1882.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



3 



MUSHROOMS. 



A steadily increasing demand for Mush- 

 rooms in most of our large cities has awak- 

 ened a lively interest in the cultivation of 

 this peculiar delicacy, and in the vicinity 

 of New York several houses have lately been 

 built specially for their cultivation. During 

 summer and early winter there is but little 

 difficulty in raising Mushrooms — any shed or 

 dark place sheltered from rain and frost can 

 then be turned into a Mushroom house ; but 

 when they are desired during the winter 

 months for market or home use, more exten- 

 sive and careful preparations are necessary. 



Mr. Samuel Henshaw, who has given much 

 attention to this subject, has recently read a 

 valuable paper before the New York Horti- 

 cultural Society, from which we condense 

 the most important points. 



It is useless to attempt winter forcing of 

 Mushrooms in any place where the tempera- 

 ture falls below 50°. Cellars, under green- 

 houses were formerly considered most suit- 

 able, but in building houses for Ferns and 

 Orchids provision may be made for a shed- 

 like extension on the ground floor, about 

 fifty feet long by eight feet wide, with a 

 hot-water pipe running through the entire 

 length ; so far such structures have an- 

 swered the purpose admirably. 



"In my own practice," says Mr. H., " I do 

 not find it necessary to have fresh manure 

 from the stable, as is so often recommended 

 by some growers. When we get in our supply 

 of horse-manure in the autumn, about the 

 end of October or beginning of November, I 

 take care to have all the finest portion of it 

 carted to an open shed, where there is suf- 

 ficient room to pile it in a loose heap, so as 

 to be turned as often as the heat becomes 

 violent. This will not be so often as once a 

 day ; but care is taken that it does not burn. 

 If it is fresh manure, it will take nearly a 

 month before it is sufficiently fermented to 

 get rid of the offensive smell, and prevent 

 the danger of burning when it is made into 

 a compact bed. 



"I never mix any soil with the manure, 

 either when turning it over to ferment or 

 in making the beds. Of course it takes a 

 little longer to prepare it than it would if soil 

 were mixed with it, but the after results are 

 much more satisfactory ; the crops are bet- 

 ter, and for a longer period than I have seen 

 where soil was mixed with the beds. In 

 making the beds, a layer of manure is spread 

 about four inches deep, which is all trodden 

 or beaten down as firm as possible ; then 

 another layer of the same thickness, with 

 another treading, and so on till the bed is 

 from twelve to fifteen inches deep ; trial 

 sticks are then put in, which are pointed 

 sticks about eighteen inches long, driven into 

 the bed about four feet apart, and these are 

 examined occasionally in order to know when 

 the bed is of the right temperature for put- 

 ting in the spawn. If the bed does not begin 

 to ferment in about a week from the time of 

 making, it is covered with hay or leaves, but 

 this is not often necessary ; for, as a rule, 

 the heat is very violent, and if there is any 

 danger of burning, — that is, if it becomes 

 white or ' fire-fanged,' — I make a few holes in 

 the bed to let out the steam. Usually, how- 

 ever, in about ten days the bed will be cool 

 enough to spawn, or about blood heat (98°). 



"In spawning the bed, I prefer what is 

 called flake spawn, which is produced by 

 breaking up the brick spawn into pieces 



about two inches square, and mixing them 

 in a heap of manure that is fermenting 

 gently. After being in this heap about 

 three weeks it will be found one mass of 

 spawn, and in just the right condition for 

 running vigorously all through the bed in a 

 very short time. 



"A handful of it is put in, about four inches 

 deep and one foot apart, all over the bed ; if 

 brick spawn is used, it is broken into pieces 

 about the size of an egg, and put about three 

 or four inches deep, nine inches apart, then 

 the whole bed beaten down as firm as pos- 

 sible. 



"When the spawn used is in a state of ac- 

 tivity, as it is when flake spawn is used, the 

 appearance of the crop is from two to three 

 weeks earlier than when brick spawn is used. 



" If the material of the bed has been prop- 

 erly prepared, there is not much danger of 

 overheating after this time ; but it is best to 

 be on the safe side, and defer putting soil on 

 the bed until after the spawn has begun to 

 spread, which may be known by lifting up a 

 portion and examining it. If it has begun 

 to run, the bed will be found full of a very 



CLUMP OF MUSHROOMS. 



fine thread-like substance, having that pecul- 

 iar smell of Mushrooms. 



