KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. ClIAP. 



beds are not generally of long duration, but particularly 

 those in the shelves. From eight to twelve weeks may 

 be looked upon as a good duration, and, therefore, to 

 have mushrooms continually, there must be renewals of 

 the beds, in the house and out of the house ; but a very 

 little attention brings it to a regular system in the in-door 

 method. The times when the vegetation of this fungus 

 is most successful, are, the spring and fall, as with every 

 vegetable. To procure spawn, you need only apply to 

 the seedsmen, almost all of whom sell it j but you may 

 procure it and propagate it yourself, by bestowing a little 

 care and attention on it. Dig up, in August or Septem- 

 ber, a parcel of mushrooms, taking a good three or four 

 handfuls of the earth immediately round them j you will 

 find a quantity of small bulbs, as it were, of mushrooms, 

 and of stuff like coarse thread. Put this in ridges on an 

 old cucumber bed, and keep off heavy rains, and, when 

 you find that these have extended themselves, and are 

 formed into a quantity of mouldy looking flakes, take 

 them up and keep them in any dry place till you want 

 them, when you plant little pieces of the size of the top 

 of your thumb, or a little bigger. There is some danger 

 of mistaking other funguses (and less innocent ones) for 

 mushrooms, therefore, observe that the mushroom comes 

 up precisely in the form of a little round white button, 

 which gradually opens itself, till, if permitted to stand 

 long enough, it becomes almost flat on the top. It is 

 white everywhere but on the under side of the crown, 

 which is of a pale red, becoming of a brownish colour as 

 it advances in age. I cannot conclude without observ- 

 ing that some of these funguses are deemed extremely 

 unwholesome 5 some people even think them poisonous, 





