December, 1912 
any shape desired, 
such as an oblong ten 
by five feet or a square 
seven by seven feet 
in dimensions. In 
practice all smaller 
beds in boxes or bar- 
rels or larger beds 
are based on the con- 
struction of this unit. 
I propose to quote 
the construction of 
the bed from the 
growers who _ have 
succeeded with both 
pure culture spawn 
and brick spawn, as 
the home. grower 
will probably pur- 
chase his supplies dir- 
ect from experienced 
professional growers. One of these methods is as follows: 
“Get one half cart of fresh horse manure, which costs, 
with hauling, $2.50, and have it placed in one heap of hay- 
stack form, outdoors in warm weather and indoors in freez- 
ing weather, or else cover over with canvas, boards or car- 
pet to prevent freezing, and also, in wet weather, to pre- 
vent it getting too much water. As it is thrown from the 
cart, wet it down with garden hose, giving it as much water 
as possible and pack it down solid. Allow the heap to 
stand one week, except that after two days it should be 
opened sufficiently to ascertain if it is steaming and hot. 
It must reach a temperature up to 200 degrees before 
turning. At the end of a week pitch it with a fork into 
another heap, playing the hose on it gently this time, merely 
to dampen it, since it must retain moisture enough for the 
life of the bed to be, which must never be watered after 
this treatment. Tramp down the new heap reasonably 
hard. Let the new bed heap stand for ten to fourteen 
days, until the mass is of brown color. If white, it is burned 
up; if black, it is rotted and useless in either case and a new 
compost must be made. It should also be nearly odorless 
and entirely so twelve hours after the bed is made. The 
turning should cost not over $2, if done by hired help. The 
manure must now not be too wet and soggy nor dry. If 
the former, it must be put in a heap again to dry out the 
excess of moisture, which may require two weeks, more or 
less. If too dry, it must be heaped up again and moistened, 
to stand for three or four days. 
The manure is now ready for a bed, and the flat form 
is preferred for culture spawn. If to be placed in a warm, 
heated room, lay the manure nine inches deep; if in a cold, 
unheated room, fourteen to eighteen inches deep, provided 
the temperature of the room never gets below 35 degrees 
Fahr. If it goes lower, the gas stove is essential and ought 
always to be in readiness for emergencies. Spread the 
manure evenly and tramp it down compact three inches 
with your shoes, breaking up all lumps and melting with the 
hose any dry or white portions. If twelve inches of man- 
ure is placed, it must be tramped down to nine inckes. Rush 
the tramping if the weather is hot or it will heat violently 
and burn up. If cold, wait a day or two before tramping, 
to allow the manure to commence heating. Only tramp 
over the manure once, so as not to pack it too firmly, and 
leave no holes in it, making an even surface. The bed 
must be laid on a water-tight surface to prevent its mois- 
ture from escaping. Once laid, never water it again. The 
requisite amount of water must be inserted while preparing 
the manure and on placing it in the bed. 
The new bed will require a rest of ten days or two weeks 
A “‘harvesting”’ 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
DEINE TSE AG 
of home-grown mushrooms 
433 
for its heat to rise 
and then to fall to 
the spawning tem- 
perature. A bed 
thermometer costing 
$1.50 is now the 
pulse of the situation, 
thrust not over 3 
inches into the com- 
post. At present the 
temperature should 
rise from 100 to 120 
degrees and later de- 
cline to from 70 to 
80 degrees, thus 
showing that your 
work so far is suc- 
cessful. When it de- 
clines to about 75 de- 
grees it is time to 
plant the spawn. In 
hot weather it will decline slower, and in cold weather rise 
slower. You will receive culture spawn in a box at a cost 
of $2 for an amount necessary for a bed of 50 square feet. 
When planting, stand on the bed and back up, pushing back 
the box. The holes for the spawn must be g inches apart 
and about 234 inches deep, and made by jabbing three 
fingers into the bed. With the other hand insert just 
enough spawn to fill the hole even with the surface, break- 
ing up any lumps of spawn. Even off and press the man- 
ure around the hole. Bored holes won’t work here, nor 
holes made in advance. Make a hole and fill it at once. 
When planted, pat the bed down evenly with the back of a 
shovel. The bed must again be left alone for two weeks, 
covering it over with straw, hay, mats or sacking to prevent 
its drying out. Remove this material at the end of the 
two weeks and cover the bed with a layer of moist garden 
LO SOS EP oI: ELIE a 
arrest 
Rue EET Seatpost ait 2 
A fruitful cellar mushroom bed of the “‘double-decker’’ sort 
