Vol. LXXIII, No. 425G. 
NEW YORK. MAY 23, 1014. 
WEEKLY $1.00 PER YEAR. 
MUSHROOMS IN THE HOUSE CELLAR. 
Largely a “ Gold Brick” Job. 
I am thinking of growing mushrooms for profit, and 
would like to know if you think the advice A. P. Fegert 
gives is good to follow? kiciimo.xd. 
The article referred to is one of those newspaper 
yarns which are spun in the daily papers from 
time to time. Here is a sample: 
Home-grown mushrooms in any amount may be sold 
in the Manhattan market for from 55 cents to $1 a 
pound, according to A. P. Fegert, who says he cleared 
$1,000 on his own crops from September to April. 
MISLEADING ADVICE.— Quite often we ob¬ 
serve statements in various papers and magazines 
regarding mushroom growing, and always, as in 
the case of A. P. Fegert. large financial returns are 
the chances for success are better now than five or 
six years ago. At that time, or a few years previous, 
a method of making spawn direct from the tissue of 
the mushroom was discovered, and by that method 
it was possible to select and perpetuate any variety 
that showed superior merits, as to size, color, pro¬ 
lificness and any other desirable features. 
IMPROVED SPAWN.—Previous to this discovery 
spawn was almost entirely produced in England 
and mushrooms of all shapes, sizes, and colors, came 
from a single planting. The American process con¬ 
sisted of taking portions of a selected mushroom 
and placing them in a sterilized medium suitable to 
the germination of the spores in tubes. In a short 
time the mycelium permeated the material, which 
was used to inoculate bricks composed of horse ma- 
back to the original method and results are more 
certain, which accounts for the low prices prevail¬ 
ing the past few seasons. 
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.—We have not grown 
mushrooms for several years, as we found the work 
too unpleasant and the chances for success 
too precarious. We have grown them under green¬ 
house benches, in special houses, and in our dwell¬ 
ing house cellar. The latter place is satisfactory if 
so located that the temperature can be maintained 
near 55 deg. without any drying heat, but imagine 
making a manure storage pit of your house cellar! 
I do not think it will appeal to many as a desirable 
proposition. To grow mushrooms successfully it is 
necessary to have fresh horse manure containing a 
good proportion of short litter. This should be 
“EVERYBODY WORKS BUT FATHER!” 
MAKING THE FAMILY GARDEN. 
Em. 2 !)s. 
obtained, and the impression given to the unin¬ 
itiated that all that is necessary is to go and pluck 
the crop and sell it at a high figure, the same as 
you can occasionally gather mushrooms from an 
old pasture on a dewy morning. In the clipping 
under present consideration the statement is made 
that all that can be grown can be disposed of at 
55 cents to $1.00 per pound. During the past few 
seasons growers on different occasions have not re¬ 
ceived a cent for large shipments, and it is rare 
indeed that 50 cents per pound is obtained, the aver¬ 
age running 20 to 30 cents. Now it is possible un¬ 
der the most favorable conditions to grow one pound 
per square foot of bed surface, but the general 
average is very much lower than this. It would be 
safe to figure from nothing to one-half pound per 
foot of bed surface, as it is much easier to obtain 
no mushrooms at all than a profitable crop, though 
mire. soil. etc. After inoculation the bricks of ma¬ 
nure were allowed sufficient time for the spawn to 
run and give them a white mouldy appearance, 
when the growth was arrested and brick dried out 
ready for shipment. This spawn produced remark¬ 
able crops, and in a short time the producers were 
swamped with orders, and cast about for means to 
till them, and incidentally their pockets also. Each 
season our crops became smaller and prices of mush¬ 
rooms mounted higher, till one September we 
reached $1.25 per pound from a New York commis¬ 
sion house, for the few obtained from a large area. 
Investigation proved that the spawn manufacturers 
instead of using the material from the tubes to in¬ 
oculate each brick conceived the idea of making up 
a large pile of their material for brick and inoculat¬ 
ing the pile, thereby getting quantity at low cost of 
production. At present 1 understand they have gone 
piled and tramped solid to a depth of three to 
four feet and three to live inches of good loam 
spread over top of pile. At end of one week or 
sooner in hot weather the manure must he forked 
round, watered well, tramped solid and another cov¬ 
ering of soil applied. 
PREPARATION OF BED.—It is necessary to 
turn the manure four or five times and usually bene¬ 
ficial to add one-fifth to one-quarter in bulk of loam 
during the composting. Water must usually be add¬ 
ed in considerable quantity, but at end of compost¬ 
ing the material dare not be saturated as failure 
is almost certain. A fair guide is to squeeze a por¬ 
tion of it hard, and if moisture can be squeezed out 
but not in sufficient quantity to drop off the hand 
it is in pretty fair condition. Should the work lie 
done outdoors and a heavy rain occur a day or two 
before time to make up beds the loss may be com- 
