86 
Practical  Hints  on  Vegetable  Farming. 
Collect  the  manure  as  fresh  as  possible,  and  reject  any 
long  straw  which  may  he  ])resent.  Spread  the  manure  in  a 
dry  place  to  a foot  in  depth  and  turn  it  over  several  times  to 
get  rid  of  superfluous  moisture  ; hut  allow  it  to  be  slightly 
moist.  Then  throw  the  mass  into  a heap  to  promote  fer- 
mentation. Turn  the  heap  over  again  on  the  second  day, 
and  in  two  more  days  the  manure  will  be  ready  for  forming 
the  bed. 
For  all  artificial  methods  of  Mushroom  culture  the  pre- 
paration of  the  bed  is  the  same  ; that  is  to  say,  the  manure 
should  he  s[)read  in  layers  over  the  area  allotted  to  the  bed  and 
made  (piite  firm.  If  a flat  bed,  no  matter  what  the  area 
covered,  it  should  he  a foot  in  depth  when  the  whole  bed  has 
been  made  (piite  firm  and  completed.  If  the  Mushrooms  are 
to  lie  grown  on  ridges  out  of  doors,  the  ridges  ought  to  be 
three  feet  six  inches  wide  at  the  base  and  about  three  feet  high. 
In  several  days  the  manure  will  reach  its  maximum 
tem{)erature,  which  may  be  a little  over  or  under  100'’  F.  If 
under  100"  the  bed  may  be  at  once  spawned  ; if  over  100"  it 
‘had  better  wait  until  it  has  fallen  below  that  degree  of  heat. 
Then  take  the  fresh  sjiawn,  break  it  into  pieces  about  two 
and  a half  inches  stpiare  and  insert  them  (with  the  “ grain  ” 
horizontal)  just  below  the  surface  of  the  manure  at  intervals 
of  six  or  seven  inches  all  over  the  bed  or  ridge.  The  whole 
surface  should  then  he  again  beaten  down  with  a brick  gently 
hut  firmly.  In  a few  days  the  sjiawn  will  he  seen  to  be 
growing  and  extending  in  all  directions,  and  the  bed  or  ridge 
should  then  receive  its  “casing”  or  “coating”  of  soil.  The 
soil  should  he  quite  one  inch  in  thickness  after  it  has  been 
beat(‘n  down  firmly  and  smoofhly  with  the  back  of  a clean 
spade. 
Cover  the  bed  or  ridge  over  with  hay,  and  if  the  ridge  is 
out  of  doors  apply  a nice  coating  of  straw  or  long  litter  over 
the  hay.  Then  wait  with  patience  and  confidence  for  the  crop 
which  is  assured  if  all  the  foregoing  conditions  have  been 
complied  with. 
Mushrooms  may  sometimes  be  established  in  pastures  by 
taking  uj)  a sj)adeful  of  turf  here  and  there,  making  a hole  and 
inserting  a forkful  of  manure,  adding  a piece  of  spawn  at  the 
top  and  relaying  the  turf.  AVdien  the  desired  crop  makes  its 
appearance  in  a pasture  it  slioidd  be  encouraged  to  remain  and 
to  spread  by  annual  dressings  of  salt,  and  by  allowing  a few 
Mushrooms  at  intervals  all  over  the  pasture  to  grow  to  full 
