EDIBLE FUNGI.— THE MUSHROOM. 



247 



campestris, is never found in woods or fields from 

 which cattle are completely excluded." 



The production of spawn will be understood 

 from the above ; — it is to be looked for in a natu- 

 ral state during September in places where mush- 

 rooms are found indigenous, in the track of a 

 mill worked by horses under cover, in riding- 

 houses, or sheds where horses are wintered or 

 have long had access to, and in places where 

 horse-droppings have accumulated and been kept 

 dry. It is also sometimes found in half-decayed 

 dung-hills, hot-beds, &c.; but never in either of 

 these, if very damp or saturated with water. 



Preserdng natural spawn. — The pieces should 

 be retained as large as possible, and placed 

 loosely in shallow hampers, or, if quite dry, in 

 boxes kept in a dry place — here it will remain 

 inactive for two or three years, or until it be re- 

 quired for spawning prepared beds ; or broken 

 into small pieces, and transplanted into properly 

 prepared bricks or cakes — in which state again it 

 may be kept for as long a pei-iod, or even for a 

 greater length of time, if kept perfectly dry and 

 in a moderate temperature. 



Propagating or transplanting spawn. — For this 

 •purpose,at almost any season of the year, but more 

 especially from the end of May to the end of Sep- 

 tember, at which period the spawn is naturally 

 most active, a quantity of dry horse-droppings, 

 sheep or deer dung, should be collected, and 

 placed under cover; to this a little finely-chopped 

 fern fronds or dry littering dung should be added ; 

 and to this, when well mixed together, add as much 

 rich mellow loam as will make the whole mass, 

 after being wetted sufficiently and thoroughly in- 

 corporated, assume the consistence of thick mor- 

 tar or grafting clay. The use of the fern fronds, or 

 short litter, is to hold the material together; and 

 of the loam, to give the bricks or cakes greater 

 consistency. When the whole is well beat up to- 

 gether, spread it out upon a smooth level floor 

 to the thickness of about 3 or 4 inches. When 

 partially dried, cut it into pieces with a sharp 

 spade in form of bricks 9 or 10 inches long, and 

 5 or 6 inches in breadth. Leave it in this con- 

 dition for a few days to dry, so that the bricks 

 may be handled without breaking ; turn them 

 over daily, still further to add to their solidity; 

 and when nearly dry, perforate their upper edges 

 with holes 1 inch in diameter, and place in each 

 a piece of spawn about as large as a walnut, and 

 cover the orifice of the holes with a little of the 

 prepared mixture, to prevent the spawn from 

 falling out. Then build the bricks or cakes in 

 an open manner, as brickmakers do in drying 

 bricks, and cover the whole vrith a coating of 

 dry stable-manure in a slight state of fermenta- 

 tion, to cause the spawn to run through the 

 bricks. Whei-e there is the convenience of a dry 

 warm place, or if space can be spared in the 

 mushroom-house, this operation may be advan- 

 tageously carried on init, keeping the temperature 

 at from 55° to 60°. It will be readily ascer- 

 tained when spawn has run through every part 

 of the bricks, by breaking one or two through 

 the middle, when, if in a good state, the spawn 

 will appear like a fine white mould throughout 

 the brick. They should then be laid by in a dry 

 place till required, either for spawning the beds 



or for breaking down for future propagation. 

 Various modes have been practised for propa- 

 gating spawn, both by transplanting it into 

 bricks and causing it to run in large masses — 

 the materials used for the most part being the 

 droppings of horses, cows, deer, and sheep, either 

 alone or incorporated with loamy soil. Some, 

 however, have added pigeons' dung, leaf-mould, 

 rotten tan, and others coal-ashes : the advantage 

 arising from any of which it is difficult to compre- 

 hend, more especially of the latter. The best ma- 

 terials, there can be no doubt, are the droppings 

 of horses, deer, or sheep; and all or either of 

 these will form a proper nidus for the germina- 

 tion, if we may so call it, of the seeds of the 

 mushroom, for in each of these the spawn is 

 naturally found. But as all of these require some 

 adhesive matter to cement them together, none 

 is better than an argillaceous loam : this, however, 

 should not be used in too large a proportion, 

 for we have invariably found the spawn to run 

 best when the nidus prepared for it is not too 

 hard or compact. 



Procuring spawn artificially. — Early in Mai-oh, 

 while the cattle are on dry food, procure two 

 parts of cow-dung, one of horse-droppings, and 

 one of sheep or deer's dung. Dry them under 

 cover, and break the whole down, so that it 

 may pass through a half-inch sieve; mix the 

 whole together, and lay the mass up in a conical 

 heap. In forming the heap, tread or beat it 

 closely together, which will prevent too rapid 

 a state of fermentation. The heat during the 

 process should not exceed 55° or 60° — for the 

 mushroom, in all its stages, is equally impatient 

 of excess of heat and cold. If the process be 

 carried on in a warm shed, possibly no covering 

 need be applied, beyond that of an old mat or a 

 little dry litter ; if otherwise, a slight covering 

 of warm littering dung should be laid over it, to 

 promote and continue the necessary tempera- 

 ture above stated. In about four weeks the 

 mass should be examined, to ascertain if the 

 spawn has begun to run. This will be indicated 

 by its appearance in the shape of white thready- 

 like matter abounding in it. If this should ap- 

 pear not to be the case, then an additional 

 covering of warm dung should be laid over it, 

 to increase or revive the heat, which will, if the 

 materials have been got together in proper con- 

 dition, stimulate the spawn into one mass, ready 

 for use. Sometimes the end is effected in three 

 or four weeks, while at other times it will re- 

 quire double that time. Spawn thus produced 

 is of excellent quality, but it will not keep so 

 long as that made in the form of bricks. 



Some spawn manufacturers, instead of plant- 

 ing the pieces in perforations made in the bricks, 

 lay a course of them flat on the floor of a warm 

 vinery, and sprinkle over them the fragments of 

 other spawn-bricks, broken down on purpose; 

 and on this another course of bricks; and so on 

 alternately, until the whole is built into a solid 

 mass. In a few weeks the spawn penetrates 

 the whole mass, and may then be taken to 

 pieces, and the bricks stored by in a dry place, 

 where they will keep for years. 



Producing mushrooms without transplamting 

 spawn. — This is effected by making the bed a 



