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by the air to various situations adapted to its na- 

 ture, germinating and shooting forth for the 

 production of new plants, that abundance of 

 spawn and perfect mushrooms are frequently 

 found in obscure places, where none were ever 

 observed before: as in decayed dung hot-beds, 

 horse-dung hills, dungy composts, and in bye dry 

 places where horse stable dung has lain mode- 

 rately dry for a considerable length of time un- 

 disturbed, and in a decayed condition; as well 

 as in dry meadows and pasture lands. 



In whatever manner the spawn is produced, 

 it generates and increases rapidly, affording a 

 plentiful propagation of mushrooms, by extend- 

 ing and spreading its stringy fibres in the earth 

 or°dung, according as it is obtained naturally or 

 raised by culture, but especially in the latter me- 

 thod ; as, when the pieces of spawny dung, 8cc. are 

 planted into garden mushroom-beds, it runs and 

 overspreads the whole just within the surface, as 

 well as penetrates into" the beds, and thus often 

 yields a production of mushrooms in regular 

 succession for several months ; and after the pro- 

 duce declines, furnishes occasionally good fresh 

 spawn in the interior parts of the dung-beds 

 for future use. Maiden spawn, or that which 

 was never worked in beds, or produced mush- 

 rooms, is in general to be preferred, as being 

 more certain of producing abundant crops, and 

 such as are more full and fleshy in their heads. 



But although mushrooms grow spontaneously 

 in meadows and grass pasture lands, they can be 

 obtained only occasionally, and at particular sea- 

 sons, as about the latter end of summer and in 

 autumn, and not always of the wholesome eat- 

 able kind : but by garden culture they may be 

 procured at any time of the year whenever they 

 may be required, and always of a good kind both 

 in substance and richness of flavour ; and be- 

 sides constantly procuring the proper dung spawn 

 lor planting, there is a greater certainty of their 

 being of the genuine sort. 



Culture iij spawn, &^c. — The common me- 

 thod of propagating and raising mushrooms 

 in garden culture, is Dy planting, m the manner 

 directed below, the lumps or pieces of spawny 

 dung or earth in a sort of hot-bed made with 

 horse-stable dung, formed on the ground in a 

 long narrow ridge, both sides sloping like the 

 roof or ridge of a house, to shoot off the wet, 

 or rain and snow, &c. In this mode, when the 

 great heat of the bed is abated to a very moderate 

 degree, the spawn is inserted into both the slop- 

 ing sides and the ends, as explained below, and 

 the bed then earthed overabout two inches thick ; 

 the whole being afterwards covered over with dry 

 straw, or clean dry straw litter, laid a foot thick, 

 to remain constantly night and day, in order to 

 defend the bed effectually from the external air, 



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moisture and cold ; as the spawn, being of a par- 

 ticular delicate nature, is equally impatient of 

 extreme hot-bed heat, cold air, and of any con- 

 siderable moisture, ah of which are therefore to 

 be carefully guarded against. By the miid heat 

 of the bed obtained as above, the spawn is set iii 

 motion, running and spreading itself in the earth 

 and dung, so as in five or six weeks to produce 

 mushrooms. 



It is however a better and more certain me- 

 thod to have the beds For this purpose prepared 

 in houses, sheds, or other protected situations, 

 as explained above. 



The true and proper spawn is discovered most 

 commonly in the soils of decayed dung and 

 dungy composts, in the manner explained above ; 

 and when genuine imparts a full smell of the 

 mushroom. 



Of this sort of spawn it is proper to procure a 

 supply previous to making the bed, in order 

 more readily to judge of the extent of bed that 

 may be necessary ; especially as in some places 

 good spawn is difficult to be obtained in any 

 considerable quantity. It should be carefully 

 collected, taking the lumps of spawny dung en- 

 tire, and then depositing them in some dry place 

 till they arc wanted. The quantity which is 

 proper may in generalbc at the rate of two or 

 three bushels for a bed of twenty feet in length, 

 and in the same proportion for those of larger 

 sizes. 



Mushroom spawn is found in various situ- 

 ations and soils, but more particularly in such 

 as have been mentioned above. In collecting 

 this substance, old dung-hills of horse-dung, 

 &c. dungy compost heaps, stable-yards, where 

 lays of horse-dung have been for some time in 

 a state of decay, especially the dry corners or 

 sides next walls, &c. as also horse-rides under 

 cover, in public livery-stable yards, that are 

 thickly littered with short stable-dung, should 

 be searched, as they often contain excellent vir- 

 gin spawn. 



In removing decayed dung hot-beds, old 

 mushroom beds, &c. great plenty of excellent 

 spawn may often also be procured ; and some- 

 times in kitchen gardens, where the ground has 

 been thickly dunged in the spring with dryish 

 half-rotted dung, on digging the same ground 

 again in autumn, &c. and looking with care, 

 good lumps of spawn may be seen in the re- 

 maining unexhausted dung, and in the clods of 

 mellow dungy earth. 



In procuring spawn from grass pastures, it 

 may be found in the earth where mushrooms 

 have been observed to rise, by digging it up in 

 lumps, and may be used where a sufficiency of 

 dung spawn cannot be obtained : but w here 

 enoueh of the latter can be procured, it is to 



