82 MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GROW THKM. 



makers will produce as good a crop of mushrooms as the 

 old mill-track natural spawn used to do. 



The flake spawn is what is generally known as French 

 spawn, and is imported into this country from France. 

 But the manufacture of "French" spawn for sale, how- 

 ever, is not strictly confined to France. It is put up in 



Fig. 22. Flake oe French Spawn. 



two ways, namely, nicely packed in thin wooden boxes, 

 each containing two or three pounds of spawn, and also 

 loose in bulk when it is sold by weight or measure. 



Virgin spawn is what we call natural spawn or wild 

 spawn ; that is, the spawa that occurs naturally in the 

 fields, in manure piles, or elsewhere, and without any 

 artificial aid. It is supposed to be produced directly 

 from the mushroom spores, and is not a new growth of 

 surviving parts of old spawn that may have lived over in 

 the ground. It is far more vigorous than "made" 

 spawn, and spawn makers always endeavor to get it to 

 use in spawning the artificial spawn. It is seldom used 

 for spawning mushroom beds because not easy to obtain. 

 Now and again we come upon a lot of it in a manure 

 pile ; it looks like a netted mass of white strings travers- 

 ing the manure. As soon as discovered secure all you 

 can find, bring it indoors to a loft, shed, or room, and 

 spread it out to dry ; after drying it thoroughly keep it 



