from June to November. 229 



required a little heat ; for, in fact, it was for these things I 

 made the bed : the mushrooms were a secondary consider- 

 ation. The bed, thus finished, came into bearing about the 

 middle of June, and continued till November. It was in July 

 and August I saw the value of the carrots ; for the tops com- 

 pletely shaded the mushrooms from the scorching heat of the 

 sun, and as effectually sheltered them from the chilling frosts 

 in October. The crop surpassed any thing either my neigh- 

 bours or myself had ever seen before; but we must not forget 

 that the season of 1831 was remarkably fine for mushrooms. 

 In the spring of this year, 1832, taking the advantage of a 

 dry fit of weather, I made a bed as similar to the above as I 

 possibly could ; and, although the produce was sufficient for a 

 large family, yet I consider the crop scanty when compared 

 with the preceding one. The mushrooms appeared later, and 

 left off bearing sooner ; they likewise came inconveniently 

 large, some weighing half a pound before the veil was broken. 

 I have thus stated facts, without entering into any speculative 

 arguments concerning the ^nysterious growth of this useful 

 and delicious vegetable, and have given you the results of two 

 experiments, in two consecutive years, conducted with as much 

 accuracy as the nature of the materials and the changeable- 

 ness of the seasons would permit; and, if like causes produce 

 similar effects, would it be logical to say that these results 

 were fortuitous ? 



Should you think the above worth printing, you will allow 

 me to call on my fellow-labourers to bestow their best atten- 

 tion upon this subject ; for if it succeed, and succeed it must 

 (at least, I think so), why then every farmer in the empire 

 may be taught to produce this vegetable in abundance; for 

 certainly nothing can be more simple than making a bed on 

 the surface of the ground, in any dry airy situation, 2 ft. high, 

 with fresh horse-litter, and 5 ft. or 6 ft. wide ; the length, of 

 course, <x matter of choice or convenience, and covering this 

 with the cleanings from the horse track of a threshing-machine, 

 or from a colt-house. Over all spread a few inches of mould, 

 sow the carrot seed, and the work is done. 



I remain. Sir, yours, &c. 

 Palace Gardens, Armagh^, J. Elles. 



Dec. 9. 1832. 



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