GROWING MUSHROOMS IN RJDGES. 137 



fresh mushrooms, here we get fifty cents to a dollar a 

 pound for ours. But as mushroom-growing there is 

 confined to fall, winter and spring, those gardeners who 

 restrict themselves to mushrooms only devote the sum- 

 mer months to making mushroom spawn for their own 

 use, and also for sale. 



Mr. John F. Barter, of Lanoefield street, London, the 

 king of London mushroom growers, writes me under 

 date of Dec. 10, 1888: "I employ men for mushroom 

 bed-making from August to March ; then, in order to 

 keep on the same staff, I get about 10,000 bushels of 

 brick spawn made up for sale. ... By the sale of 

 spawn I make just half of my living." Now let us see : 

 10,000 bushels = 160,000 bricks, and each brick weighs 

 a pound, thus we have 160,000 pounds. At ten cents a 

 pound (retail price) the total is $16,000 ; at five cents 

 a pound (supposed wholesale price) $8000, or at three^ 

 and a half cents a pound (supposed manufacturer's 

 price) $5600. 



The manure is obtained from the city stables and 

 hauled home by the gardeners on their return trips from 

 market. The manure collected after midsummer is 

 used for mushrooms, and an effort is made to save the 

 very best horse manure for this purpose. When enough 

 has accumulated for a bed the manure is turned and 

 well shaken, removing only the rougher part of the 

 straw, and thrown into a large pyramidal pile to heat ; 

 this shape is adopted as being better than the flat form 

 for keeping out rain. In three or four days the manure 

 is again turned, shaken out and piled up as before ; after 

 tliis it is turned every second day, unless it rains, until 

 it has been turned six or seven times in all. It should 

 then be ready for making into ridges. 



The site for the beds should be a warm, well-sheltered 

 piece of ground, either in the open field or orchard ; 

 much pains should be exercised to protect it from cold 



