242 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



Cleanliness. Strict cleanliness is essential to continued 

 success in the culture of Mushrooms. When stems and roots 

 are dug out of the beds, or when the base of the stalk is cut off 

 whilst gathering, every fragment must be put into a basket 

 kept at hand for that purpose, and carried away to the rubbish 

 heap. Houses, paths, and in fact the whole surroundings of 

 the beds must at all times be kept clear of the dead fungus. 

 After beds in sheds and houses have finished bearing and the 

 manure is cleared away, they should be thoroughly cleaned 

 out and ventilated, the walls limewashed, and the ground 

 sprinkled with lime. Shelves on which Mushrooms have been 

 grown should also be subjected to thorough cleansing and 

 limewashing. In this way, and by the use of lime in the soil 

 used for casing the beds, the various insect pests and fungoid 

 diseases to which Mushrooms are subject will never assume 

 formidable dimensions. 



MUSTARD and CRESS. 



Sinapis alba. Lepidium sativum. 



THE grower who does a direct supply trade will find it to 

 his advantage, both as regards satisfying his customers 

 and in the resultant profit, to produce regular supplies of 

 Mustard and Cress, especially during winter and spring. It is 

 easily grown, either in glass-houses or on mild hot-beds during 

 the winter, in cold frames later in the spring, and in the open 

 air as soon as the weather becomes warm and genial. 



When Mustard and Cress is done well it is tender, with good 

 bold leaves, and to get it in this condition it must be grown 

 quickly. To this end it needs light rich soil, a temperature 

 hovering round 60 degrees, and a rather moist but buoyant 

 atmosphere. W T hen there is a heated greenhouse available 

 it may be grown in any vacant spaces, either in boxes, directly 

 on the ground, or on benches, but where there is no such con- 

 venience for winter work hot-beds must be used. These should 

 be made in the manner described for French gardening work, 

 and the following description of the preparation of the seed- 

 bed applies equally to any of the methods adopted. 



