No. 4.] GKOWING OF MUSHROOMS. 



379 



Mushrooms do not constitute an ospeciallj easy croj) to 

 grow, or, at least, success has not always been obtained by 

 those who have attempted to grow them. One of the chief 

 difficulties appears to lie in poor spawn, and undoubtedly 

 proper temperature and soil conditions have not always 

 been maintained. 



During the past two years tlie Bureau of Plant Industry 

 at Washington has attempted to improve the quality of 

 spawn and methods of growing mushrooms. It is antici- 



FiG. 2. — Spawn mixed with manure and pressed into bricks. 



pated that the results of this work will appear subsequently 

 in a special publication, and it is expected that much valu- 

 able information resulting from research upon this subject 

 will be available, and Avill materially assist mushroom 

 growers in their business. 



How Mushrooms are grown. 

 The common mushroom of the market (^Agaricns cam- 

 jpestris) grows almost everywhere out of doors. It is readily 

 detected by those familiar with mushrooms, and especially 

 by foreigners who haAC spent their early life in Euro})e, 

 where considerable more attention is given to edible fungi 

 than in America. It is a matter of common observation in 

 summer to see Italians gathering various edible mushrooms 

 in pastures. Mushrooms frequently come up b}^ themselves 

 in greenhouses under the benches where manure and potted 

 soil is stored. AVe have gathered frequently many speci- 



