Commercial Gardening 



closer than in a flat bed, 8 in. each way being a suitable distance, and 

 the pieces should be inserted in an upright position. The holes can be 

 filled up with the rakings off the side, and all made firm. 



The soil for casing must be considerably wetter than that used for 

 flat beds, as it must adhere to the bed 2 to 2| in. at the base and 2 in. 

 at the top will be none too much. It must be beaten very firm, men 

 working from either side with flat spades and beating together against 

 each other. The soil shrinks in drying, so it must not be too wet. Each 

 crack lets out heat and moisture, and the temperature must be maintained. 

 The beds should be placed 9 ft. apart, centre to centre, allowing plenty 

 of room for litter and for moving between them. From 18 in. to 2 ft. 

 of litter may be necessary in the coldest weather to maintain the heat. 



In picking, a man should work each side of the bed, uncovering as little 

 as possible at a time, carefully throwing out rotten litter, and damping the 

 bed with warm water if necessary. Each picking should be started from 

 either end of the bed alternately; the litter comes off easier that way. 

 Mats, old sacks, or oiled canvas should be placed on the tops to shoot 

 off the rain, and gullies dug between them to drain the water away. 



It is always advisable to grade the Mushrooms well. The chief growers 

 make several sizes of both cups and opens, and overweight is given, as 

 shrinkage by evaporation always occurs. 



Cost of Production. It is very difficult to give an estimate as to what 

 a crop of Mushrooms should cost to grow, or of what weight a given area 

 should produce. The cost of manure and labour vary so much, and the 

 skill and experience that are applied to the crop differ so greatly, that only 

 a rash man would care to estimate for his neighbour. A few figures are 

 given below, taken from actual experience, but at the best they can only 

 be taken as a rough guide. A crop was grown in a glasshouse 220 ft. long 

 by 40 ft. wide. For this 600 yd. of manure was bought at Is. 6d. per 

 yard. It was damped out and allowed to stop for three days, and was 

 then turned six times at intervals of two days, and the day after the last 

 turn the bed was made up. After three treadings the bed settled down 

 to 6 in., and was then spawned and cased. The temperature was kept 

 about 74 F. by means of litter. 



The actual cost of the bed, which covered 8200 ft. super., was as 

 follows: 



600 yd. manure at Is. Qd. per yard ......... 45 



100 bus. spawn at 2s. Qd. per bushel ...... 12 10 



Labour 28 



Total 85 10 



One man at 25s. a week and four men at 21s. were employed. To the total 

 the cost of soil for casing must be added. In this instance 40 yd. were 

 used. The cost of making ridges is slightly higher in proportion. The 

 labour included: making the manure and putting down the bed; digging 

 and screening soil and casing the bed; putting down the necessary posts 



