No. 4.] GROWING OF MUSHROOMS. 377 



THE GROWING OF MUSHROOMS. 



P.Y T)K. OF.O. E. STONE, PROFESSOR OF BOTANY, MASSACHUSETTS 

 AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



During the past decade considerable increased interest 

 has been manifested in edible mushrooms of all kinds. 

 Numerous publications, some of which are extensive and 

 profusely illustrated volumes, have made their appearance, 

 and in recent years mycological societies have been estab- 

 lished in many localities. The members of these societies 

 are enthusiastic in studying nuishrooms, and, as a conse- 

 quence of a large amount of diligent study, together with 

 the testing of various types of edible species, a vast amount 

 of information has been secured on this subject. 



There is also an increased interest pertaining to the grow- 

 ing of mushrooms for the market, especially existing among 

 amateurs and those who wish to indulge in some form of 

 gardening on a small scale. 



It is the purpose of this article to present in a brief man- 

 ner an account of mushroom growing. 



What Mushrooms are. 



Mushrooms are low, humble plants, belonging to the 

 large group collectively known as fungi. Fungi are white 

 plants, and are not infrecjucntly called colorless, since they 

 contain no green coloring matter, such as is characteristic 

 of leaves. On account of the absence of green coloring 

 matter, or chlorophyll, they are incapable of decomposing 

 the carbon dioxide of the air and buikling up compounds of 

 starch, sugar, etc., which constitutes one of the chief char- 

 acteristics of green plants. 



Mushrooms arc what botanists term " saprophytes," that 



