SPAWNING AND AFTER-TREATMENT. 35 



Spawning. 



This is the phase of the culture which requires most 

 attention; as to get the spawn to run regularly through 

 the bed is to be nearly certain of securing a good crop. 

 In this respect there do not seem to be so many differences 

 of opinion among mushroom growers. Some, indeed, 

 spawn immediately after the bed is made up; but, except 

 where the materials are such as will not heat to more 

 than 80 degrees, this is uncertain, or in other words bad, 

 practice. 



The important thing should be to ascertain if the 

 spawn spreads through the bed properly. The usual 

 practice is to earth up the bed immediately or very soon 

 after it is spawned, and not a few take no further 

 notice of the bed or beds till the time arrives when the 

 mushrooms ought to appear. A better plan is not to 

 finally earth the bed until the spawn is seen beginning 

 to spread its white filaments through the mass; and 

 should it fail to begin to do this in eight or ten days 

 after spawning the conditions being favourable it is 

 then better to insert fresh spawn or to re-make the bed, 

 adding fresh materials if it be found to fail from being 

 too cold. If people generally were to see whether the 

 spawn had " taken" freely, instead of waiting for many 

 weeks, not knowing whether it had or not, there would 

 be fewer disappointments in mushroom culture. 



D 2 



