THE PREPARATION OF THE MATERIALS. 21 



The idea of mushrooms ceasing to be prolific from the 

 exhaustion of the active manure in the bed, I have 

 mooted before. Lately several experiments have been 

 tried which convince me that by taking three portions of 

 recently-gathered leaves to one of turfy loam, and working 

 them well together until the mass attains the desired 

 temperature, sprinkling it, as the work of turning proceeds, 

 with liquid direct from the stables, and forming this into a 

 bed treated in the usual manner, it will give just as good 

 mushrooms as the best horse manure in the w r orld. It 

 is the ammonia that is wanted for this crop, with a gentle 

 heat. Secure these two things, and, with ordinary care, 

 success is certain. 



Before making the beds, while the material is in pre- 

 paration, all particles of old wood, twigs, &c., that are 

 found in the manure should be rejnoved, as indeed should 

 any extraneous matters likely to prove offensive or useless. 



The best time for making mushroom-beds, where they 

 are not regularly made in succession throughout the 

 autumn and winter months, as they ought to be where 

 there is abundance of material and a good mushroom- 

 house, is in August and September, as in the early 

 autumn months the natural heat is sufficient to cause the 

 spawn to germinate freely, and beds made then ought to 

 bear freely before and up to Christmas, and during 

 autumn. 



When making the bed, the chief object to bear in 



