 

 best made under cover, and even a cart-shed can be 

 very easily converted into an excellent mushroom-house. 

 Warm and gentle moisture has much to do with the 

 growth of the mushrooms ; therefore, if the shed is 

 covered in with slate or tiles, the space between the 

 rafters inside should be well stuffed with straw of any 

 kind, which can be fastened up by nailing cross strips 

 of boards from rafter to rafter. Then, after the bed 

 is made, spawned, and finished, the front of the shed 

 may be stopped up with thick and well-thatched hurdles, 

 which would be warmer and better than any other thin 

 permanent enclosure. These hurdles can be readily 

 opened whenever light is wanting, either to examine 

 the beds, or to cover, or to uncover, or to collect, the 

 mushrooms. It is also convenient to be able to open the 

 house opposite where you wish, either to get in fresh 

 materials to make a new bed with, or to take out an old 

 one. If the length of the shed be from 21 to 30 feet, 

 it should give a large supply of mushrooms during the 

 winter and spring months. The beds should be made 

 along the back of the house. 



Previously to making up the beds, a board about 



