EDIBLE FUNGI. — THE MUSHROOM. 



251 



if the mushrooms from both beds were gathered 

 and mixed indiscriminately, any one could with- 

 out difficulty select those grown upon the turf 

 from those raised on the beds covered with the 

 small coal." In a later communication Mr Haw- 

 kin observes : " In my former paper I did not 

 mention the shape in which the greensward is 

 best adapted for the free spread of the spawn. 

 I have since discovered that the turf is best 

 after being partially dried in a shed, taking care 

 to preserve the vitality of the grass, which I 

 consider very essential in the growth of mush- 

 rooms. In all my experience, I have never seen 

 them purely white on the crown, or the gills as 

 red as the finest field mushrooms, and fully equal 

 to the latter in flavour, but by this process." 

 Mr Hawkin concludes by observing that he is 

 confident that light and air, where an equal 

 temperature can be preserved, are essential to 

 the growth of the mushroom, and that they do 

 not blanch by the exclusion of either ; if they 

 did this, the gill would also turn white propor- 

 tionably — a dark confined atmosphere will never 

 produce a healthy full-grown mushroom. One 

 great advantage attends this method — namety, 

 the labour and inconvenience of covering and 

 uncovering the beds are dispensed with. Cover- 

 ing the beds with turf instead of loamy soil is a 

 much nearer approach to their natural condi- 

 tion ; besides, it retains the declining heat in 

 the beds better; and should that heat fail, so as 

 to render a top-dressing of dung necessary to 

 increase the temperature, it can be more conve- 

 niently effected than if the bed was earthed up 

 in the usual manner. 



To secure abundance of mushrooms during win- 

 ter is a matter of great importance to most 

 people. The writer of the forcing department 

 of the calendar of operations in the " Gardeners' 

 Chronicle," 1845, p. 612, has given the following 

 very rational directions : " The best way to 

 secure good and lasting crops of mushrooms 

 through the autumn and up to Christmas, is to 

 make the beds in good time, and to give them 

 plenty of time that they may work slowly, de- 

 pending more on the warmth of the atmosphere 

 than upon fermentation in the manure. The 

 natural warmth in the last fortnight in August 

 and the first three weeks in September will gua- 

 rantee the safe working of the spawn, provided 

 a proper medium is procured. Three things are 

 requisite in the dung, to insure success in get- 

 ting the spawn to work well — viz., what is 

 technically called " c sweetness," an open texture, 

 and a medium degree of moisture. It is a good 

 plan to make the beds in the mushroom-house 

 at twice — that is to say, if the shelf be 1 foot in 

 depth, which is not too much for substantial 

 beds, 8 inches might be made at any time in 

 July and August, and the remaining 4 inches as 

 wanted. In this case, get new droppings from 

 the stable-door, with a deal of fresh litter 

 amongst them ; and add one-third of strong 

 loam at least, beating the whole into a solid 

 mass. For the surface of such beds, well-fer- 

 mented dung alone should be used, only made 

 at least two months before the mushrooms are 

 required, giving it plenty of time, without the 

 hurry of fermentation, to establish itself all 



through the mass. It should be borne in mind 

 that depth in the bed, and loam mixed with the 

 dung, tend at all times to render the bed more 

 durable. Remember that mushrooms are as 

 fond of abundance of air and light as other 

 plants. They grow most in the fields at night, 

 not because they hate light, but because they 

 can enjoy abundance of atmospheric moisture, 

 which is so quickly dispersed by the returning 

 day. Let, then, abundance of atmospheric mois- 

 ture be secured at all times, as also an unfluc- 

 tuating temperature of 55° or 60°, and no fear 

 need be entertained of injury from light or air, 

 either day or night." 



The practice of growing mushrooms in more 

 light and air than was the practice formerly, is 

 now greatly gaining ground ; and as the principle 

 is founded on conect data, we cannot recom- 

 mend it too strongly to our readers. 



Besides producing mushrooms on beds made 

 in the open air, as practised by the London 

 market-gardeners, or in regular mushroom- 

 houses, as is usually done by private gardeners, 

 other means are often had recourse to, such as 

 growing them in boxes, or even large flower- 

 pots, placed in a proper temperature in warm 

 cellars, offices, and spare places in hot-houses. 

 Spawn is also often introduced into melon-pits 

 and frames, as soon as the strong heat of the 

 fermentation in the beds has subsided. The 

 mushroom spawn, when broken into smallish 

 pieces, is laid upon the soil which forms the 

 hills on which the plants are set, and also over 

 the surface of the bed. The earthing up and 

 usual routine are followed, as regards the melon 

 plants, the same as if no spawn was planted. 

 In September or October, when the melon crop 

 is finished, the haulm is removed, the glass lights 

 kept on, and, as little water has been applied 

 during the ripening of the melons, the spawn is 

 in consequence encouraged to run over the 

 whole surface. When this is found to be the 

 case, gentle waterings with tepid water are given, 

 and mushrooms are produced in great abun- 

 dance. Should the weather become cold, lin- 

 ings of hot dung are applied, which warm the 

 beds, and stimulate the spawn into renewed 

 vigour. No darkened covering is put over the 

 beds ; while the spawn continues in a healthy 

 state they receive no other covering than the 

 glass, thus exposing them fully to the light : but 

 if cold weather ensue, the glass is covered dur- 

 ing night in the usual way. By this means the 

 Rev. W. Williamson (who has detailed his prac- 

 tice in the 5th vol. of the " Horticultural So- 

 ciety's Transactions," p. 3) informs us he has 

 gathered " 2 bushels from a frame 10 feet by 

 6 feet, at one gathering, some of the nmshrooms 

 weighing 2 lb. each. The mould being kept 

 warm by the glasses, and properly watered, the 

 mushrooms will continue to spring till the frost 

 of winter prevents their further growth. I 

 then," he continues, " leave the bed, frame, &c, 

 just as they are ; and early in spring, as soon as 

 the frost may be supposed to be over, I take off 

 the frame and glasses, and cover the bed lightly 

 with straw; when the warm enlivening showers 

 of spring cause the mushrooms to be again pro- 

 duced in every part, till the drought of summer 



