VEGETABLES MUSHROOM. 237 



put in. Let it remain in this condition for about ten or 

 twelve days, by which time the spawn will have "run"", 

 through the whole bed. This is the method when " brick 

 spawn " is used. When ' ' French Flake " or loose spawn 

 is used, make holes with the hand all over the bed four or 

 five inches deep and wide, in which place a handful of the 

 loose spawn, and again beat it down to its original firm- 

 ness. Now spread evenly over the surface of the bed nearly 

 two inches of fresh loam, firm it down moderately with 

 the back of a spade, and cover up the bed with three or 

 four inches of hay or straw ; this completes the whole 

 operation of " planting the crop." Nothing now remains 

 to be done but to give attention to the proper degrees of 

 heat and moisture. 



If you can control the means of heating so that the 

 place can be kept uniformly at a temperature of sixty 

 degrees, all the better, but if not, it may range from 

 fifty to sixty degrees. It should never get much be- 

 low fifty degrees, else the bed will become cold too 

 quickly, and delay the crop until too late in the season 

 to be profitable. Unless the air of the house has been 

 unusually dry, the Mushrooms will appear before any 

 water is required. But examination should be made, and 

 if the surface of the bed appears dry, a gentle sprinkljng 

 of Avater, heated to about 100 degrees, must be given. 

 With this, treatment, beginning in* December, our first 

 crop is ready for use in February, and as the Mushrooms 

 do not come up all at ouce, it takes about three weeks to 

 gather the crop, which is fit to gather when the Mush- 

 rooms have got to be an average of about three inches in 

 diameter, the under side having a delicate pink color. In 

 gathering the crop, it is best to give the Mushrooms a 

 slight twist, so as to disturb as little as possible the young 

 ones which usually come up in dense clusters, as shown 

 in the engraving. After the first crop has been gathered, 

 a slight dressing of fresh soil, of about half an inch in 



