Culture of the Mushroom. 333 



This is, therefore, a list of Brazilian esculents and fruits, which, however, 

 may admit of some additions in one or two instances, still forming the first 

 outline of a Pomona equinoctialis. — The Brazilian, exempted from the influence 

 of paralysing and torpifying severe winters, has no occasion for preserving or 

 drying his fruits to any extent. Still, one economical use is made of them, 

 and these are the preserves (Doce), which are made especially of the Araca 

 (Guava) and others, to a very great extent. They are prepared with the 

 admixture of the white of eggs, most of them are quite solid, and sold in 

 different shapes. They are the necessary addition to every Brazilian meal ; 

 and, as they are exceedingly cheap, and keep for a long time, they deserve to 

 be made extensive use of during long sea voyages. 



Art. XI. On the Culture of the Mushroom. By Alex. Forsyth. 



The mushroom is an acceptable article at table all the year 

 round ; to supply this regular demand various plans are re- 

 sorted to, and that which I have proved to be the cheapest 

 and most efficient mode I shall here detail. By cheapness, 

 however, I must not be understood to mean that false economy 

 which short-sighted persons practise, of saving in the first outlay, 

 and afterwards paying a greater sum, as it were, by instalments, 

 or yearly rent, without an adequate return, or the possession 

 of a creditable and satisfactory article. The culture of the 

 mushroom, in many of our gardens, is an admirable specimen 

 of this sort of economy. Instead of building workmanlike mush- 

 room vaults {figs. 70, 71, 72.), with bricks, mortar, and cement, 

 not subject to the dry-rot, nor to any other kind of rot, with 

 the look and the reality of stability and usefulness, we find 

 either ridges in the open air, covered with litter and mats, 

 which must be taken off and put on at every gathering, or 

 else, which is worse, the mushrooms growing in a shed be- 

 hind the hot-houses, on shelves half-consumed with the dry- 

 rot, and the wooden roof over head, as a matter of course, 

 in the same predicament. 



Preparing the Spawn. — Cake or brick spawn is the only 

 sort that I consider worth making, and there is only one sort 

 of materials that I think advisable to make it of, and these 

 are, equal portions of horse-droppings, cow-droppings, and 

 loam, well mixed, and pounded or beaten, adding just only 

 as much water as will bring the materials to the consistency 

 of brickmakers' moulding mortar. Then let a circular mould 

 without a bottom, 9 in. in diameter and 2 in. deep, be placed 

 on a table, with the wide end uppermost, and filled with this 

 mortar and stroked level ; before it is turned out of the mould, 

 let three holes be made in each cake, with an iron-shod dibber, 

 \\ in. deep: the mould must be shaped like the frustum of 

 a cone, that the cakes may easily part with it. When the 

 cakes are all but hand dry, let them be spawned, by putting 



