CULTURE IN PASTURES, ETC. 93 



the foot. As to the depth at which the spawn should 

 be deposited, it would be better not to put it at any 

 given depth, but so that while one piece of a flake may- 

 be at a depth of six inches or nearly so, others may touch 

 the very surface. This, it need hardly be pointed out, 

 would allow of the spawn vegetating at the depth and 

 temperature most congenial to it. It would be most 

 desirable to spawn at slightly different times, and, if pos- 

 sible, with different samples of spawn : thus^ for ex- 

 ample, it would be well to use a mixture of old and 

 dried spawn with that taken fresh from one of the beds 

 alluded to. If this were not convenient, some part of 

 the large bed of spawn might be laid by to dry, and used 

 a week or two afterwards. Probably the most economical 

 way of doing this on a large scale would be by employing 

 a number of boys, guided by an experienced workman. 



It is scarcely desirable to attempt the culture in kept 

 lawns, as no matter how suitable these are for it, the 

 appearance of a large crop of mushrooms would have 

 anything but a tendency to beautify the carpet of turf, 

 and would probably become offensive from their odour. 



The preceding refers to the cultivation of mushrooms 

 in pastures, meadows, &c. There is not the slightest 

 reason why a similar course of culture would not succeed 

 in fields amongst green crops. As large crops of mush- 

 rooms have been produced in gardens under broccoli, &c., 

 there is no reason whatever why they might not be 



