MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 655 



tionable odors are lost and a sweet fermentation, as growers term 

 it, has begun. 



Preparing the Beds. Mushroom beds are of two general types, 

 (1) the flat bed, frequently referred to as the English, and (2) the 

 ridge bed, known as the French type. In making the former the 

 entire floor space may be utilized as a bed, and the beds may be ar- 

 ranged in the form of tiers or shelves. In low cellars or caves, and, 

 indeed, wherever the amount of floor space is not the most impor- 

 tant consideration, it would be well to avoid the use of shelves ; but 

 where the amount of floor space is an important factor they may be 

 adopted to advantage, although the additional labor involved in 

 the growing of a crop under such conditions is an item to be consid- 

 ered. When shelves are used one should be careful to whitewash 

 these after each crop in order to avoid the increased danger from 

 insect depredations. In any case, flat beds should be made from 

 8 to 10 inches deep. Ridge beds enable one to get a somewhat 

 greater surface space in a given- area, but they are also more ex- 

 pensive so far as the labor of construction is concerned. Neverthe- 

 less, under many circumstances they are obviously desirable. They 

 should be about 2 feet wide at the base, tapering gradually to the 

 apex, and not more than about 18 to 20 inches high when com- 

 pressed and cased. The custom is to make two such beds in contact, 

 and then to leave a walk way of 8 or 10 inches between the next 

 two, and so on till the space is occupied. Next to the walls slanting 

 beds may be prepared. 



In any case, the manure is made up in the form of the bed 

 desired, and should be firmed or compressed to some extent imme- 

 diately, in order to prevent drying out and burning when the sec- 

 ondary fermentation takes place. At this time the manure should 

 be neither wet nor dry, but merely moist. The only practical test 

 of the proper moisture content of the manure which can be relied 

 upon is when upon compression water can not readily be squeezed 

 out of it. 



Spawning. After the beds are prepared the temperature 

 should be, and it usually will be, too high for spawning. After a 

 sudden rise the temperature should gradually fall during the course 

 of a week or more to about 70 to 75 F. At this temperature 

 spawning may take place, but under absolutely no circumstances 

 should a bed be spawned at a temperature greater than 80 F. If 

 brick spawn is used, the bricks are broken into pieces about 2 inches 

 square, or into from 10 to 12 pieces per brick. These pieces are 

 inserted from 1 to 2 inches below the surface, about 10 inches to 

 1 foot apart, and the bed is then compressed into final shape. 

 Under the most favorable circumstances it is unnecessary and unde- 

 sirable to water the beds for several weeks after spawning, or until 

 they are loamed or cased. If they dry out rapidly and some water 

 is necessary, it should be given as a surface spraying, for water in 

 quantity applied to the young spawn will almost invariably cause 

 the latter to damp off. 



