Oct.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 517 



face of the ground, rather than forming a shallow trench in which 

 to make the bottom part as practised by some; for by the former 

 method it can be spawned cj uite to the bottom, and the lower part 

 will not be chilled by standing water in cold or wet weather, and 

 particularly as the part sunk in the ground may be considered as 

 totally useless. 



The width of the bed at bottom should be from three to four feet, 

 and any length you please, in proportion to the quantity of mush- 

 rooms required, or the quantity of spawn with which you are pro- 

 vided. 



Being furnished with a three fined fork, begin to make the bed 

 by shaking some of the longest of the prepared dung evenly all 

 along the bottom four or five inches thick; then take the dung in 

 general as it comes and work it into the bed, gradually narrowing 

 it upwards, shaking and mixing the dung as you proceed and beat- 

 ing it down with the fork layer by layer: proceed in this manner, 

 still drawing in the sides of the bed till it terminates in a narrow 

 ridge at top, so that the bed maybe formed life the roof of a house: 

 be careful that each end shall be sloped in like manner as the sides, 

 and that all parts is made full and firm by beating it with the fork 

 as you proceed, to preserve uniformity and to prevent its settling 

 down too much in an unequal manner: it should be full three or 

 three and a half feet perpendicular height when settled. 



When the bed is finished, it should be covered with long straw 

 laid on neatly to keep out wet, and also to prevent its drying; in 

 this state it is to remain about ten or twelve days, by which time it 

 will be in a fit condition to be spawned; but to ascertain the state 

 of the bed with the greater certainty, put in a few long sharp-point- 

 ed sticks into several parts thereof, pull out and feel these occa- 

 sionally, carefully attending to the progress of its fermentation, 

 and when you find the heat on the decline, and temperate, that is 

 the time to put in the spawn; for a violent heat as well as too much 

 wet would inevitably destroy it. 



The bed being in a proper temperature, the covering of straw 

 should be taken oft" and the sides made smooth and even; then lay 

 all over the bed about an inch thick of light rich earth, not wet. In 

 this the spawn is to be planted in rows six inches asunder along the 

 sides and ends, making the first or lowest row six inches from the 

 surface of the ground, and proceeding upwards row by row to the 

 top, observing to place the pieces of spawn about six inches asunder, 

 and so far in as to touch the surface of the dung. This done, 

 lay on the top of the ridge part of the loose or scattered spawn 

 and shake some all over the bed; then cover the whole about an 

 inch and a half deep with light rich earth, smooth the surface 

 neatly, and lay on a light covering of straw as before, just so thick 

 as to keep out wet and prevent the bed from drying. 



As you find the bed decrease in heat and the weather grow cold, 

 increase the covering to a foot, eighteen inches, two feet, or, in 

 severe frost, to such a thickness as may be effectually sufficient to 

 prevent its reaching the bed. 



Two or three beds may be made parallel to each other in this 



