New Modes of Mushroom Culture. 35 



Art. VII. New Mode ofgrotning Mushrooms. By W. 



Not having seen in your Magazine so easy a method to grow 

 mushrooms, for catchup and other purposes, as I have practised 

 for several years, at little or no expense, I take the liberty to send 

 you the following sketch of my plan. The only expense is at 

 the commencement, as it may then be necessary to get a few 

 bricks of the best mushroom spawn : afterwards, enough may be 

 saved every year from the dung, &c. 



My plan is this. About the middle of July, when preparing 

 the ground for early broccoli or Savoy, I have some of the best 

 fresh horse dung, that is short, and has not much straw in it, dug 

 in the farrow, under the soil where the row of broccoli or Savoy 

 plants are to be planted. The furrow is filled pretty full of the 

 dung, and trodden rather firm, and a few pieces of the spawn are 

 put in it ; the mould is then dug over it, and the digging is con- 

 tinued, until where the next row of plants is intended ; which 

 furrow is filled with dung and spawn as the former j and so on, 

 as far as the ground is to be planted. After the ground is dug, 

 the plants are planted, and nothing further is required. I do not 

 use any more dung in this way than would be required for the 

 same quantity of ground if spread regularly over it in the usual 

 way ; and the plants grow more vigorously by having the dung 

 under them. I consider that the broccoli or Savoy plants are 

 of great service to the working of the spawn, by shading it from 

 the hot sun and heavy rains. 



About the middle of September, the mushrooms come up in 

 great quantities, large and fine. I have this morning (Sept. 21.) 

 gathered nearly half a bushel of large mushrooms from about 

 two poles of ground, planted as above; and have had two or 

 three gatherings before, and expect to have a good many more 

 before the season is over. 



September 21. 1835. 



Art. VIII. On the Mode of raising Mushrooms from the Mushroom, 

 Stone. By Mr. James Alexander, Gardener at Maeslaugh Castle. 



I HAVE no doubt but you, and many of your correspondents, 

 are acquainted with the mushroom stone; but, as I have not seen 

 it mentioned in your Magazine, I send you the following account 

 of one that was under my care for upwards of two years. It 

 was sent to Mr. Thorburn of Murth, from Calabra, in Sicily, 

 with directions to give it a little water when it appeared dry, 

 which was generally three or four times a week in dry weather : 

 and, in the course of a fortnight after I received it, a couple of 

 mushrooms made their appearance, which grew to be very large ; 



D 2 



