470 [ Assembly 



shake out and grow on the bedj it is better in this respect thac? 

 common hay. Water cautiously, and in a sliort time the bed will 

 l^ecome an entire mass of spawn, and continue to bear for twelve 

 months, provided the cellar is not too damp or cold. Should the 

 material heat in the process of drying, or afterwards, all will 

 prove abortive. 



In a conversation with Mr. Galbraith he informed me that the 

 patent mushroom spawn is made by the process detailed above, 

 and therefore there can be no use of purchasing spawn ; and if 

 the droppings used be from horses fed entirely on dry feed, oat& 

 and hay, and these droppings be thoroughly dried without decom- 

 position before use, the mushrooms resulting will be of the edible 

 sorts alone. If from non observance in part of the above ruleSy 

 a false one should occasionally appear, it will be easily recognized. 



The droppings in horse tracks often contain spawn, and from 

 ^e slow accumulation and thorough drying, other than from the 

 more solid or non-volatile portions of the urine of the horse, this 

 spawn is of good quality, and seldom gives birth to spurious kinds 

 df mushrooms. 



The plan proposed by Mr, Galbraith may also be pursued id 

 boxes, or on shelves of sufficient depth, but the mass is then 

 rather more sensitive to excess of wet or cold. If the beds are 

 ready by October it will be found to be a favorable season, and m 

 a month or six weeks the mushrooms will be fit for use— by pro- 

 per care in watering will continue twelve months, when they 

 should be suffered to remain dry for three months, after which, 

 by re-watering, they will again produce vigorously. New beds, 

 however, should be occasionally started, to ensure continuance. 

 When the horses are fed in whole or part on green food, their 

 droppings will not so readily produce mushrooms. 



The Club adopted, as subjects for the next meeting, " Manures;'^ 

 "Recovery of swamp lands j" "Spring culture of root crops,"' 

 and " The relative value of different kinds of vegetable food for 

 animals." 



The Club then adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary, 



