30 MUSHKOOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM. 



rooms. A light woodcD frame covered with calico or 

 oiled paper would also make a good top for the boxing, 

 only it would not be proof against much cold, or rats or 

 mice. If desirable, in warm cellars, shelf beds could be 

 built above the floor beds, but in cool, airy cellars this 

 would not be advisable. 



Manure beds in the dwelling-house cellar may seem 

 highly improper to many people, but in truth, when 

 rightly handled, these beds emit no bad odor. The 

 manure should be prepared away from the house, and 

 when ready for making into beds it can be spread out 

 thin, so as to become perfectly cool and free from steam. 

 When it has lain for two days in this condition it may 

 be brought into the cellar and made into beds. Having 

 been well sweetened by previous preparation, it is now 

 cool and free from steam, and almost odorless ; after a 

 few days it will warm up a little, and may then be 

 spawned and earthed over at once. Do not bury the 

 spawn in the manure, merely set it in the surface of the 

 manure ; this saves the spawn from being destroyed by 

 too great a heat, should the bed become unduly warm. 

 This, if the manure has been well prepared, is not likely 

 to occur. The coating of loam prevents the escape of 

 any further steam or odor from the manure. 



On the 14th of January last, Mr. W. Eobinson, editor 

 of the London Garden, in writing to me, mentioned the 

 following very interesting case of growing mushrooms in 

 the cellar of a dwelling house : " I went out the other 

 day to see Mr. Horace Cox, the manager of the Field 

 newspaper, who lives at Harrow, near the famous school. 

 His house is heated by a hot-water system called Keith's, 

 and the boiler is in a chamber in the house in the base- 

 ment. The system interested me and I went down to 

 see the boiler, which is a very simple one worked with 

 coke refuse. However, I was pleased to see all the floor 

 of the room not occupied by the boiler covered with 