"Now comes, in my opinion, a very im- 

 portant part of the preparation for a crop of 

 Mushrooms, and that is covering the bed 

 with soil. Formerly I was very particular to 

 have the soil finely sifted and spread evenly 

 over the bed, about one inch deep. 



"In a great measure this plan defeats the 

 object of making the bed firm ; for when the 

 Mushrooms appear, if the surface of the bed 

 once gets thoroughly dry, all the small ones 

 are certain to wither, or, as the old garden- 

 ers say, fog off. 



" Of late years I have practiced what has 

 proved to be a much more reliable way of 

 putting soil on the bed, which consists of 

 cutting fresh grass sods, about two inches 

 thick ; these are laid all over the bed, grass 

 side down, and trodden or beaten down as 

 firm as possible. With this covering, I have 

 never found the small Mushrooms to wither 

 before coming to maturity. 



' ' Another advantage over the old plan is, 

 they continue in bearing longer, the Mush- 

 rooms are larger, and come through the sods 

 in a healthy, vigorous way, that is pleasant 

 to look upon. 



" In gathering the crop from a bed covered 

 with sods, the largest can be twisted from a 



cluster without disturbing the small ones, 

 which was often a great loss by the old plan. 



" After the bed begins to bear I never use 

 any covering, such as hay, or similar ma- 

 terial, for if the place is not absolutely dark, 

 the small blades of grass grow through the 

 sods, and form a sort of mulch, and the 

 Mushrooms, as they peep through the grass, 

 appear much more natural and cleanly than 

 when covered wi th rubbish ; besides, in many 

 cases, the covering is only a harboring place 

 for vermin, such as slugs, wood-lice, etc., 

 which are all great enemies to the crop, and 

 will devour both the Mushrooms and the 

 spawn if they can get at it. 



" The beds are made on the bare soil, and 

 cover the entire floor. I prefer this to a 

 foundation of brick or wood, provided the 

 ground is thoroughly drained, so that no 

 water can lodge in any part. The work is 

 easier done, the beds can be made firmer, 

 and if insect enemies make their appear- 

 ance, it is much easier to get rid of them 

 when the whole surface can be seen at once. 



"For watering the beds and sprinkling 

 the sides of the house I use warm water of 

 about 98°; the steam arising from warm 

 water is very congenial to the growth of the 

 Mushrooms. 



"When a bed is in bearing the surface is 

 watered about every second day, and when 

 the crop shows signs of exhaustion a dose of 

 liquid manure, previously warmed, is given 

 about once a week. The drainings from the 

 manure heap are found to be best, but if 

 these cannot be had, a weak solution of 

 guano will do, in proportion of one pound to 

 twenty-five gallons of water. Sometimes 

 when an old bed has almost ceased to bear, it 

 may be revived by making a few holes in the 

 surface and pouring in a very liberal quantity 

 of liquid manure, which, with another sod on 

 top, will make almost a new bed of it. 



" In regard to the most favorable tempera- 

 ture, there are various opinions. I have had 

 the best success when the house has been 

 kept from 60° to G5°. If the temperature iss 

 higher the Mushrooms grow smaller, and the 

 bed becomes sooner exhausted; if kept be- 

 low 50°, the Mushrooms are slow to grow 

 and are not tender when cooked." 



THE AMERICAN WONDER PEA. 



Having tested the American Wonder Pea 

 every year since its introduction, in the most 

 critical manner, I can most heartily indorse 

 all the many praises accorded to it by some 

 of your correspondents. I find it has no 

 equal as a garden variety for the main crop 

 as well as for an early Pea. To the market 

 gardener it is invaluable, not only on account 

 of its very large yield, which is a great point 

 in its favor, but also from the fact that the 

 crop can be picked at a saving of at least 

 one-third of labor and ground over the taller- 

 growing varieties, which is another impor- 

 tant consideration to the grower. To grow 

 this Pea in its greatest perfection, the seed 

 should be sown at least twice as far apart in 

 the rows as is the common practice ; at the 

 same time, the rows may be somewhat closer 

 together. This method will give the plant a 

 branching habit, not unlike that of Bush- 

 Beans. Observation and experiments made 

 convince me that ' ' fifteen pods " to a plant 

 would be the rule, instead of the exception, 

 if -the plants are not less than three inches 

 apart in the drills. C. L. Allen. 



