7. Installation of beds 



Mushroom beds are of two general types, (1) the flat bed, frequently 

 referred to as the English, and (2) the ridge bed, known as the French 

 type. In making the former the entire floor space may be utilized 

 as a bed, and the beds may be arranged in the form of tiers or shelves, 

 as shown in the figure. In low cellars or caves, and, indeed, wherever 

 the amount of floor space is not the most important consideration, 

 it would be well to avoid the use of shelves; but where the amount 

 of floor space is an important factor they may be adopted to advan- 

 tage, although the additional labor involved in the growing of a crop 

 under such conditions is an item to be considered. When the shelves 

 are used one should be careful to whitewash these after each crop, 

 in order to avoid the increased danger from insect depredations. 

 In any case, flat beds should be made from eight to ten inches deep. 



Ridge beds enable one to get a somewhat greater surface space 

 in a given area, but they are also more expensive, so far as the labor 

 of construction is concerned. Nevertheless, under many circum- 

 stances they are obviously desirable. They should be about 2 feet 

 wide at the base, tapering gradually to the apex, and not more than 

 about 18 to 20 inches high when compressed and cased. The cus- 

 tom is to make two such beds in contact and then to leave a walk way 

 of 8 or 10 inches between the next two, and so on till the space is 

 occupied. Next to the walls slanting beds may be prepared. 



In any case, the manure is made up in the form of the bed desired, 

 and should be firmed or compressed up in the form of the bed de- 

 sired, in order to prevent drying out and burning when the second 

 fermentation takes place. At this time the manure should be neither 

 wet nor dry, but merely moist. The only practical test of the proper 

 moisture content of the manure which can be relied upon is when 

 upon compression water can not readily be squeezed out of it. 



The prevalent opinion among amateurs that the bed should always 

 be deep enough to maintain a considerable heat is believed to be 

 erroneous. Grown under more or less uniform conditions, mush- 

 rooms seem to require no bottom heat, and the bed should fall to 

 the temperature of the room some time after spawning. Bottom 

 heat, and hence large beds, are, however, desirable when sudden 

 changes of weather would so reduce the temperature of the bed as 

 to delay growth. Under similar conditions, as well as in dry air, 

 mulching may be required. 



8. Spawning and Casing the beds 



From what has been said concerning the temperature requirements 

 it will be evident that spawn should not be inserted in the beds until 

 the temperature has fallen low enough to insure successful competi- 



