598 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part IIL 



according to its breadth. I have sometimes been contented with two courses, as above, instead of three ; 

 and, often, when materials are scarce, have made them up slighter, thus : three four-inch courses of 

 droppings, with one inch of earth between each, and a two-inch covering at top. Such a bed as this I 

 have had produce for ten or twelve months together ; but very much depends on the state of the 

 materials, and on the care taken in making it up ; also on the after-management. The droppings of hard- 

 fed horses only are usefuL Those of horses on green food will, of themselves, produce few or no mush- 

 rooms. This I have proved in more than one instance, much to my disappointment. And I have, 

 moreover, found, that the richer the keep of the horses, the more productive are their droppings. I 

 have made up beds from farm-horses, fed partly on hard, and partly on green food ; and from carriage 

 or saddle horses, fed entirely on corn and hay; treated them in the same way in every respect ; and 

 have found, not once, but always, those made from the latter most productive. Droppings from corn-fed 

 horses may be procured at the public stables in towiis, or at inns in the country, any time in the year j 

 and if the supply be plentiful, a bed of considerable dimensions may be made and finished within five or 

 six weeks. In as many more weeks, if in a stable, or drj' cellar, or a flued shed, it will begin to protluce, 

 and often sooner ; but if the situation of the bed be cold, it will sometimes be two or three months of 

 producing mushrooms." 



3410. Where indigenous spawn may he collected. September is the month in which the 

 mushroom comes to perfection in the open air ; and this is the time to look for it in 

 its native habitats. Downs and upland pastures are the primitive situations, whence 

 the seeds seem to be carried by horses and cattle, to what are called secondary situations. 

 Thus " it is found in strength and purity, in the path of a bark-mill worked by a horse, 

 in any other horse-mill track under shelter, in covered rides for horses, in dry half-rotted 

 dung-heaps, and in hot-beds. It is found in a less degree in various other situations." 

 (^Abercrombie.) 



3411. WPhail says, " The best of mushroom-spawn is frequently to be found in dunghills which have 

 lain a long time without turning, and which had been formed of horse-dung, scrapings of roads, and 

 turf cut up about the sides of roads and commons. The heat of the summer months having dried the 

 dunghill, when rain comes about the latter end of August or in September, mushrooms of a good quality 

 may often be seen beginning to form themselves on the surface, like large peas. When these are ob- 

 served, it is time to take out the spawn, which is generally in hard dry lumps of dung, the spawn having 

 the appearance of whitish coarse pieces of thread." 



3412. To jyreserve indigenous spaxvn. "Having found cakes of dung which contain 

 the desired spawn, take them up as entire as possible, with the earth adhering, and lay 

 them carefully in a basket or any other conveyance. These are to be stored till used 

 as below, in a dry covered place ; and if they were found in a damp state, should be 

 dried in hollow piles, before they are laid together in a mass. The dry spawn may be 

 preserved three or four years. To preserve alike from perishing, and from running 

 before it is planted, a dry shed furnished with a current of air, is indispensable." 



3413. Procuring spawn artificially. Wales tlius procures spawn : " For this purpose, 

 the month of March is the fittest time, the cattle not being then upon grass, but chiefly 

 upon dry food of one sort or other. Take two barrow-loads of cow-dung, one load of 

 sheep and one of horse dung ; dry tliem well ; then break tliem quite small, so as they 

 may go easily through a coarse garden-sieve. When well mixed together, lay them up 

 in a round heap, finishing at top in a point. It is to be understood, that the operation 

 is to be conducted in a dry shed. Observe to tread the heap as it is put up, which will 

 greatly save it from heating too much. If a stick were thi-ust into the heap as a proof, 

 and when taken out, if it feels very slightly warm in the hand, the heat is doing 

 well ; for, in the whole mode of raising mushrooms, it should be particularly observed 

 to take great care of the heat, as the mushrooms are impatient of either too much heat 

 or cold : the best adapted, and most productive heat I have ever found, was from 

 55 to 60 degrees of Fahrenheit, and the nearer the beds are kept to this heat, the 

 greater will be the success. The heap is to be covered with horse-litter, in a state of 

 fermentation, to the thickness of four inches all over. If the shed be warm when the 

 heap is put up, I would recommend old bass-mats rather than dung, as the least over- 

 heat would spoil the heap. In this state let it lie for one month ; then throw the litter 

 a little aside, thrust the hand into the heart of the heap, and take out a handful. If the 

 spawn has begun to run, you will observe numerous small white fibres or threads 

 through the dung. If not begun to run, let another covering be put on above the old 

 one of the same thickness as the first ; and after a month more, you will undoubtedly 

 find the heap to abound with spawn. I have had it running in three weeks, and some- 

 times it has required ten weeks, much depending on the state of the dung. The spawn 

 thus procured is of the very best quality, far exceeding what is got in fields or in old 

 hot-beds. I write from experience, and have not borrowed this mode of procuring 

 spawn from any one. The spawn in this state is not fit for keeping long ; and I shall 

 next give directions how to form spawn-bricks, when as many can be made at one time, 

 as will serv^e for the season, or even for a number of years if required, provided the 

 spawn be kept dry." {Mem. Caled. Hort. Soc.) 



3414. Preserving artificial spawn by forming spawn-bricks. The author last quoted says, 

 " Take of horse-dung without litter, three barrow-loads ; two barrow-loads of the mould 

 of rotten tree-leaves ; two baiTOw-loads of cow-dung ; one barrow-load of old tan-bark, 

 such as is thrown out of the pine-pit ; with one baiTow-load of sheep's dung ; mix all 

 these well together, till the mixture seem to be one compost, and to be as fine and soft as 



