temperature for several days, or excessive wateriijg, is sure to re- 

 sult in an irreparable injury. In spveral instances where the ex- 

 perimental beds of the writer have been made during the late autumn 

 and where a vigorous growth of spawn has been secured before the 

 advent of the coldest weather, the beds have remained unproductive 

 throughout the winter months, or so long as the temperature re- 

 mained intermittently below 40 deg. or 50 deg. F. With the warmer 

 weather, these beds have come into bearing several months later, 

 and where the temperature has then remained favorable for some 

 time a good yield has been obtained. In this case, moreover, the bed 

 will bear much longer at a temperature of 60 deg. F. or above, than 

 if the temperature has been constantly in the neighborhood of 60 

 deg F. throughout the growing season of the spawn. As a rule, 

 beds thus filled with spawn and then subjected for a time to cold 

 conditions yield at the outset much larger mushrooms than beds 

 exposed to a more constant temperature, even if this constant tem- 

 perature may be optimum. 



At any rate, the beds must be "cased" as soon as convenient after 

 the spawn is inserted. As a rule, one should wait from one to two 

 weeks in order to be sure tHat the spawn is growing. Casing con- 

 sists in applying to the bed a layer of loam from 1 to 1 1-2 inches deep. 

 In France the casing soil consists usually of calcareous earth, some- 

 times mixed with loam. Ordinary loam of almost any quality will 

 suffice. This should be secured in advance, and it is well to protect 

 it from the weather, so that at a convenient time it may be worked ' 

 over, and if necessary screened, in order to free it from large pebbles 

 or tra,sh. When the loam is applied, it should, on ridge beds, be 

 carefully firmed. When cased, a bed should require wsttering for 

 the most part merely to maintain a moist surface. 



9. Watering 



As previously indicated, the spreading spawn should receive 

 no water, or at least as little as possible. When, however, the mush- 

 rooms begin to appear, more water will be required, and a light 

 sprinkling may be given once or twice each week, or as often as the 

 conditions demand. Beds which come into bearing in proper con- 

 dition should never be drenched. It has been found by experience 

 that under the most favorable conditions a bed will require occasional 

 sprinkling, since, owing to continual evaporation, there will be a grad- 

 ual loss of water, at least after the mushrooms begin to appear. 

 Sprinkling" should be made after the mushrooms have been gathered, 

 and the loam disturbed by the removal of the mushrooms should 

 always receive a light sprinkling. 



10. Picking and Preparing for Market 



When a bed is in full bearing the mushrooms should be gathered 

 at least once in two days, and it is well to pick them every" day, 



