1870. ] 
MUSHROOM-CULTURE. 
179 
inclies. Beds made in this way in the autumn and winter months, and covered 
with a thick layer of litter and mats, seldom require any watering. The culture 
The accompanying illustration (fig. 1) is from a sketch taken in November, 
i860, in market-garden fields between Kensington and Brompton. The beds, 
about 3^ ft. high, and the same in width 
at the base, are covered with the lonty 
straw or litter taken from the stable 
manure. Over that are placed old bast 
mats or any like materials to keep the 
litter in its place, and throw off the rain, 
the mats being kept in place by tiles, 
bricks, old boards, or any like objects 
that may be at hand. The manure em¬ 
ployed is that brought from the London 
stables, the longer litter being shaken 
out and put on one side to cover the beds. 
It is usually made into beds soon after it 
is brought in, and before it is allowed to 
heat, and then the beds are made in the 
form of potato pits and beaten very firm. 
The beds are spawned when at a tem¬ 
perature of 80'’, the pieces of spawn 
being placed about a foot or so apart, and they are then immediately earthed, 
the ordinary soil being used and the bed covered to a thickness of a couple of 
Fig. 4. 
Fig. 5. 
