THE NURSERY-LIST 363 



one part, sand and bone-meal ; keep in a close and humid atmosphere. 

 Musa Ensete is propagated by seeds started in heat. See Banana. 



Muscari (Grape Hyacinth). LUiacece. 



Seeds and bulb offsets are usually produced freely and provide 

 easy means of increase. 



Mushroom (Agaricus campestris). Agaricacece. 



Grown from " spawn," which is the mycelium of the fungus 

 grown in a mass or " brick" of earth and manure. Break up the 

 commercial spawn into pieces about as large as a hen's egg, and 

 plant it 2 or 3 inches deep in drills or holes, using from | to 1 

 pound of spawn to each square yard of bed. 



Various methods are employed for making the spawn, but the 

 essentials of them all are that the body of the brick shall be com- 

 posed of a porous and light material, which can be compressed into 

 a compact mass ; fresh mycelium must be communicated to this 

 mass, and then a mild heat must be applied, until the whole mass 

 is permeated by the mycelium. The mass should be kept in heat 

 until the whole of it assumes a somewhat cloudy look, but not 

 until the threads of the mycelium can be seen. Ordinarily, fresh 

 horse-manure, cow-manure and good loam are mixed together in 

 about equal proportions, enough water being added to render the 

 material of the consistency of mortar. It is then spread upon the 

 floor or in large vats, until sufficiently dry to be cut into bricks. 

 When these are tolerably well dried, mycelium from a mushroom 

 bed or from other bricks is inserted in the side of each brick. A bit 

 of spawn about the size of a small walnut is thus inserted, and the 

 hole is plugged up. The bricks are now placed in a mild covered 

 hotbed, with a bottom heat of 55 to 65, and left there until the 

 clouded appearance indicates that the mycelium has extended 

 throughout the mass. 



Soil from a good mushroom bed is sometimes used to sow new 

 beds, in place of commercial spawn. 



Old clumps of mushrooms may be allowed to become dry, and 

 they may then be mixed into a bed. The spores may then stock the 

 soil and produce a new crop, although this method is not reliable. 

 The full-grown mushroom may be laid on white paper until the 

 spores are discharged, and these spores may then be mixed into the 

 earth. 



Spawn is now made from reliable cultures and the difficulties of 



