MU3 



[ DO* ] 



MUS 



be cut off, with a portion of the stem 

 just where the upper tier of fruit b 

 ripening, and suspended in a dry and 

 airy room, after the manner of late 

 grapes. Sir J. Pax ton observes, that " he 

 has had capital fruit from a spadix two 

 months after it was cut." The produce of 

 one plant will weigh from 15 to 30 pounds. 

 MUSCA'KI. Grape Hyacinth. (From 

 moschoB, musk ; the smell of the flowers. 

 Nat. ord., Lily worts [Liliaceffi]. Linn. 

 fi-Hexandria lL-Mcmogynia. Allied to 

 Hyacinth us.) 



Hardy bulbs. For culture, nee HYA.CI'NTHTTS. 

 M. botryni'iies (botrys-like). $. Blue. April. 



Italy. 1596. 

 a' I bum (white). $, White. April. 



Italy. J596. 

 pa'llidum (pale). . PA!C blue. April 



Italy. 1596. 



cilia' turn (hair-fringed). 1. Brown, purple. 



May. Crimea. 1822. 



commnta'tum (darA-purple). . Blue. Italy. 



1836. 



como'sum (tufted). $. Blue. April. South 



Europe. 1506. 



mon&tro'sum (monstrous). $. Pale blue. 



April. South Europe. 15Q6. 



glau'cum (milky-green). |. Purple, green. 



May. Persia. 1825. 



macroca'rpum (large-fruited). $. Green, 



yellow. April. Levant. 15g6. 



moscha'tum (musky). J. Blue, yellow. April. 



Levant. 1596. 



pa' liens (pallid). $. Pale blue. May. 



Crimea. 1822. 



parviflo'nim (small-flowered). Blue. April. 



Sicilv. 1827. 



/?e<MneM/aVe(tong-flower-stalked). . Blue. 



April. 



rucemo'sum (racemed). $. Blue. April. 



Europe. 1780. 



mi'nus (smaller). . Blue. April. Eu- 

 rope. 1/80. 



MUSHROOM. Aga'ricus campe'stris. 



Mushroom-beds, for winter production, 

 should be formed in August, and once in 

 two months after, of dry materials, such 

 as four or five barrowsful of horse-drop- 

 pings, which have been saved for the 

 purpose, four or five barrowsful of road- 

 sweepings, and four or five barrowsful of 

 dry, husky dung from the stable dung- 

 heap. Let these be all well turned over 

 three or four times to sweeten in some 

 dry place. If the mixture should be 

 found too dry to ferment sufficiently, then 

 sprinkle it with a little water at the time 

 of its being turned over. Shake it and 

 mix it well together. The quantity of 

 materials depends on the size of the beds 

 required. The place where the beds are 

 to be made should be dry at bottom. 

 The materials being in good condition, 

 proceed to make up your bed as solid and 



firm as it can be beat together with the 

 fork, whether in ridges or half ridges, or 

 whatever shape may be thought most 

 convenient. Let the outside be beaten 

 smooth and well with a shovel or spade. 

 Then insert a stick to prove the tempe- 

 rature of the bed by. In about ten days 

 after the bed has been made it will be fit 

 for spawning, if all has gone on well, and 

 the heat be found about that of cows' 

 milk; but if the heat be too great, defer it 

 for another week, and shake open the bed 

 a little to let off the rank heat. If too 

 cold, add a little fresh materials, and work 

 it up well together. Before putting in 

 the spawn make the beds firm, smooth, 

 and even; then open holes with the hand 

 about an inch below the surface, and 

 eight inches apart every way. Place in 

 each hole a moderate-sized lump or hand- 

 ful of bits of spawn, and cover it over 

 again with the same dry materials of the 

 bed. If there is no fear of the bed being 

 too hot, it may be covered over at the 

 same time, about an inch and a half 

 thick, with good turfy loam, rather dry, 

 and run through a sieve first. When all 

 is regularly covered over, sprinkle the 

 whole with water from a fine rose water- 

 pot, and pat the whole surface down level, 

 leaving it as smooth as a fresh-plastered 

 wall. Let it remain to dry off, giving 

 plenty of air to dry it off the quicker. 

 After this, the bed should have a covering 

 of anything like mouldy hay, such as tops 

 and bottoms from the hay-rick, or hay- 

 bands untwisted, or the like. Cover up 

 according to the heat of the beds. If 

 you have any doubt whether it is too hot, 

 let the covering be light ; and at all times 

 the short mulch, when gathering the 

 mushrooms, should be cleared off from 

 the bed's surface, or it will exhaust the 

 bed by the encouragement it gives to the 

 spawn to run out. A little additional 

 itter may be added as required, so as to 

 jeep the beds in regular and uniform 

 searing, and gentle applications of tepid 

 iquid-manure will be found of great 

 9enefit to those beds that have been well 

 gathered from. Where the convenience 

 of hot-water pipes, or other artificial 

 means, can be commanded for mushroom 

 ulture, so that the right temperature can 

 be at all times maintained, no kind cf lit- 

 ;er-covering need be applied. Mushroom- 

 aeds are always best made under cover, and 

 even a cart-shed can be very easily con- 

 erted into an excellent mushroom-house, 



