MUSHROOMS. 177 



ance of a fine gauze network through the manure, 

 and sometimes visible on the surface. Five or six 

 weeks from the time of making the bed small button 

 Mushrooms will appear, if all the points have been 

 carefully attended to. When the beds begin to bear 

 the temperature of the cave, or building, should be 

 kept steady at fifty-five degrees. A small amount of 

 water is needed ; it may be supplied occasionally 

 with a watering-pot having a fine rose. The water 

 used should be a few degrees above the cave, say 

 sixty to sixty-three degrees. 



A bed prepared in the way described will produce 

 Mushrooms for six months. At the end of this time 

 the beds should be renewed, and a steady supply can 

 be had through the whole year. It is not absolutely 

 necessary that the beds should be the shape named. 

 If circumstances do not admit of it they may be 

 made wider, but not less than two feet in thickness. 

 As stated before, the important point is the careful 

 preparation of the manure. 



Gathering. — In gathering the left hand should be 

 placed on the bed along side of the Mushroom, then 

 with the right hand it is turned and pulled at the 

 same time. In this way less injury is done to the run- 

 ning spawn, aiad the bed will produce more than if the 

 Mushrooms are jerked out without this precaution. 



In our caves the yield was one quart to every ten 

 feet daily. These sold readily at from seventy-fi\e 

 cents to one dollar per quart. Even at lower figures 

 Mushi'ooms would pay a handsome profit. 



Light should be excluded from the caves at all 

 times, but ventilation must be had by means of valves 



