USEFUL DATA. tr, 



may be twisted off, and the remainder, with tlie solid con- 

 glomeration of stems in the soil, be cleanly scooped out. 

 This will leave a fairly large hole, which should be filled with 

 fresh loamy soil kept in readiness for this purpose. When 

 this is done there is every likelihood of the broken thread- 

 like roots left in the beds producing an abundant second 

 crop of mushrooms. Pulling up the roots may mean the 

 loosening or removal of a few small mushrooms, or 

 " buttons,'' as they are termed, but all cooks and house- 

 wives can usually put these to a good use, and in any case 

 it is a mistake to leave the stumps in the bed. 



How TO Gather Mushrooms. 



As explaiaed in accompanying paragraph, Mashrooms shonld he gathered 



by pulling tliein out of the bed as shown at A, not by cutting tlie stems 



through, as indicated by dotted line B. 



Exhausted Beds. — When the first crop is about 

 finished it does not follow that the bed is of no further value 

 as far as mushroom growing is concerned; but, on the con- 

 trary, another good succession should be obtained. In most 

 instances an examination of the bed after cropping ceases 

 will disclose the fact that it is very dry, and our word may 

 be taken as to its also being exhausted of much of its fer- 

 tility. Now mushrooms must have good living, or quite as 



