SPAWNING AND AFTER-TREATMENT. 41 



danee is explained further on. The enhance of rats 

 should also be guarded against. 



Mushroom-beds come into bearing about six weeks 

 from the time of spawning, and remain in bearing from 

 two to five months, according to the position in which 

 they are made, and the attention paid to them. 



Treatment of Old Beds. 



Upon the continuous bearing qualities of a mushroom 

 bed a word may be said. It may savour of the ridiculous 

 to say that a plant growing upon a dung bed may fail 

 from the want of manure. Yet such is literally and 

 positively the fact. Beds become worn out, the produce 

 small and spindly, and we directly do away with them 

 and make fresh ones. Instead of doing this, give the 

 bed a thorough soaking of stable urine and water, at the 

 temperature of 80 degrees, using the urine in' the propor- 

 tion of one part to five of soft water, and adding a wineglass- 

 ful of salt to each canful ; then coat the bed with fresh 

 soil, cover it down with mats so as to promote the heating, 

 and a second crop as good as the first may be obtained. 

 In this matter I speak from experience, and Mr. Ingram, 

 at Belvoir, has followed the same plan for many years 

 with the most satisfactory result. 



Gathering the Crop. 

 Gatherings should frequently take place, especially 



