17. Pure Culture Spawn 



The advent of pure culture (or tissue and spore culture) spawn 

 marks an epoch in the history of mushroom culture. The import- 

 ance of its discovery was immediately realized by the Department of 

 Agriculture, who in turn brought it to the attention of the American 

 growers. Selection and improvement in the varieties of the culti- 

 vated mushroom are now possible. Where formerly the grower 

 was compelled to buy wild seed (English or French spawn), manu- 

 factured' by the "chance" method, he is now in a, position to buy 

 pure culture spawn of the variety most suited to his markets and 

 to the special conditions surrounding him. 



Pure culture spawn bears to English, French, and other wild 

 spawn the relation that grafted or budded trees bear to fruit seed. 

 The present method of manufacturing English and other wiM 

 spawn consists in gathering the mycelium wherever nature happens 

 to have deposited it in its wild state, and "running" the same into 

 bricks. No one, not even the manufacturer of this spawn, is able 

 to tell what variety or varieties of mushrooms it will grow, in fact 

 wild spawn contains a miscellaneous lot of varieties. Since a com- 

 paratively small number of those are susceptible of cultivation at 

 all, it is not at all surprising that so many experienced growers 

 using foreign spaWn are continuously meeting with total or partial 

 failures in spite of their most intelligent efforts. 



Proceeding by selection and elimination, the pure culture method 

 of manufacturing spawn admits of steady improvement in the 

 varieties. Cultures are taken from choice specimens of desirable 

 varieties known to be thoroughly acclimatized and selected with 

 special reference to their hardiness, size, flavor, appearance, and 

 prolificness. 



"Lambert's Pure Culture Spawn," grown by this "selective" 

 method and manufactured by the American Spawn Company, St. 

 Paul, Minn., was placed on the market immediately following the 

 discovery of the pure culture method. Controlling nearly three 

 acres of mushroom beds, this company possesses the all-important 

 advantage of unlimited selection for its cultures. Only perfect 

 specimens thoroughly acclimatized and capable of successful culti- 

 vation are used. Every brick of its spawn is inspected before it 

 leaves the yards', and none but the very best are shipped. "Lam- 

 bert's Pure Culture Spawn" is, therefore, sure to "run" and pro- 

 duce a uniform and vigorous crop of a desirable variety of mush- 

 rooms, to the exclusion of other and inferior fungi. 



18. How and When to Order Spawn 



When your beds have reached the proper condition to be spawned, 

 a delay of a few days is sure to be injurious, if not dirsastrous to 

 your crop. The loss of temperature and moisture, incident to this 



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