220 GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT. 



SPAWNING THE BED. 



The spawn should not be inserted until the temper- 

 ature of the bed at two inches below the surface has fal- 

 len to 90 degrees. When bricks are used, they should 

 be cut into twelve or fifteen pieces, and inserted in the 

 bed at intervals of ten to twelve inches, so that they will 

 be covered fully an inch. The flake spawn should be 

 inserted in about the same way, using about one-half 

 as much. 



If grown in a cool place, or if there is danger from 

 moisture, it is well to cover the bed, after spawning, with 

 two or three inches of litter, if it is not to be molded at 

 once. By molding is meant, covering the bed with loam 

 to the depth of about two inches. This can be done 

 immediately after spawning, but unless the conditions 

 are particularly favorable, it will be safer to delay it 

 until from the fifth to the tenth day, yet it should not 

 be put off after the twelfth day from spawning. The 

 loam used for this purpose should be about the same as 

 for preparing the bed. Sod from an old pasture, garden 

 soil or sandy loam, will answer, but any soil containing 

 much clay or a considerable quantity of sand should be 

 rejected. All clods and coarse material of all kinds 

 should be thrown out, and it should then be placed over 

 all exposed parts of the bed, to the depth of from one 

 and one-half to two inches, and firmly packed down, 

 particularly on the edges of the beds. 



CARE OP THE BED. 



The best results are obtained when the beds are in 

 an atmosphere of about 58 degrees ; this can vary four 

 or five degrees each way, but if raised above 65 degrees 

 a failure may be expected. On the other hand, the 

 temperature of the air may fall several degrees below the 

 freezing point, but if the bed is covered with several 

 inches of litter, and the heat is kept in by means of mats 



