SPAWKIITG THE BEDS. 99 



straw, and let it remain on until molding time. And 

 if the bed is a little sluggish, — that is, cool, — this coyer- 

 ing will help in keeping it warm. Outside beds should 

 be molded over in three or four days after spawning; 

 inside beds in eight to ten days. 



Steeped Spa^vn — As brick spawn is so hard and 

 dry I have tried, the effect of steeping it in tepid water 

 before planting; some pieces were merely dipped in the 

 water, and others allowed to soak in the pails one-half, 

 one, five, and ten hours. The effect was prejudicial in 

 every instance and ruinous in the case of the long-soaked 

 pieces. 



Flake Spawn — "This is produced by breaking up 

 the brick spawn into pieces about two inches square and 

 mixing them in a heap of manure that is fermenting 

 gently. After lying in this heap about three weeks it 

 will be found one mass of spawn, and just in the right 

 condition for running vigorously all through the bed in 

 a very short time. .- . . When flake spawn is used 

 the appearance of the crop is from two to three weeks 

 earlier than when brick spawn is used." — Mr. Henshaw, 

 in first edition of "Henderson's Handbook of Plants." 

 I have tried this method and given it careful attention, 

 but the results were inferior to those obtained where 

 plain, common brick spawn had been used at once. 



In all my practice I have found that any disturbance 

 of the spawn when in active growth which would cause 

 a breaking, exposing, or arresting of the threads of the 

 mycelium has always had a weakening influence upon 

 it. I have transplanted pieces of working spawn from 

 one bed to another, as the French growers do, but am 

 satisfied that I get better crops and larger mushrooms 

 from beds spawned with dry spawn than from beds 

 planted with working spawn from any other beds. 



