228 Mushrooms in the open Air, 



Art. XV. On producing Mushrooms in plenty in the open Air, 

 fiom June to November. By Mr. J. Elles. 



Sir, 

 About a twelvemonth ago (Vol. VIII. p. 214.), I promised 

 to give you some account of growing mushrooms in the open 

 air, during part of the summer and autumnal months ; unless 

 some of my brother gardeners should step forward in the 

 meantime, and give the required information. As the last 

 number of Vol. VIII. of the Magazine has just come to hand, 

 and I find that none of your correspondents have made 

 the attempt ; I, without further preface, will endeavour to 

 fulfil my promise. The reason why mushrooms have not 

 been more generally cultivated, or attempted to be cultivated, 

 in the open air, from June to November, is, I presume, to be 

 found in this simple fact, that they are generally to be obtained 

 in sufficient quantity in pasture lands, immediately adjoining 

 the residences of gentlemen. If, however, a method can be 

 pointed out, and that method the most simple in the world, 

 hy which as many mushrooms may be gathered from a few 

 square yards of cultivated land, as from as many acres of 

 pasture land ; surely the experiment deserves a fair trial, even 

 if it were for nothing more than for the sake of saving shoe- 

 leather and wet feet; for, however poetical "brushing with 

 hasty steps the dews away " may sound to ears polite, I do 

 not know a more disagreeable job than gathering mushrooms 

 in a wet morning ; especially when a poor fellow's only con- 

 solation is to know that he must work out the remaining part 

 of the day in the same wet plight. But to return : I not only 

 propose to produce a crop of mushrooms, but likewise a good 

 crop of carrots, radishes, &c. ; so that, even should the mush- 

 rooms fail, the gardener will be' compensated for any little 

 extra-trouble he may have been. put to. I may observe that 

 I have tried several modes to grow mushrooms ; and one sea- 

 son succeeded in producing a few among some late potatoes ; 

 but, generally speaking, all my schemes failed, until, at last, in 

 April, 1831, I made a bed upon a pavement 7 ft. wide and 

 40 ft. long, and 2 ft. high ; the bottom part (say upwards of 

 18 in.) with fresh litter, and the top entirely with an old 

 mushroom bed, from which the best of the spawn was picked, 

 to be afterwards distributed regularly over the surface. Upon 

 this about 4 in. thick of pasture loam was spread, and a thick 

 straw rope pegged down round the edges, to keep the loam or 

 mould from falling, and to give it a finished appearance. I 

 now sowed some seeds of short-horn carrots, radishes, cauli- 

 flowers, and tender annuals, &c. ; in short, any thing that 



