92 The Gardener's Nrw Director. 



but obferve when this method is followed, to lay 

 fome dry litter or llraw, to the depth of four inches be- 

 tween the fuk's of the bed, and the earth, this prevents 

 the earth from caking or cracking into rents, which it 

 is apt to do, from the heat and fermentation of the 

 dung; over the ftraw, which is entirely to cover the 

 bed, lay fome warm litter from the ftable, or dung heap ; 

 this will promote the growth of the Mufhrooms ; which 

 as foon as it cools, is to be renewed. 



If fuch beds are duly attended, they will lafl: feveral 

 months, and produce great crops ; and as the Muftirooms 

 grow lor ufe, fo will the fpawn, which ought to be laid 

 up in a warm dry place, until ihe fcafon for u/lng it. 

 The fpawn will keep tour months : fo that if in A4ay 

 you break up your Mufluoom-bcd?, the fpawn, or fmall 

 off-fets, though no bigger than pin-heads, will keep in 

 a warm dry place, amongft their earth, until September, 

 and even until O^ober or November. 



In very fevere frofts, or great rains, obferve to increafe 

 the llraw-coverings ; and in great ftorms I have fome- 

 times laid boards, fuch ^s old doors, fo as to reft gently 

 againft the fides of the beds, but not to bruife the Mufli- 

 rooms. 



Mufhroom fpawn is ihe fmall off-fets, which are found 

 about the Mulhroom roots; and the fmaller they are, 

 the better, provided they are round, knobby, and white, 

 for this is the beft form of the Chamfignlon, or true 

 Mufliroom. Such as come up with a brownifh colour, 

 long llalks, and flat heads, are bad, and are a fort of 

 Fungus, which may be improved, by following my 

 direfiions for purging of Mufhrooms ; but if they do 

 rot alter their appearance, they muff be taken from 

 the bed : by continuing to force Muflirooms, you may 

 have them good until the months of April or May. If, 

 in Angujl, September or O^ober, or even later in winter, 

 the beds do not produce Muflirooms, you muft not deftroy 

 them, but let them remain all winter covered with 

 ftraw, and probably in the month of March, but moft 

 certainly in April, May, and June, you will have plenti- 

 ful crops. 



T fhall mention another method of raifing Mufhrooms. 

 About the end of February, lay old rotted dung in a trench 



nine 



