1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 209 



]\riishrooiiis were grown under the ordinary conditions. No 

 special houses were provided. For the most part, beds were 

 made up under greenhouse benches in a house used for bed- 

 ing out stock. In one instance beds were made in an unused 

 cellar. This work was under the direct charge of Mr. Francis 

 Canning, head gardener. 



As has been said, the usual methods were followed. For 

 instance, in the fall of 1904 a bed was made up, November 

 19. This "\vas spawned November 30 with common English 

 spawn and with a few varieties of pure-culture spawn. The 

 first picking was made on January G, The entire crop from 

 a bed of 75 square feet was something over 50 ix)unds. This 

 amount was sold for an average of 35 cents a pound, bringing 

 a total of a trifle over $17.50. This gives an average return 

 of approximately 24 cents per square foot. Part of this crop 

 was sold locally in quart strawberry boxes, wdiich will hold 

 one pound of mushrooms when heaping full, A considerable 

 amount of the crop was shipped to Boston, selling from 40 

 to 50 cents a pound, yielding a net average of 33 cents a 

 pound. 



In the fall of 1905 the experiment was renewed, greater 

 care being taken to equalize all conditions, and to give a fair 

 test on the comparative value of varieties used. Five pure- 

 culture varieties were included in this planting, as follows: 

 Alaska, Columbia, Bohemia, Galloway and Agaricus arvensis 

 (this last is the variety now called Eureka). In separate 

 sections of the same bed the common English and the French 

 spawns were included. The following table shows the results 

 of this experiment. The time of first picking is indicated, 

 and of the last picking, thus showing the length of season. 

 The total weight is given, and dates are added to indicate 

 at what time of the season the beds w^ere most productive. In 

 the last column is shown the number of pounds produced by 

 each bed during its most productive week. 



