22 MUSHEOOMS, HOW TO GEOW THEM. 



the middle of the cellar opens a tall shaft or chimney- 

 like ventilator that passes straight up through the roof 

 above. While the beds are being made full ventilation 

 by doors, windows and shaft is given, but as soon as 

 there is any sign of the mushrooms appearing all venti- 

 lators except the shaft in the middle are shut and kept 

 closed. 



The bed occupies the whole surface of the cellar floor 

 and was all made up in one day. As a pathway, a single 

 row of boards is laid on the top of the bed, running 

 lengthwise along the middle of the cellar from the door 

 to the farther end, and here and there between this nar- 

 row path and the walls on either side a few pieces of 

 slate are laid down on the bed to step upon when gath- 

 ering the mushrooms. Here is the oddest thing about 

 Mr. Gardner's mushroom-growing. He does not give 

 the manure any preparatory treatment for the beds. He 

 hauls it from the cars to the cellar, at once spreads it 

 upon the floor and packs it solid into a bed. For exam- 

 ple, on one occasion the manure arrived at Jobstown, 

 July 8th ; it was hauled home and the bed made up the 

 same day, and the first mushrooms were gathered from 

 this bed the second week in September, — just two 

 months from the time the manure left the New York or 

 Jersey City stables. The bed was fifteen inches thick. 

 In making it the manure was first shaken up loosely to 

 admit of its being more evenly spread than if pitched 

 out in heavy forkfuls, and it was then tramped down 

 firmly with the feet. The bed was then marked off into 

 halves. On one half (No. 1) a layer of a little over 

 three inches of loam was at once placed over the manure ; 

 on the other half (No. 2) no loam was used at this time, 

 but the manure on the surface of the bed — about three 

 inches deep — was forked over loosely. Twelve days after 

 having been put in the temperature of the bed No, 2, 

 three inches deep, was 90°, and then it was spawned. 



