MANUKE FOR MUSHEOOM BEDS. 65 



fourth of their bulk of loam with the manure and make 

 up the bed at once. 



The Board of Health of New York city is very em- 

 phatic in its endeavors to rid the city of any accumula- 

 tion of manure and, a year ago, had under consideration 

 a plan to compel the manure agents, for sanitary reasons, 

 to bale the stable manure. And perhaps this is the rea- 

 son why it is so easily procured, to wit : A New York 

 gentleman, desirous of engaging in the mushroom-grow- 

 ing business, writes me: "I get my manure from the 

 city in bales. All it costs me is the freight to my place 

 at White Plains." Lucky gentleman! With any 

 amount of the best kind of stable manure gratis, no 

 wonder he wishes to embark in the mushroom ship. 



Co\v Manure. — This is sometimes used with horse 

 manure in forming the materials for a mushroom bed, 

 and several European writers are emphatic in advocating 

 its use. But I have tried it time and time again, and in 

 various ways, and am satisfied that it has no advantage 

 whatever over plain horse manure, if, indeed, it is as 

 good. It is not used by the market growers in this 

 country. 



The best kind of cow manure is said to be the dry 

 chips gathered from the open pastures ; these are brought 

 home, chopped up fine and mixed ivith horse manure. 

 The time and expense incurred in collecting and chop- 

 ping these "chips" completely overreach any advantages 

 that might be derived from them, no matter how desira- 

 ble they may be. The next best kind of cow manure is 

 that of stall-fed cattle, to which dry food only, as hay 

 and grain, is fed. This is seldom obtainable except in 

 winter, and is then available for spring beds only. This 

 I have used freely. One-third of it to two-thirds of dry 

 horse manure works up very well, heats moderate!}', 

 retains its warmth a long time, also its moisture without 

 any tendency to pastiness ; the mycelium travels through 

 5 



