14 MUSHROOM CULTURE. 



I will quote a few of our most trustworthy authorities 

 on the subject. Mr. W. Early, in " How to Grow 

 Mushrooms/' -lays great stress on the importance of 

 gathering the droppings in a dry state. " Every advan- 

 tage should be taken of opportunities of securing and 

 placing them in any open shed, or other similar 

 position, where they can be effectually sheltered from 

 rains. In such a place, whilst the process of col- 

 lecting is going on, every portion should be spread 

 loosely over the floor, in moderate sized ridges, or in any 

 other manner that will allow the air to get amongst it to 

 assist in drying. It should also be tossed over or 

 turned, and lightened up daily for the same purpose, until 

 a sufficiency is gathered together for immediate use." 



This may be taken as a sample of the practice very 

 extensively followed in this country. Happily, we have 

 excellent, mushroom growers who succeed without 

 all this trouble, as the following remarks of Mr. J. 

 Barnes will show : " For the last thirty years I have 

 made my beds entirely on the floor in sheds, wheeling in 

 the stable dung as it is brought fresh from the stable, 

 adding a fourth, or a little more than a fourth, of 

 good friable loam, mixing both well together, pressing 

 firmly down, and letting it remain about a week or so 

 untouched. At the end of that time we turn it over, 

 and if we consider it in too strong a state of fermenta- 

 tion we add a little more soil, and then tread down 



