194? THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



estimation in these situations, they are successfully 

 used by many of the most eminent market-gar- 

 deners in the three kingdoms. 



It was not till after the return of Oldacre, who was 

 gardener to the late Sir Joseph Banks, that mush- 

 room houses became so general; much of their 

 popularity arose from a small treatise which he pub- 

 lished on the subject, and which was much sought 

 after; and as he was a successful cultivator, his 

 method, with some improvements, was, and is at 

 this time, generally adopted. 



The first idea of building houses for the produc- 

 tion of mushrooms is supposed to have originated 

 in Germany, but whether it did so or not is not 

 material ; whoever was the inventor is entitled to 

 praise, as it is certainly a great addition to our 

 vegetable horticulture. The utility of such houses 

 has been already noticed. 



In a work treating solely of the cultivation of 

 culinary vegetables, both by natural and artificial 

 means, the omission of any part of their culture 

 would be deemed a blank ; on which account the 

 author is induced to give a rough sketch (on a 

 small scale) of a house necessary for the forcing of 

 mushrooms, and which will enable any person to 

 give directions for such a structure : the plan has 

 been tried, and found to work well. 



The place on which to build a house for the 

 above purpose should be dry and sheltered; the 

 length of the house should be twenty feet, as it 

 would be hardly worth while to erect a smaller one ; 

 and as it should be considerably more in length 

 than breadth, the ends should run north and south ; 



