MUSHROOM GROWING 81 



in temperature then the preparation has been faulty, 

 in so far that fermentation has been defective ; and 

 rather than let it overheat itself the bed should be 

 again thrown open to cool and then be reformed as 

 before. It is, however, seldom necessary to do this. 



Spawning. Old and partly spent spawn is use- 

 less ; without healthy and active spawn good results 

 are out of the question. 



The size of a brick of spawn is usually six inches 

 by nine inches ; this should be broken up by the 

 hand into from nine to twelve pieces, and these pieces 

 inserted in the bed ten inches apart into small cavities 

 previously prepared for them. These cavities should 

 only be deep enough to allow the spawn to be em- 

 bedded a trifle lower than the surface of the bed. 

 The spawning being completed as far as the lumps 

 are concerned, we have still left the loose spawn which 

 has fallen from the bricks in the act of breaking. 

 This should be carefully collected and spread over 

 the surface of the bed. This finished, a thin layer 

 of the same sort of manure as that forming the bed 

 should be spread over the spawn, and the whole sur- 

 face again well pressed down with the wooden mallet 

 previously spoken of. Further operations for the 

 moment must be governed by the temperature of the 

 bed. If this is steadily declining and has reached, 

 say, a point of 75, then the bed must be sealed down. 

 By this is meant that a layer of soil (the siftings of 

 turf which has been used for potting form the best 

 material) should be laid over the bed about half an 



6 



