36 



with loam or decomposed sod, mixing about one-fourth or one-fifth loam 

 or decomposed sod with manure. Either fresh or partially rotted 

 manure can be used, and this should repeatedly be well worked over, 

 composted and watered frequently, taking care that it does not burn. 

 After it has been well worked over and composted various times, and 

 the heat is not likely to rise above 130° F, it should be thoroughly incor- 

 porated Avith one-fourth to one-fifth decomposed loam or sod. It can 

 remain in this condition until ready for use. The beds are usually made 

 up ten to fourteen inches deep, and in these are placed the soil and 

 manure for growing them. The bottom of the bed should be supplied 

 with six inches of fresh manure, well tamped down, it should be 

 covered with the prepared manure and loam mentioned above, adding 

 about two inches at a time, and compacting the same. If it shows a 

 tendency to heat too much, incorporate a little loam with it. One or two 



Fig. 4. — Cross-section of a wooden mushroom house about sixteen feet wide, provided 

 with beds. The house is banked up with earth, and the earth is covered with salt 

 marsh hay, heated from boiler. 



layers two inches deep of the prepared loam and manure can be put on 

 each day until the required depth is obtained. Straw or some mulching 

 material is then put over the top of the bed until ready to spawn. This 

 answers the purpose of catching the condensed steam and keeping the 

 surface from getting too wet. After the temperature of the beds has 

 reached about 90° to 95° F. the straw should be removed and the bed 

 spawned, although some growei's prefer a temperature of about 80° F. 

 This is accomplished by breaking the bricks into pieces and planting the 

 pieces in rows in the bed. The rows should be about one foot ajjart, 

 and the pieces of sj^awn inserted every six or eight inches and covered 

 up superficially with the soil. When spawning is completed, compact 

 the surface of the bed all over. After this is accomplished the bed can 

 again be covered with straw, and in the course of eight or nine days the 

 straw is removed and the bed covered with two inches of good, mellow 

 loam. Care should be taken that the temperature of the bed does not 

 exceed 80° F. after covering, as in that case one is likely to lose the 

 crop. 



Temperattire and moisture. — Before the mushrooms have made their 



