By Mr. Isaac Oldaker. 



345 



quently proves injurious,' is wanted. They may be grown 

 also plentifully, in hot-bed frames, by the same process, 

 as is recommended for the sheds. In this latter practice, 

 as soon as the beds are earthed, they should be covered 

 with hay or litter under the lights, until they are in full 

 bearing, then remove the covering to the outside of the 

 lights, to exclude the sun and air as much as possible. In 

 cold weather, if they advance slowly in their growth, the 

 frames may be covered with hot dung, which will greatly 

 encourage them. It must be recollected, that when these 

 beds are made in hot weather, air must be admitted as 

 freely as possible into the cellars, or frames, during the time 

 of spawning, as above directed for the management of this 

 part of the process, in the sheds. 



Directions for breeding spawn for the Mushroom beds. 

 To any quantity of fresh horse droppings mixed with short 

 litter (as recommended for the beds) add one third of cow's 

 dung, and a small portion of earth to cement it together ; 

 mash the whole into a thin compost, and then spread it on 

 the floor of an open shed, and let it remain till it becomes 

 firm enough to be formed into flat square bricks, which being 

 done, set them on edge, and frequently turn them until half 

 dry ; then, with a dibble, make one or two holes in each 

 brick, and insert in each hole a piece of good old spawn, 

 the size of a common walnut ; the bricks should then re- 

 main until they are dry. This being completed, level the 

 surface of a piece oi ground, three feet wide, and of length 

 sufficient to receive the bricks, on which lay a bottom of 

 dry horse dung, six inches high ; then form a pile by 

 placing the bricks in rows one upon another (the spawn side 



