540 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. [OCT. 



on the top of the ridge part of the loose or scattered spawn, and 

 shake some all over the bed; then cover the whole about an inch and 

 a half deep with light rich earth, smooth the surface neatly, and lay 

 on a light covering of straw as before, just so thick as to keep out 

 wet and prevent the bed from drying. 



As you find the bed decrease in heat and the weather grow cold, 

 increase the covering to a foot, eighteen inches, two feet, or, in severe 

 frost, to such a thickness as may be effectually sufficient to prevent 

 its reaching the bed. 



Two or three beds may be made parallel to each other in this way, 

 with wide alleys between them, and if the whole were to be covered 

 with a shed, especially in the middle and eastern States, it would be 

 found of considerable advantage in effectually preserving them from 

 too much wet, which is as essentially necessary as their preservation 

 from frost. 



If your bed is in a due temperature, the mushrooms will begin to 

 appear in about four or five weeks after its being made, and with 

 proper care will continue in bearing several months : when you find 

 it ceasing to produce, in consequence of cold, lay a covering of hot 

 stable dung seven or eight inches, or in hard frosts, near a foot thick 

 all over the bed, observing to leave under this, between it and the 

 bed, about three inches thick of> dry straw, covering the hot dung 

 over with the remainder of the straw or litter ; this will revive the 

 heat, give new action to the spawn, and should be repeated as often 

 during winter as it may be found necessary, always observing to pre- 

 serve the bed from wet, cold, and frost. 



Sometimes it happens that the beds do not produce any mush- 

 rooms till they have lain five or six months, so that they should not 

 be destroyed though they do not at first answer the expectation ; for 

 such frequently produce great quantities afterwards, and continue 

 bearing a long time. 



A good bed may continue productive for three, four, five, or even 

 twelve months; but by that time it is generally worn out; the dung 

 then makes excellent manure, and the interior part sometimes fur- 

 nishes very good spawn. 



The great skill of managing these beds is that of keeping them in 

 a proper degree of warmth and moisture, never suffering them to re- 

 ceive much wet: during the summer season they may be uncovered 

 occasionally to receive gentle showers of rain, when thought neces- 

 sary, and in very dry seasons the beds should be now and then 

 opened, gently watered, and covered up soon after ; bulk the summer 

 covering need be no thicker than what is necessary to preserve the 

 bed from the drying influence of the weather. 



This method of propagating mushrooms by the spawn, or the 

 white fibrous radicles, is the most common ; but they may also be 

 increased by seed. When the latter method is used, the gills are 

 cut out and put into the beds : or else they are infused in water and 

 the beds sprinkled with the infusion. 



When the bed is in full bearing, it should be examined two or 

 three times a week, to gather the produce, turning off the straw 

 carefully, and collecting the mushrooms white, and of a moderate 



