MUSHROOM. 



pered as to be capable of producing 

 ami preserving spawn ; biu, in order 

 to have fruitful spawn at all times, it 

 should be so formed as to be always 

 at command. To this end, a quan- 

 tity of fresh horse droppings, mixed 

 with short litter, should be collected ; 

 add to this one third of cow dung, 

 and a small portion of good earth, to 

 cement it together ; mash the whole 

 into a thin compost, like grafting 

 clay ; then form it in the shape of 

 bricks, which being done, set them on 

 edge, and frequently turn them until 

 half dry ; then, with a dibble, make 

 one or two holes in each brick, and 

 insert in each hole a piece of spawn 

 the size of an egg : the bricks should 

 then be laid where they can dry grad- 

 ually. When dry, lay dry horse 

 dung on a level floor, six or eight 

 inches thick ; on this pile the bricks, 

 the spawn side uppermost. When 

 the pile is snugly formed, cover it 

 with a small portion of fresh warm 

 horse dung, sufficient in quantity to 

 produce a gentle glow through the 

 whole. When the spawn has spread 

 itself through every part of the bricks 

 the process is ended, and they may 

 be laid up in any dry place for use. 

 Mushroom spawn, made according to 

 this receipt, will preserve its vegeta- 

 ting powers for many years, if well 

 dried before it is laid up ; if moist, it 

 will grow, and soon exhaust itself. 



" Mushroom beds are often formed 

 in ridges in the open air, and covered 

 with litter and mats, so as to prevent 

 heavy rains exciting fermentation ; 

 and sometimes in ridges of the same 

 sort under cover, as in the open sheds 

 of hot-houses. They are also made in 

 close sheds behind hot-houses, or in 

 houses built on purpose, called mush- 

 room-houses. A moderately warm, 

 light cellar is peculiarly suited for the 

 purpose in the winter season, as no 

 fire is necessary, and hut little water, 

 the application of which frequently 

 proves injurious, when not judicious- 

 ly managed. Mushrooms may also be 

 rai.sed in pots, boxes, hampers, &c., 

 placed in warm situations, in old beds, 

 in pits with glazed frames, and in 

 dark frames or pits. 



"The general way of making mush- 

 room beds is to prepare a body of 

 stable dung, moderately fermented, 

 about a yard in thickness, more or 

 less, according to the size and situa- 

 tion in which the bed is to be formed ; 

 when the strong heat has subsided, 

 an inch of good mould may be laid 

 over it, and the spawn planted there- 

 in in rows five or six inches apart ; 

 after this is done, another layer of 

 mould, an inch thick, may be added, 

 and then a coat of straw. Beds well 

 constructed will produce mushrooms 

 in five or six weeks, and will con- 

 tinue to produce for several months, 

 if care be taken in gathering not to 

 destroy the young ones. As mush- 

 rooms are gathered, from time to 

 time, the straw should be spread 

 carefully over the bed. 



" Beds made in a convenient place, 

 where there is space all around, may 

 be formed so as to make four sloping 

 surfaces, similar to the roof of a 

 house ; this, by being spawned on 

 the four sides, will yield abundantly. 

 The celebrated Mr. Nichol makes his 

 beds without spawn. 



" After having laid a floor of ashes, 

 stones, chips, gravel, or brickbats, so 

 as to keep the bed quite dry and free 

 from under damp, lay a course of 

 horse droppings, six inches thick. 

 These should be new from the sta- 

 bles, and must not be broken, and the 

 drier the better. They may be col- 

 lected every day until the whole floor 

 or sole be covered to the above thick- 

 ness ; but they must not be allowed 

 to ferment or heat. In the whole 

 process of making up, the bed should 

 be as much exposed to the air as pos- 

 sible ; and it should be carefully de- 

 fended from wet if out of doors. 

 ^^'hen this course is quite dry, and 

 judged to be past a state of ferment- 

 ation, cover it to the thickness of 

 two inches with light, dry earth ; if 

 sandy, so much the better. It is im- 

 material whether it be rich or not, 

 the only use of earth here being for 

 spawn to run and mass in. Now lay 

 another course of droppings, and 

 earth them over as above, when past 

 a state of fermentation : then a third 



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