142 MUSHEOOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM. 



I never knew of a single instance in which any attempt 

 was made to renovate an old or worn-out bed. But 

 when the beds become so dry as to need watering a small 

 handful of salt is dissolved in a large pailful of water 

 and with this solution the beds are freely watered over 

 the straw covering, but never, to my knowledge, under it. 



My old friends, George Steele and Mr. Bagley, of 

 Fulham Fields, used to run part of their beds east and 

 west, not only for convenience sake so far as the beds 

 themselves were concerned, but with the view of growing 

 early tomatoes against the south side of these beds in 

 summer, and here they got their finest and earliest crops, 

 for the London gardeners can not grow tomatoes out of 

 doors in the open fields as we can in America. Other 

 gardeners clear away the manure for use elsewhere in 

 their fields, and as it is so well rotted it is in capital 

 condition for cauliflower, lettuces, snap beans, and other 

 crops. But as the mushroom growers who restrict them- 

 selves entirely to mushrooms, and who, after the mush- 

 room beds have finished bearing, have no further use for 

 the manure in the spent beds, are always able to dispose 

 of it at one-half the cost price. It is excellent for gar- 

 den crops and as a topdressing for lawns, on account of 

 its fineness and freedom from all rubbish as sticks, stones, 

 old bottles, old shoes, and the like, is in much demand. 



