18 MUSHROOMS. 



CHAPTER III. 



MANURES FOR BEDS. 



Good manure is as essential as good spawn for successful 

 mushroom culture. Too much care, in fact, cannot be exer- 

 cised on this point. 



Suitable Manures. — The most suitable manure for 

 mushroom culture is horse droppings from a stable littered 

 with straw. Such manure, however, must be avoided where 

 horses are frequently " doctored " with medicine, or where 

 carrots are fed to them. The ideal manure is that from 

 horses which have been fed on corn and hay. This manure 

 should consist of one-third droppings to two-thirds of short 

 straw not exceeding 9in. in length, and such as has been 

 well stained with urine. The longer portions should be placed 

 on one side to dry for future coverings for the beds. Manure 

 containing shavings should be avoided as likely to produce 

 other fungi than mushrooms. Horse manure from stables 

 littered with sawdust is said to answer fairly well, but cer- 

 tainly not so good as the droppings and short straw. Peat 

 moss litter manure, too, has been successful for mushroom 

 beds. 



Preparing the Manure — Any bed formed quite in 

 the open should be ridge-shaped, and in this case a good por- 

 tion of straw ought to be mixed with the horse droppings. 

 The preference should be given to manure that has been 

 made by horses in full work, and that are fed on hard food. 

 This ought not to be thrown into a deep hole to ferment, 

 and become dry and musty before being taken in hand ; nor 

 should it be allowed to become badly saturated by rain. If 

 about three good cartloads of fairly fresh manure can be 



