184 FRENCH MARKET-GARDENING 



for making mushroom spawn. Only the best horse- 

 manure is used, and bricks or cakes of spawn are much 

 looser and lighter than the English ones. 



Almost every grower in Paris prepares his own 

 spawn in the following way : In the month of July 

 some good manure is turned over a few times until 

 it becomes short and crisp, and well heated, just in 

 the same condition as for making up mushroom beds. 

 A trench about 2 ft. wide and 2 ft. deep is then dug 

 out in a shady place generally in some position facing 

 north. Some small pieces of spawn are then placed 

 about a foot apart in two rows along the bottom of 

 the trench thus made, from one end to the other. 

 After this the trench is filled up with the prepared 

 manure, and this is trodden down firmly with the feet. 

 The soil taken out of the trench is now spread over 

 the manure in the trench. A piece of board, however, 

 is placed near the centre of the trench, before the 

 soil is placed on top, and this may be lifted up when 

 it is desired to see what progress the spawn is making 

 in the manure beneath. Three or four weeks, as a 

 rule, are allowed for the spawn to spread throughout 

 the manure in the trench. The soil is then removed, 

 and the compressed manure, now saturated with the 

 mycelium or spawn of the mushrooms, is cut into 

 flat cakes. These are spread out in cool, dry, airy 

 sheds or barns, on shelves made of battens, where 

 they remain until required for use, 



This seems such a simple and clean method of 

 preparing mushroom spawn that it is a wonder it is 

 not adopted in England. It is, of course, possible that 

 as most of our Mushrooms are grown in beds in the 

 open air, spawn in horse-manure would not last 



