110 MUSHBOOILS, HOW TO GBOW THEM. 



to four weeks in heavy bearing and a week or more 

 longer in light bearing, and then it gradually dwindles. 



In a temperature of 55° it may be seven weeks after 

 spawning before the mushrooms appear. In a tempera- 

 ture of 50° they may take a few days longer in appear- 

 ing, but, as a rule, they are firm, heavy, short-stemmed, 

 and perhaps a little furry on top and clammy to the 

 touch, and the beds last in good bearing for two months ; 

 indeed, often a whole winter long. But I have failed to 

 find that the whole crop from a bed in a 45° to 50° tem- 

 perature was any greater than that of a like bed in a 55° 

 to 57° temperature ; it is merely a case of getting in six 

 weeks from the warmer house what it takes ten weeks 

 to get from the cooler one. 



In a temperature of 50° it is not necessary to cover 

 the beds to increase their warmth, nor is it needful even 

 in one of 45°, if there is a fair warmth in the body of 

 the bed to keep the spawn working ; but if the warmth 

 of the interior of the bed falls under 57°, and the atmos- 

 pheric temperature under 45°, the bed should be kept 

 warm by covering with hay, straw, matting, or other 

 material, or better still by boxing it over and laying 

 this covering on the outside of the boxing. When cold 

 thicken the covering, when warm lessen it. 



