GKOWING MUSHROOMS IN SHEDS. 39 



sion. Then, if need be, and he wishes to renew the bed 

 at the further end of the house, he clears it out and sup- 

 plies fresh material for the new bed. 



CHAPTER IV. 



GROWING MUSHEOOMS IN SHEDS. 



Any one who has a snug, warm shed, may have a good 

 mushroom house, but it is imperative that the floor 

 should be dry, and the roof water-tight. Of course a 

 close shed, as a tool-house or a carriage-house, is better 

 than an open shed, but even a shed that is open on* the 

 south side, if closely walled on the other sides, can also 

 be made of good use for mushroom beds. While open 

 slieds are good enough for beds that yield their crop 

 before Christmas, they are ill-adapted for midwinter 

 bods. The temperature of the interior of a mushroom 

 bed should be about 60° during the bearing period, and 

 the temperature of the surface of the bed 45° to 50° at 

 least ; if lower than that the mycelium has a tendency 

 to rest, and the crop stagnates. Now this temperature 

 can not be maintained in an open shed, in hard frosty 

 weather, without more trouble than the crop is worth. 

 The beds would have to be boxed up and mulched very 

 heavily. And even in a close, warm shed, protection in 

 this way would have to be given, but the bed should not 

 be under the penetrating influence of piercing winds and 

 draughts. The mushroom beds should therefore be 

 made in the warmest parts of the warmest sheds. 



The beds should be made upon the floor and as much 

 to one side as possible, so as to be out of the way, and in 

 form fiat on the ground, or rounded up against the sides 

 of the shed ; in the latter case the house should be well 



