MUSHROOM-HOUSES. 



469 



HanhirCs mushroom-house. — Before de- 

 scribing this house, it may be necessary 

 to mention that Mr Hankin differs in his 

 mode of culture considerably from culti- 

 vators of the mushroom in general. In- 

 stead of excluding light, and almost 

 excluding air, he admits both to the 

 extent of rendering his house as interest- 

 ing to the visitor as any plant-house 

 under his care, concluding, and we think 

 with good reason, that light and air, 

 where an equal temperature can be kept 

 up, are as essential to the successful cul- 

 ture of this plant as to many others ; 

 " and that a confined atmosphere will 

 never produce healthy and full-grown 

 mushrooms." Another part of his man- 

 agement is also different from the com- 

 mon routine — namely, covering his beds 

 with fresh green turf about 1J inches 

 in thickness, having the green side up- 

 permost, through which the mush- 

 rooms force themselves, and assume quite 

 their natural appearance. The grassy 

 turf is kept in a healthy growing state, 

 and in the mornings has all the appear- 

 ance of being covered with a copious 

 dew. 



The annexed section, ' fig. 663, and 

 ground-plan, fig. 664, are taken from 

 a communica- 

 tion by the 

 inventor, and 

 published in 

 " The Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle," 

 1845, p. 99 :— 

 " References : a 

 boiler, 2 feet l£ 

 inches by 1 foot 

 9 inches ; b 

 boxes, 6 feet 5 

 i inghgg by 3 f ee £ 



6 inches ; c chimney ; d door, 3 feet." 

 This house is heated by an open brick- 

 and-cement tank e, placed under the 

 passage, and covered with an open trellis. 

 The boiler is also open, and placed within 

 the house. The beds on the ground-floor 

 are sunk 9 inches under the floor-level, 

 and are used for forcing rhubarb and sea- 

 kale. The roof is tiled, and in it are 

 three glazed sashes on each side for trans- 

 mitting light. This house is 26 feet 

 in length and 13 feet wide ; but of course 

 the length may be extended to any re- 

 quired degree. When the beds are 



Fig. 663, 



Fig. 665. 



made up and covered with green turf, 

 the house must 

 )b ' have a much 



more inviting 

 appearance than 

 those in com- 

 mon use. We 

 think, however, 

 from the height 

 of the side walls, 

 that another 

 course of boxes 

 might be placed 

 along each side. 

 The advantage 

 of the boxes we 

 do not quite 

 clearly see. Why 

 not use shelv- 

 ing, as in the 

 cases already noticed ? 



Patrick's mushroom-house. — The annexed 

 diagrams, figs. 665 and 666, exhibit the 

 mushroom-houses used at Stoke Place, 

 both for sum- 

 mer and win- 

 ter use. Of 

 course the for- 

 mer is not 

 heated ; — the 

 latter is, by 4- 

 inch hot- water 

 pipes, which 

 are brought 

 from a boiler 

 constructed to 

 heat, at the same time, a range of pits 

 for pines, melons, &c, 89 feet long and 7 

 feet wide. The 

 ' A 1 shelves are 



close -bottom- 

 ed, to prevent 

 the beds from 

 drying too 

 rapidly, and 

 also to require 

 less watering, 

 which Mr Patrick thinks a very impor- 

 tant precaution in mushroom culture. 

 Ventilation is effected by a slide in the 

 door, and a wooden trunk up through the 

 arch and roof, with a slide in it also. 

 We do not exactly see the motive of Mr 

 Patrick, whom we have long known and 

 esteemed as one of the best gardeners in 

 England, in adopting the span-roof over 

 this house, as, from its situation behind 



