tect the growers against the discouraging failures and losses which 

 are frequently imposed upon them by unscrupulous persons in the 

 sale of stale or worthless spawn. 



22. Special Hints on Cultivation 



MOISTURE. — The mushroom demands a moist atmosphere, 

 and yet the direct application of water to the growing crop, and 

 especially to the young spawn, is always injurious. To overcome 

 this difficulty it is recommended to sprinkle, at frequent intervals, 

 the walls, floors, boards, etc., surrounding the beds. If water is 

 applied to the beds, it should be distributed in a fine spray. The 

 beds should be moist, but not wet. 



YEMTILATIOM. — Fresh air is essential to the perfect and 

 healthy development of the mushroom crop, but draughts are to 

 be strictly avoided. ' Draughts cause too rapid evaporation of the 

 beds, which cannot well be restored to a moist condition except by 

 the direct and more or less injurious application of water in quan- 

 tities. Draughts will also injure the growing crop of mushrooms, 

 causing the caps to check and crack, and to assume a darker color. 

 This may, in a measure, explain why a bed of white mushrooms 

 will sometimes darken as the crop advances, the beds having lost too 

 much moisture by evaporation. In a dry atmosphere, a short and 

 imperfect crop only can be gathered. 



CASIiN'O. — Many growers, especially beginners, make the mis- 

 take of casing their beds too soon, often immediately after spawn- 

 ing. If, for any reason, the bed is not in a condition favorable to 

 the development of the spawn, the casing Under these circumstances 

 will aggravate the evil and kill the young spawn. Should the bed 

 be too wet or too acid (when spawned, a delay in the casing will 

 allow the surface to evaporate or oxydize enough to start the spawn. 

 The loam should therefore not be applied until the spawn is ob- 

 served to run well in the beds. It must not, however, be inferred 

 that the casing can be dispensed with or even delayed too long. 

 Without a casing of loam, spawn will not head. It will continue 

 to run in the beds until it dies. The loam furnishes the medium 

 unfavorable to the further development of the spawn, which causes 

 it to head and come to fruition. 



23. An Easy Method for the Amateur 



The complex questions involved in the successful cultivation of 

 the mushroom often discourage the beginner. For the benefit of 

 amateurs, who principally desire immediate results with least 

 amount of trouble, we recommend the following method: 



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