113 MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GKOW THEM. 



house, as it would chill the bed, and this should always 

 be avoided. 



Use a small or medium-sized watering pot with a long 

 spout and a fine rose sprinkler. Apply the water in a 

 gentle shower over the bed, muslirooms and all, but 

 never use enough to allow it to settle in pools or run off 

 in little streams. Clean water sprinkled over the musli- 

 rooms does not appear to hurt them, but they should 

 never be touched with manure water, as it stains them. 

 Just as soon as the surface of the bed shows signs of 

 dryness give it water, the quantity depending upon the 

 condition of the bed. Never let a bed get very dry 

 before watering it. To thoroughly moisten a very dry 

 bed requires a heavy watering; so much, indeed, that 

 the sudden change might injuriously affect the young 

 mushrooms and spawn. Give enough water at a time to 

 moderately moisten the soil, not to soak it, but never 

 suflBcient to pass through the soil into the manure. 

 Clean water only should be used until the beds come 

 into bearing, but after that time manure water may be 

 employed with advantage ; however, this is not at all 

 all imperative ; indeed, excellent crops can be and are 

 continually being produced without the aid of manure 

 water at all. 



In the ease of beds in full bearing, manure water is 

 beneficial to the crop. Apply it from a small watering 

 pot with a long narrow spout but no rose, and pour the 

 Rquid on gently over the surface of the bed, running it 

 freely between the clumps but never touching any of 

 the mushrooms. For this reason a rose should not be 

 used. 



I have always used manure water for mushrooms more 

 or less, but during the past two seasons — '87-'88 and 

 '88-'89 — I have experimented with it continuously and 

 very carefully, using it in some form or other on part of 

 every bed, and am satisfied that manure water made 



