84 DREER’S VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS. 
Do not cover the bed until the spawn has been planted 
for a week or ten days; then spread a coat of loam an inch 
thick over the whole bed, and make the surface smooth and 
firm. If covered too soon the soil will act like a blanket, 
raise the temperature, and kill the spawn. 
Do not apply water until the mushrooms begin to 
appear, which ought to be in six or eight weeks from the 
time of spawning. Litter may be used to prevent the:surface 
END OF MUSHROOM HOUSE OF WYMAN BROTHERS, 
ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 
of the bed from drying out too fast, or a fine spray may be 
thrown on the surface of the bed at intervals, provided the 
water is not sufficient to sink below the surface. 
A crop of mushrooms under the best management seldom 
exceeds a pound and a half to the square foot. The average 
crop is nearer half a pound ; and there are many total failures. 
John G. Gardner, whose present address is West Consho- 
hocken, Pa., is an expert mushroom grower. He takes the 
manure almost as it comes from the stables, incorporates a 
