MUSHROOM CULTURE. 473 



which little passages radiate. A few little lamps fixed on 

 pointed sticks are placed below, and, arming ourselves with 

 one each, we slowly commence exploring tortuous passages 

 as dark as night and as still as death. I have heard that 

 the first individual who commenced Mushroom growing in 

 these catacomb-like burrowings was one who, at a particu- 

 larly glorious epoch of the history of France, when a great 

 many more brave garcons went to the fight than returned 

 from the victory, preferred, strange to say, to stay at home 

 and hide himself rather than form a unit in " battle's mag- 

 nificently stern array." Industrious and discreet youth ! 

 You deserve being held up as an example almost as much 

 as the busy bee that improves each " shining hour." 



The passages are 

 narrow, and occasion- Fk»- 280. 



ally we have to stoop. 

 On each hand there 

 are little narrow beds 

 of half - decomposed 

 stable manure running 

 along the wall. These 

 have been made quite 

 recently, and have not 

 yet been spawned. 

 Presently we arrive at Mouth of Mushroom Cave at Montrouge. 



others in which the 



spawn has been placed, and is " taking" freely. The spawn 

 in these caves is introduced to the little beds by means of 

 flakes taken from an old bed, or, still better, from a heap of 

 stable manure in which it occurs naturally. Such spawn is 

 preferred, and considered much more valuable than that 

 taken from old beds. Of spawn in the form of bricks, as in 

 England, there is none. 



The Champignonniste pointed with pride to the way 

 in which the flakes of spawn had begun to spread through 

 the little beds, and passed on— sometimes stooping very low 

 to avoid the pointed stones in the roof— to where the beds 

 were in a more advanced state. Here we saw little, smooth, 

 putty-coloured ridges running along the sides of the pas- 



