HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 21 



rlushroom Oulture 



Mushrooms may be grown either in a house, erected for the purpose, or in cellars, 

 iheds, under greenhouse benches, or, as in France, in caves or other subterraneous places, 

 lor light is not necessary to their growth. 



The substance called spawn is impregnated with the germs or spores foimd on the 

 "gills" of the developed Mushroom. This spawn we plant to produce the Mushroom. 

 The usual method of growing them, where there is a greenhouse, is to use the sheds or 

 boiler pits; the portion used for Mushroom growing is generally 4 feet from the back wall, 

 starting on the floor of the shed with the first bed, the additional beds being formed 

 of shelving of the same width, and from 12 to 15 inches deep, raised one above 

 another to the top of the wall. If a shed or cellar is used for growing Mushrooms 

 exclusively, beds will be formed in the middle as well as against the walls, leaving, say, 

 3-foot walks between each tier of Mushroom beds. When a Mushroom bed is made under 

 the greenhouse bench, the bench must be water tight to prevent any drip getting through. 

 The bed must also be formed under benches having no pipe or flues below them. Where 

 cellar-room is available, there is no better place to raise Mushrooms, for the cool, moist 

 atmosphere and uniform temperature of the cellar is congenial to the growth of this vegetable. 

 The beds may be formed as above recommended, or portable boxes may be used of the 

 requisite depth and of convenient size. The temperature v.here Mushrooms are to be grown 

 should range from 55 deg. to 65 deg., consequently, it would be useless to attempt to grow 

 the crop unless congenial temperature can be maintained; for though the manure in the beds 

 were up to 80 deg. when first made, it would only partially raise the temperature of an 

 unheated building in winter. Probably the best time to begin making the beds for a crop 

 wanted in winter is during August and September, as at that season the temperature is 

 high enough to cause the spawn to germinate freely, so that the first beds made in August 

 will give the first crop during December; those in September, in January or Februarj-; and 

 so on. The following plan has been extensively practiced with rare instances of failure, 

 even by those who never before attempted the culture of the Mushroom: "Let fresh horse 

 droppings be procured from the stables each day, in quantity not less, perhaps, than a good 

 barrowful. To every barrowload of droppings add about the same weight (which will be 

 a little less than one-third in bulk) of fresh loam from a pasture, or sod land of any kind, 

 that has not been manured; the danger of old manured soil being that it may contain 

 certain spurious fungi. Let the droppings and soil be mixed together day by day as the 

 droppings can be procured. If they can be had all at once in quantity enough, so much 

 the better. Let the heap be turned every day, so that it will not heat violently, until you 

 have got enough to form a bed of the dimensions required. Re careful that 5"ou keep it 

 where it cannot get wet. Now, from this prepared compost heap, spread over the bed a 

 thin layer; pound this firmly down with a brick, and so on till it reaches a depth of 8 inches. 

 More than 8 inches will heat too violently, while less is hardly enough. Into this, plunge 

 a 'hotbed' thermometer; in a day or two the heat of the bed may run up to 100 deg. or 

 over; as soon as it declines to 90 deg., take a dibble, or sharp stick, and make holes, 3 to 

 4 inches deep all over the bed at 12 inches each way; into each hole put a piece of spawn 

 about the size of a hen's egg, covering with the compost ; level and firm the surface as before. 

 Let it remain in this condition for about 10 or 12 days, by which time the spawn will have 

 'run' through the whole bed. Now spread evenly over the surface of the bed nearly 2 

 inches of fresh loam; firm it down moderately with the back of a spade, and cover up the 

 bed with 3 or 4 inches of hay or straw. Inattention to the detail of permitting the 

 bed to 'spawn' thoroughly before the top layer of soil is put on, often causes fail- 

 ure, for if covered too soon, the temperature of the shut-in heat and steam rises 

 and destroys the spawn. This completes the whole operation of 'planting the crop.' 

 Nothing now remains to be done but to attend to the heat and moisture. If the place can 

 be kept uniformly at 60 deg., all the better. It should never get below 40 deg., else the 

 bed will cool and delay the crop. Unless the air of the house has been unusually dry, the 

 Mushrooms will appear before water is required; but examination should be made, and if 

 the surface of the bed appears dry, a gentle sprinkling of water, heated to about 100 deg., 

 must be given. The Mushrooms do not come up all at once, but should commence to appear 

 in from 10 to 12 weeks from spawning the bed, and will continue for 3 to 4 weeks. After 

 this first crop, a slight dressing of fresh soil about half an inch in depth, spread over the bed, 

 and again beaten down with the spade; this is gently watered with tepid water when dry, 

 and a second crop of ^Mushrooms (often better than the first) is gathered in 4 to 8 weeks' 

 time." 



Field Culture of the Mushroom in Northern States. When the conditions are 

 suitable, Mushrooms can easily be grown in the open field or lawn, by planting the spawn 

 in rich, old, well-drained grass lands (avoid dry, sandy, wet or shady locations). In the 

 vicinity of New York, the month of June is the time for planting. Make a V-shaped cut 

 about 4 inches deep in the sod with a spade, inserting a piece of spawn 3 inches square, 

 placing it 2 inches below the surface, afterwards tramping the sod firmly back in place, 

 so that it will retain moisture. Place each insertion about 3 feet apart. The Mushrooms 

 should appear during August and September. 



