120 Commercial Gardening 



eight; the larger the piece the less risk of all the spawn being killed. Before 

 proceeding to lay out the latter the bed should be levelled over, testing to 

 see that the depth is equal. The spawn should be laid out in lines 10 in. 

 apart both ways, from centre to centre, using marked boards for the purpose. 

 The only tool needed for spawning is a dagger-shaped piece of wood. This 

 is inserted at an angle of about 45 degrees, the manure lifted up, and the 

 piece of spawn put in, outside edge upwards, and about 1 in. below the 

 surface. The bed is firmly trodden as the work proceeds, and it will be 

 found that a large area can be spawned in a short time. If the bed should 

 be too wet, each piece of spawn should have some dry sweet droppings 

 tucked in all round it, to help absorb the moisture dry, half -rotted litter, 

 or even hay twisted round the cake, will answer the purpose. If the outer 

 surface of the cake once damps, the mycelium or spawn will not be able to 

 get through to the bed. 



Casing" the Beds. For the casing or landing, good virgin loam should 

 be used if obtainable. If access can be had to a field, pare off the turf 

 in slabs 1 ft. square and 2 in. deep, take out 4 in. of soil, and replace 

 the turf. Weightier Mushrooms will be obtained from this than from old 

 soil. But old soil has generally to be utilized; old Tomato or potting 

 soil often does well, or even soil from an arable field. If it is at all 

 inclined to be sour, lime should be mixed with it, 1 part to 100 being an 

 average dressing. All soil should be put through a screen of J-in or f -in. 

 mesh, and should be moist enough to bind together if squeezed in the hand. 

 Before starting to case, the surface of the bed should be trodden flat with 

 the aid of boards, and then the soil wheeled on the bed on boards to 

 prevent crushing the spawn. The soil is then spread on as evenly as 

 possible with the hands and beaten down firmly with the back of a flat 

 spade or shovel. A depth of 1J to 2 in. should be aimed at. Less than 

 1J in. will not hold the "roots" firmly when picking is in progress, and a 

 loss of crop through broken threads will ensue. The casing must be firm. 



After the latter process is finished, an even temperature of 70 to 75 F. 

 should be looked for. If lower than this, litter must be placed on the bed. 

 From 3 to 6 in. is often necessary at first, and this should be turned after 

 two or three weeks to allow the air to gain access to the bed, as well as to 

 get rid of any very short stuff, or weeds that may have come up in the 

 soil. As the spawn begins to show, the litter should be reduced gradually, 

 and if necessary fire heat turned on, so that a house temperature of 55 

 by night and 60 by day is maintained, air being given whenever possible. 

 A little litter is always an advantage on the bed; it prevents quick drying 

 and so much damping down is not necessary. The Mushrooms also are 

 weightier than when it is absent. All the time it is on, a careful watch 

 must be kept to see that the surface of the bed does not become dry. If at 

 any time this occurs, it should be remembered that two or three light 

 dampings at intervals are better than one heavy one. The heavy damping 

 will probably run through to the manure, and once the surface of that 

 becomes too wet, hopes of a crop are nil, for the mycelium will be unable 



