A TALK ABOUT MUSHROOMS. 107 



French spawn. Of the English spawn, between 250,000 and 

 300,000 ponuds a year are now imported, — more than four times 

 as much as was used three years ago. About one-third of the 

 whole is imported through the New York seed houses, one-third 

 through the Philadelphia seed houses, and nearly all of the other 

 third through the seed houses of Boston and other cities, Chicago 

 disposing of about 10,000 pounds. Some large market-growers, 

 like Scott & Son of Philadelphia, and the Lansdale Mushroom 

 Co., of Pennsylvania, import their own spawn, each using a few 

 thousand pounds. 



There is an import duty of twenty per cent on spawn, but should 

 the Wilson bill become a law, spawn will be admitted free. 



To give you some idea of how the sale of mushroom spawn has 

 increased within the last few years, let me quote from a letter from 

 Mr. G. C. Watson, of Philadelphia: "In the season of 1888-89, 

 when with Gardiner & Co., we sold 5,000 pounds, and the next 

 year 50,000 pounds. I started in business for myself last May. 

 I contracted with an English grower for 5,000 pounds. That 

 quantity didn't begin to be enough. I have sold and shipped to 

 date (January 31, 1894), 16,740 pounds and have a shipment of 

 10,000 pounds now on the way. My sales for the year may 

 safely be put at 25,000 pounds. 



American-Made Mushuoom Spawn. — The manufacture of 

 mushroom spawn in this country has never received much encour- 

 agement. Several persons have tried it, and some have succeeded 

 in getting up a potent article ; in fact, in one or two cases, samples 

 submitted to me for trial have been as satisfactory as the imported 

 spawn, while others have been almost or completely worthless. 

 The best I ever grew was made and sent to me by Mr. S. Edward 

 Paschall, of Doylestown, Pa. Indeed, my bed planted with it 

 bore a heavier crop than did another bed alongside of it planted 

 with English spawn. The mushrooms in both beds were the same 

 variety. But no well-directed, persistent effort at spawn-making 

 has come to my knowledge. All the samples that have been 

 submitted to me for trial have had an uneven, unfinished appear- 

 ance. While this would not affect the potency of the bricks at all, 

 it certainly would spoil their sale in the market. We are now too 

 well accustomed to the even, handsome bricks imported from 

 England, to accept of anything rough that is made at home. 

 In my opinion we cannot make spawn as generally good and good- 



