Vegetable Growing for Market 123 



and boards, and all horse labour. The house produced 5J tons of mush- 

 rooms, but a nearly similar house, put down later, only produced 3 tons, 

 although treated as far as possible in the same way. Probably a fail- 

 average for all crops is f Ib. of mushrooms per square foot. 



Against the first cost of the manure has to be put the value of the 

 spent bed, which will probably be one- quarter to one-sixth of the original 

 bulk of manure (say 100 to 125 yd. out of 600 yd.), and be worth Is. to 

 Is. 6d. per yard, according to locality. 



Prices of mushrooms vary very much. The following have been average 

 prices for the past few years: October and November, Is. to Is. 3d. per 

 pound; December, 9d. per pound; January, 6d. per pound; February and 

 March, 8d. per pound; April and May, 9d. per pound. Summer prices are 

 very much up and down, owing to the difficulty of getting the mushrooms 

 to market in good condition. 



For outdoor Mushroom beds in ridges other expert growers estimate 

 the cost at 6s. to 7s. per yard run, and the yield to be from 6 Ib. to 10 Ib. 

 per square yard. Thus an outdoor ridge Mushroom bed 100 yd. long would 

 cost about 35, and would require 100 tons of manure and about 18 bus. 

 of spawn. Reckoning a yield of 6 Ib. of Mushrooms to the square yard on 

 each side of the ridge, the crop would come to about 1200 Ib. over half a 

 ton. At an average price of 9d. per pound the gross receipts would be 

 45, leaving a profit of 10. To this should be added 2 or 3 for the 

 spent manure, which can be used in other ways. 



To ensure regular returns, good manure must be obtained, the labour on 

 its preparation must not be grudged, and, above all things, economy alone 

 should not be considered when purchasing the spawn. A cake of the latter, 

 on being broken, should be full of tiny grey threads just visible to the eye. 

 If the threads are larger, and look like cotton, the results will not be so 

 good. 



Diseases, &C. Mushrooms are subject to several diseases, one of the 

 worst being caused by a fungus known as Hypomyces perniciosus. This 

 parasite spreads quickly, and distorts the Mushrooms into soft irregular 

 masses of putrid tissue in time. There is practically no remedy, and so 

 prevention should be aimed at rather than cure. Any Mushroom infected 

 with disease of any sort should at once be removed from the house and 

 burnt. Every precaution should be taken to prevent disease occurring. 

 A concrete or clinker bottom should be provided for the manure to be 

 unloaded on as it is brought in, and this should be drenched two or three 

 times a year with a solution of clubicide or similar fungicide 1 to 1000. 

 All spent manure should be carted as far, and as soon, as possible from the 

 houses, and soil that has had spent manure mixed with it should never 

 be used for casing without first being sterilized, either by using the waste 

 heat from the boiler, or treating by steam. Sterilizing by steam has been 

 found to have a marked result on the weight and quality of the crop, and 

 growers may be confidently recommended to give it a trial. Old Cucumber 

 soil answers excellently for casing after being sterilized. 



