272 
THE FLORIST. 
The spawn being duly prepared, the beds are next to be considered. 
I have generally made them in a shed, against the wall, sloping from 
the wall, downwards ; about two feet high at the back, and perhaps a 
little less than one foot in front. The materials for the bed are horse- 
dung mixed with litter, such as is commonly used for hot beds; dry 
leaves may be added, or the greater part, if not the entire bed, may 
consist of leaves. I do not employ the dung fresh, but after it has lain 
on a dung hill, and has been frequently turned and well worked. There 
must be no rank heat in it, for the spawn would be killed by an excess 
of warmth. The temperature of the bed should be between 50° and 
60°. From 52° to 55° may be quite sufficient. When the tempera¬ 
ture is reduced to a proper state, the spawn is inserted. If the bed 
happens to be dry, I put a layer of moist manure, of the same quality 
from the dung-hill, upon the spawn ; or if, on the other hand, the bed 
be too moist, I put a layer of dryer manure over it; these layers I 
make about two inches thick. The mode of spawning is the usual 
one ; namely, the bricks are broken into small pieces, which are inserted 
at three or four inches distance from one another. The beds are earthed 
over about one inch and a half thick, and ultimately covered with hay 
of different thickness, according to the state of the season. I have never 
made use of fire-heat; but always succeeded in regulating the temperature 
of my beds by means of covering. I scarcely ever have occasion to 
water the beds, owing to the materials of which they are composed. 
The produce from beds of this description has been ample, and the 
quality of the Mushrooms excellent, rich, and well-flavoured ; they are 
of great size and thickness, when suffered to grow; but medium 
sized ones are best. They yield abundance of juice when dressed, 
or prepared for catchup. There is no doubt that their quality depends 
upon the manner in which they are nourished : if they are meagrely 
fed, their flavour and substance will be poor in proportion. Thence 
artificial Mushrooms are, generally, richer and higher flavoured than 
those which grow naturally; and again, among the artificial produce, 
those will surpass which are reared on large ar.d deep beds. 
Agaricus. 
NOTES FROM PARIS. 
August 10.—On looking at the crops on either side the railway 
between Calais and Paris, they appeared to have suffered from the 
extreme dryness of the season ; Wheat and Barley had been harvested, 
but a few Oats remained ; some uncut, and looked thin and short in the 
straw, contrasting unfavourably with the luxuriant crops seen on the 
road from Reading to Dover ; indeed, forage crops of all kinds are 
scarce in France. A good deal of Lucerne is grown, but I saw very 
little Clover or the field Grasses. Of Turnips or Swedes I scarcely 
saw any. Mangold is much more grown, and I was somewhat sur¬ 
prised to see so large a breadth of Potatoes cultivated, considering that 
this was not a favourite field crop in France; on this point, however, 
