THE CULTIVATION OF MUSHROOMS 



1379 



tliorough study should also be made of 

 open-air conditions. 



In the construction of special mush- 

 room houses any one of a variety of plans 

 may he followed, and the selection of the 

 style will depend, of course, upon its 

 cheapness and efficiency in the particular 

 locality. 



Preparation of the Manure 



It should he borne in mind that while 

 there are many methods leading to fail- 

 ure there are a number leading to suc- 

 cess. In fact, persons succeed in mush- 

 room growing by methods which seem 

 absolutely different. It is essential that 

 the physiological conditions of growth be 

 understood, and then good judgment must 

 be depended upon. 



In the growing of mushrooms for com- 

 mercial purposes, the beds should be con- 

 structed of stable manure which has been 

 fermented or composted. Many experi- 

 ments have been made looking toward the 

 substitution of other composts or waste 

 products for stable manure, but nothing 

 has yet been found which may be more 

 highly recommended. Fresh manure 

 should be obtained, and this should in- 

 clude the litter used for bedding the ani- 

 mals, unless the latter consists of coarse 

 weeds. It is a great mistake, in a com- 

 mercial way, to attempt to use manure 

 free from straw. Again, stable manure 

 which has been well trampled is nearly 

 always well preserved, and is frequently 

 much richer than any other kind 



The manure should be piled in heaps 

 about three feet deep when well pressed 

 down with the fork, and these piles may 

 be of considerable extent. It should be 

 watered until well moistened throughout, 

 but not drenched. In the course of four 

 or five days or a week it will be neces- 

 sary to fork over or "turn'* the manure. 

 A second turning will be required usually 

 in from seven to ten days, and it may be 

 necessary to water again if the material 

 has suffered considerable drying out. If 

 well pressed down and merely moist, the 

 manure will not burn and, moreover, 

 there will be no tendency for a sour fer- 

 mentation to become established. In from 

 15 to 21 days, depending upon the condi- 



tions, the temperature will begin to fall, 

 the violence of decomposition will begin 

 to show a subsidence and the compost will 

 be ready for the construction of the beds. 

 The bacteria of rapid decay will become 

 less and less abundant, and finally, when 

 the beds are prepared as subsequently de- 

 scribed, the spawn will be able to grow 

 in spite of the bacteria present. 



It is the custom of some growers to mix 

 a small quantity of loam, about one-fourth, 

 with the manure. This enables one to use 

 the manure earlier; and, indeed, under 

 such circumstances it may sometimes be 

 used with but little or no composting. 

 Nevertheless, the majority of growers 

 have obtained greater success by the use 

 of the manure alone, and this is also 

 the writer's experience. Very well rotted 

 compost should not be used in mushroom 

 growing if large and solid mushrooms are 

 desired. When sawdust or shavings are 

 employed for bedding the animals, the 

 composting may require a somewhat 

 longer period. 



The manure is always ready for the 

 construction of beds when the above con- 

 ditions have been fulfilled, or when nearly 

 all objectionable odors are lost and a 

 sweet fermentation, as growers term it, 

 has begun. 



Preparing the Beds 



Mushroom beds are of two general 

 types — the flat bed, frequently referred to 

 as the English, and the ridge bed, known 

 as the French type. In making the for- 

 mer the entire floor space may be utilized 

 as a bed, and the beds may be arranged 

 in the form of tiers or shelves. In low 

 cellars or caves, and, indeed, wherever the 

 amount of floor space is not the most im- 

 portant 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 advantage, 

 although the additional labor involved in 

 the growing of a crop under such condi- 

 tions is an item to be considered. "When 

 shelves are used one should be careful to 

 whitewash these after each crop in order 

 to avoid the increased danger from in- 

 sect depredations. In any case, flat beds 



