MUSHROOMS. 



324 



MUSTARD. 



depend somewhat on the state of the at- 

 Kaosphere ; but in a temperature of 45 to 

 55 they will usually begin to appear in 

 about six weeks. Little or no water should 

 be given to the bed until the mushrooms 

 Degin to come up, as its own moisture and 

 heat ought to be sufficient to start the 

 spawn ; but as soon as mushrooms appear, 

 a plentiful supply of water may be given, 

 and it will be found that a little common 

 salt, or, better still, saltpetre, will have a 

 great effect upon the crop. It is essential 

 that the surface of the bed be kept quite 

 dark. If the bed be made in the open air, 

 it may be necessary, after a time, to give 

 to the spawn a fresh start, by placing a 

 lining of hot manure around it ; but on all 

 occasions great care must be taken that the 

 heat of the bed is not so excessive as to 

 burn up the spawn. This, however, can 

 never happen at a temperature of 75; and 

 when a bed is above this, no spawn should 

 ever be inserted. 



Much has been said about letting the bed 

 all but cool before spawning : it is better, 

 perhaps, to choose a high rather than low 

 temperature, because the spawn sets to 

 work more freely and rapidly, and the 

 mushrooms come up more uniformly over 

 the bed. The process of spawning has 

 been already described. It is not advisable 

 to case the bed (that is, putting a case of 

 good fresh loamy soil of about 2 or 3 inches 

 in thickness all over it) immediately after 

 spawning ; but cover thinly with straw for 

 a day or two, or till the spawn just begins 

 to take hold of the dung; then case it, 

 beating the soil firmly, and, lastly, put on 

 straw enough to exclude the light ; and as 

 the weather and the bed cool, increase the 

 covering and add garden mats. In making 

 mushroom beds, much depends on the 

 quality of the spawn. Good spawn, which 

 ought to be procured at all nurseries, &c., 

 is full of fine downy-looking threads, and 

 smells exactly like mushrooms ; it is some- 



times found in plenty in heaps of old manure 

 that have been several years without being 

 disturbed. Never use old spawn ; if you 

 do, you will, in all probability be dis- 

 appointed in the crop. Fresh spawn from 

 a large grower is always the best and most 

 reliable. 



Mustard. 



If a supply is required in winter, or when 

 the weather is too cold for the seed to 

 vegetate out of doors, sow in shallow boxes 

 or pans, placing these in a warm house or 



MYRTLE (MVKTUS COMMUNIS). 



pit. During the heat of summer a shady 

 border will be the most suitable situation. 

 Make the surface of the soil fine, level, and 

 smooth, then water it and sow the seed very 

 thickly. Press it gently into the soil, but 

 avoid covering it with soil, else the earth 

 and sand will adhere to the leaves and be 

 with difficulty removed by washing. Ex- 

 clude the sun's rays, and keep the seeds 

 moist by coverings ; but these mu-t be 

 removed as sopn as the seeds have fairly 



