37 



for bedding the animals, the composting may require a somewhat 

 longer period. 



The manure is always ready for the construction of beds when the 

 above conditions have been fulfilled, or when nearly all objectionable 

 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 arranged in the form of tiers or shelves. 

 In low cellars or caves, or wherever the amount of floor space is not 

 the most important 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 the crop under such conditions is an item 

 to be considered. 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 expensive so 

 far as the labor of construction is concerned. Nevertheless, 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 compressed and cased. 

 The custom is to make two such beds in contact, and then 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 immediately, 

 in order to prevent drying out and burning when the secondary fer- 

 mentation 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 on is when upon 

 compression water cannot 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 tem- 

 perature should gradually fall during the course of the week or more 

 to about 70° or 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 



