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LXXIII. An Account of the Cultivation of Mushrooms. By 

 Mr. Thomas Rogers, Gardener to Edward Jenkins, 

 Esq. F. H. S. at Thorpe Hall, near Peterborough. 



Read May 8th, 1821. 

 Having met with considerable success in the cultivation of 

 Mushrooms, both as regards the quantity and the quality of 

 the produce, I am naturally led to ascribe it to the method 

 I have practised. I will first speak of the preparation of the 

 spawn, which I manage in the following manner. 



I collect pure cow-dung, not fresh, but such as I happen 

 to find in the park, the fields, or the farm-yard ; with this I 

 mix the scrapings of roads, in the proportion of one half to 

 one, adding to it about one-third or a fourth, of vegetable 

 mould, obtained from leaves or decayed sticks. These in- 

 gredients being well worked up together, the compost is 

 formed into bricks about nine inches long, three and a half 

 broad, and two thick. The bricks are exposed to the air 

 and sun, and suffered to attain such a degree of solidity, as 

 to bear a considerable pressure, but not to dry hard. They 

 are then removed to a shed for the purpose of being laid up 

 in strata. Three or four rows are first placed on the ground 

 with insterstices of about one inch in width between the 

 rows, and the bricks ; into these interstices, or spaces, loose 

 spawn, such as is found in the litter of old mushroom 

 beds, is scattered ; and over the whole surface of the layer 

 such spawny litter is likewise spread. Should there be 



