230 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



[Sept. 



of fresh dung upon the top of the spawn in the box, and beat 

 it down as before-mentioned. In the course of a fortnight, 

 the box will be ready to receive the mould on the top ; this 

 mould must be two inches and a half deep, well beaten down 

 with the back of a spade, and the surface made quite even. 

 But before the box be earthed over, it will be proper to take 

 up a little of the dung as far down as almost the bottom of tlie 

 box, in order to ascertain if the spawn has run through the 

 dung, if that has not taken place, let the box stand unearthed 

 for some days longer, for were it to be earthed over before the 

 spawn had run through the dung, the crop would be very 

 scanty. In the space of hve or six weeks, the mushrooms 

 will begin to come up ; if then the mould seem dry, give a 

 gentle watering, the water being slightly heated before its 

 application. This watering will make the mushrooms start 

 freely, and render them of a large size. The boxes will con- 

 tinue to produce for six weeks, and sometimes for two months, 

 if duly attended to, by giving a little water when dry, for they 

 need neither light nor air." 



This opinion is in unison with that of Nicol, Abercrombie, 

 and most authors on gardening, but as mushrooms are pro- 

 duced naturally above ground, where they enjoy a sufficiency 

 of both light and air, it is probable, that both contribute mate- 

 rially, in some way or other, to their perfection. If cut as 

 button-mushrooms, each box will yield from twenty-four to 

 forty-eight English pints, according to the season and other 

 favorable circumstances. 



The plan above described is preferred for yielding a number 

 of mushrooms, and also where a great many are required, but 

 their flavor is best when reared without dung. They are not 

 then to be distinguished from those which grow naturally in 

 the fields; but few are comparatively produced in this way. 

 " I have," he adds, " lately found it very useful to add to 

 every three barrow-loads of horse-dung, one of perfectly dry 

 cow-dung, beaten down to powder as it were, and well mixed 

 amongst the horse-dung, after the horse-dung has lain under 

 cover for four or five days to dry." This addition of cow-dung 

 was made in consequence of the effect it has to dry up tlie 

 superabimdant moisture in tlie horse-dung, and to render th.c 



