508 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. [OCT. 



well sheltered place. The bed ought to be made entirely on the 

 surface of the ground, rather than forming a shallow trench in which 

 to make the bottom part, as practised by some ; for by the former 

 method, it can be spawned quite to the bottom, and the lower 

 part will not be chilled by standing water in cold or wet weather, 

 and particularly as the part sunk in the ground may be considered 

 as totally useless. 



The width of the bed at bottom should be from three to four feet, 

 and any length you please, in proportion to the quantity of mush- 

 rooms required, orthe quantity of spawn with which you are pro- 

 Tided. 



Being furnished with a three tin ed fork, begin to make the bed 

 by shaking some of the longest of the prepared dung, evenly all 

 along the bottom, four or five inches thick ; then take the clung in 

 general as it comes and work it into the bed, gradually narrowing it 

 upwards, shaking and mixing the dung as you proceed and beating 

 it down with the fork layer by layer: proceed in this manner still 

 drawing in the sides of the bed till it terminates in a narrow ridge at 

 top, so that the bed may be formed like the roof of a house : be 

 careful that each end, shall be sloped in like manner as the sides, 

 and that all parts is made full ar.dyirra by beating it with the fork as 

 you proceed, to preserve uniformity and to prevent its settling down 

 too much in an unequal manner : it should be full three, or 

 three and a half feet perpendicular height when settled. 



When the bed is finished, it should be covered with long straw 

 laid on neatly to keep out wet, and also to prevent its drying ; in 

 this state it is to remain about ten or twelve days, by which time it 

 will be in a fit condition to be spawned ; but to ascertain the state 

 of the bed with the greater certainty, put in a few long sharp-pointr.d 

 sticks into several parts thereof, pull out and feel these occasionally, 

 carefully attending to the progress cf its fermentation, and when 

 you find the heat on the decline, and temperate, that is the time to 

 put in the spawn ; for a violent heat, as well as too much wet would 

 inevitably destroy it. 



The bed being in a proper temperature, the covering of straw 

 should be taken off, and the sides made smooth and even ; then lay 

 all over the bed about an inch thick of light rich earth, not wet. In 

 this the spawn is to be planted in rows six inches asunder, along the 

 sides and ends, making the first or lowest row, six inches from the 

 surface of the ground, and proceeding upwards row by row to the 

 top, observing to place the pieces of spawn about six inches asun- 

 der, and so far in, as to touch the surface of the dung. This done, 

 lay on the top of the ridge, paK 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 se- 

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

 prevent its reaching the bed. 



