MUSHROOM CASING SOIL IN RELATION TO YIELD 9 



Table 8. — Relation of texture of casing soil to yield of cultivated mushrooms — Contd. 











Yield 



Mean 



Texture and source of soil 



Lime- 



Reaction 



Bed 



No. 



per 10 



yield per 





stone 



at casing 



square 



square 





added 



time 





feet 



foot 





Percent 



pi I 



f 1 

 2 



Ounces 

 350 

 359 



J 'mi mis 



Keyport clay loam, Arlington, Va 



2H 



7.4 



) 3 



419 



2.3 







4 



341 









I 5 



381 











f 1 

 2 



427 

 326 





Chester loam (heavy texture), near Kelton, Pa 



Vi 



6.3 



1 3 



4 

 ( 5 

 f 1 



2 



235 

 352 

 360 



419 

 225 



2.1 



Chester loam (light texture), near New Garden, Pa 



Yi 



0.2 



) 3 



4 



( 5 



f 1 



2 



294 

 230 

 310 

 429 



218 



1.8 



Manor loam, near "West Chester, Pa 







7.2 



1 3 



363 



1.9 









4 



257 











{ 5 



260 











1 



293 











2 



299 





Carrington loam, Ames, Iowa 



o 



7. 2 



1 3 



300 



1.8 









4 



350 









I 5 



239 











i 1 



372 











2 



409 





Brandywine loam, near Embreeville, Pa 



o 



5.8 



1 3 



267 



1.7 









4 



116 









I 5 



230 











[ 1 



353 











2 



250 





Sandy loam, Arlington, Va 



Wi 



7. 7 



3 



328 



1.7 







4 



215 











I 5 



239 











( 1 



370 











2 



318 





Sand, Arlington, Va , 



2M 



7.8 



1 3 



243 



1.7 









4 



126 











I 5 



346 





In the opinion of the writers, the better yields obtained on the aver- 

 age with comparatively heavy soils than with lighter soils were due 

 to the fact that a uniform moisture content was easier to maintain 

 in the clay loams and clays than in sandy soil. The clays and clay 

 loams listed in table 8 were surface soils well supplied with calcium 

 and organic matter and were in exceptionally good physical condition. 

 When a clay soil low in organic matter and in poor physical condition 

 was used in a later experiment, however, the soil puddled and cracked 

 on the beds and the yields were negligible. 3 It is evident, therefore, 

 that although clays and clay loams seem to be capable of producing 

 the best crops, there is considerable danger of a crop failure from the 

 use of a heavy soil in poor physical condition. For instance, a clay 

 loam subsoil devoid of organic matter and easily puddled when wet 

 would be totally unsuited for use as casing soil; whereas the surface 

 soil of a field that has been in sod for a number of years and which 

 therefore has a good structure and is well supplied with organic matter 

 may be well suited for use as a casing soil even though it be of a heavier 

 texture than the puddled clay loam mentioned above. Of course, 



3 Data not shown in the tables. 



