PARSNIPS 95 



leaving small spaces between for a small quantity of 

 air to permeate the whole heap. The heap may be 

 built up of any size according to the number of bricks 

 to be dealt with, but four feet square and about five 

 high is a convenient size. They should be stacked 

 in a fairly warm room, and covered over with a 

 quantity of littery straw or mats. This in the course 

 of a few days will generate more or less heat, and this, 

 of course, is the object in order to induce the spawn 

 to run and permeate the brick, which it will do in the 

 course of nine or ten days when the covering may be 

 taken ofF, the bricks allowed to dry and harden, when 

 they may be stored in proper quarters until wanted 

 for use. 



A thermometer should be placed in the heap and 

 carefully watched, and the heat should range from 

 60 to 65. The bricks must not be exposed to this 

 confined heat an hour longer than is necessary for the 

 filling of the bricks with mycelium. This can be 

 ascertained by breaking up a brick or two. Spawn 

 may be manufactured at any time of the year, but the 

 best time is September, when the mycelium naturally 

 spreads out of doors in our fields. 



PARSNIPS. 



There are very few varieties of Parsnips, and 

 what there are have long or tapering roots. We see 

 too frequently at exhibitions roots of abnormal length 

 and quite unfit for cooking. Sometimes the roots 



