Chap. XXX.] MURIIROOM-CULTURP] IN CAVES UNDER RARIS. 509 



constructed that the quantity of air necessary for the proper 

 growth of the Mushrooms may be obtained at will. Proper 

 watering plays a great part in Mushroom -culture ; means must, 

 therefore, be taken for obtaining a sufficient supply of water in 

 the quarry itself. It often happens, however, that the opening 

 of the quarry and the locality of the beds are far away from any 

 dwelling or well, in which case the water is conveyed to the 

 mouth of the shaft in large barrels holding about 130 gallons. 

 By means of a sail-cloth hose, which is attached to the tap of the 

 barrel, the water is lowered to the bottom of the shaft, where it 

 is stored in large tubs or tanks. In some quarries sufficient water 

 filters through the rock for the supply of the beds. 



Once more we enter a narrow passage, and find ourselves be- 

 tween tw^o lines of beds in full bearing, the white " button " 

 Mushrooms appearing everywhere in profusion along the sides 

 of the diminutive beds. As the proprietor goes along he removes 

 sundry bunches that are in perfection, and leaves them on the 

 spot, so that they may be collected with the rest for the morrow's 

 market. He gathers largely every day, occasionally sending away 

 more than 400 lbs. weight, the daily average being about 300 lbs. 

 We are now in an open space, a sort of chamber, say 20 feet 

 by 15, and here the little beds are arranged in parallel lines, an 

 alley of not more than four inches separating them, the sides 

 of the beds being literally blistered all over with Mushrooms. 

 Frequently the Mushrooms grow in bunches or " rocks," as they 

 are called, and in such cases those that compose the little mass 

 are lifted all together. 



The sides of one bed here had been almost stripped by the 

 taking away of such bunches, and it is worthy of note that they 

 are not only taken out, root and all, when being gathered, but the 

 spot in which they grew is scraped out, so as to get rid of 

 every trace of the old bunch, the space being covered with a little 

 earth from the bottom of the heap. It is the practice to do this 

 in every case, and when the gatherer leaves a small hole from 

 which he has pulled even a solitary Mushroom, he fills it with 

 some of the white earth from the base. The Mushrooms look very 

 white, and are of prime quality. The daily gatherings, and the 

 absence of all littery coverings and dust, secure them in spotless 

 condition. 



