VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION AND CULTURE. 373 



where under cover place a bottom of dry horse-dung six 

 inches thick, and place the bricks, spawn side up, one 

 upon another. The pile may be made three feet high; 

 cover it with warm horse-dung sufficient to diffuse a gen- 

 tle heat through the whole. The heat should not be over 

 70°, and the pile should be examined the second day to 

 see that it does not overheat. When the spawn is diffused 

 entirely through the bricks the process is finished. The 

 bricks should then be laid separately in a dry place, and 

 if kept perfectly dry, retain their vegetative power for 

 many years. One bushel of spawn will plant a bed four 

 feet by twelve. 



Beds for mushrooms may be made anywhere in a dry 

 situation under cover. Make them four feet wide and 

 from ten to fifteen feet long, according to the wants of the 

 family. A small shed might be erected for the purpose, 

 but the back of a greenhouse is a very good situation, as 

 they do not need much light. Space must be left for an 

 alley, and if the shed be ten feet wide, it will admit of 

 a bed on each side. 



Mushrooms, like other fungi, abound in nitrogen; 

 hence, this substance is necessary to their nourishment, 

 and unless substances rich in nitrogen, like horse dung, 

 are supplied, it is useless to attempt their culture. 

 Earthy materials are added to prevent the escape of am- 

 monia, which would pass off in fermentation, and the sub- 

 stances used are beaten and trodden to render the mass 

 compact, that fermentation may be slower and more last- 

 ing. The process of making the beds is as follows: 



A sufficient quantity of the droppings of hard-fed 

 horses, pretty free from litter, must be obtained, which, 

 while collecting, must be kept dry, and spread out thinly 

 and turned frequently to prevent violent heating. When 

 the rank steam has escaped, the bed may be built. The 

 site should be dry. Dig out the earth six inches deep, the 



