MUSHROOM CULTURE. 



475 



bunclies that are in perfection^ and leaves tliem on the spot^ 

 so that they may be collected Tvith the rest for to-morrow^s 

 market. He gathers largely every day, occasionally sending 

 more than 400 lb. freight per day, the average being abont 

 300 lb. A moment more and we are in an open space, a 

 sort of chamber, say 20 feet by 12, and here the Kttle beds 

 are arranged in parallel lines, an alley of not more than 

 fonr inches separating them, the sides of the beds being 

 literally blistered all over with Mnshi'ooms. There is one 

 exception; on half 



of the bed and for Fig. 281. 



abont ten feet 

 along, the little 

 ^Mushrooms have 

 appeared and are 

 appearing, bnt 

 they never get 

 larger than a pea, 

 bnt shrivel away, 

 " bewitched'''' as it 

 were. At least 

 snch was the 

 ference to 

 drawn from 

 cnltivator''s 

 pressions abont it. 

 He gravely attri- 

 buted it to a ridi- 

 cnlously supersti- 

 tious cause. Frequently the Mushrooms grow in bunches 

 or rocks,-'-' as they are called, and in such cases those that 

 compose the little mass are lifted all together. 



The sides of one bed here had been almost stripped by 

 the taking away of such bunches, and it is worthy of note 

 that they are not only taken out, root and all, when being 

 gathered, but the very spot in which they grew is scraped 

 out, so as to get rid of every trace of the old bunch, and 

 the space covered with a little earth from the bottom of the 

 heap. It is the habit to do this in every case, and when 



m- 



be 

 the 



ex- 



Vie vr in Musliroom Cave. 



