THE CULTIVATION OF THE MUSHROOM. 
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THE CULTIVATION OF THE MUSHROOM. 
5IIIIE Mushroom is a vegetable luxury that comparatively few people enjoy. The means, neverthe- 
A less, for its most successful cultivation abound in almost every establishment, yet how rarely is 
it met with, even in gardens that boast excellence in vegetable culture, save as in a state of spon¬ 
taneous growth, at the foot of an old lining or dung-heap. Amongst the many difficulties that the 
gardener has to encounter in the production of first-rate vegetables, none presents fewer than the 
Mushroom. In an artificial state of culture it neither requires the genial influence of a ray of solar 
heat, nor the refreshing circulation of a salubrious atmosphere, so beneficial to all other vegetables. 
Enclosed in any subterranean cellar or shed, uninfluenced by external temperature, it will thrive most 
luxuriantly, providing proper preparation be made for the spawn, and an uniform temperature of 
from 55 to 60 degrees be maintained. Few insects attack it, and those that do are readily extir¬ 
pated. A correspondent writes :—“ I have gone to considerable expense in erecting a Mushroom 
house, but have never succeeded in procuring Mushrooms.” Here is a frank acknowledgment of the 
means at hand, but a knowledge of the art of properly applying them being wanting. The truth is, 
the Mushroom is a vegetable requiring a system of treatment peculiar to itself, and so widely different 
to that of any other, that those who do not make themselves acquainted with its nature and mode of 
growth, necessarily fail. Now, every gardener knows that Mushrooms will only grow in certain 
situations, and at certain seasons of the year, and that they are scarce in some seasons and plentiful in 
others. With a little observation and judgment, may be gathered from these two or three facts 
sufficient data on which may be founded a system of practice at once simple, and certain of success. 
First, Mushrooms are never found except where, at some time or other, the excrement of cattle has 
been scattered, generally that of horses; hence, we infer that horse-dung is the most suitable nidus 
for the reception and nourishment of the spawn. Secondly, they almost invariably appear when the 
heat of the summer is declining, showing that a temperature somewhat higher is necessary for the 
growth of the seed than is congenial to the production of the plant. Thirdly, persons accustomed to 
observe their growth in a state of nature, can generally anticipate a plentiful or a scarce supply; and 
if we extend our observations a little further on this head, we find that in cases of the spontaneous 
production of spawn in linings or dung-heaps, that it runs, as it is termed, most freely where the dung 
is neither very wet nor extremely dry. 
The first and most essential requisite in the cultivation of the Mushroom, is good spawn. It is just 
position of its flowers; and if, as it appears to promise, the habit of growth should prove 
equally good, it must become highly prized as a decorative plant. We saw it blooming in the 
Royal Gardens, during the month of August last, and were much struck by its distinct charac¬ 
ter, as well as its beauty. Respecting its origin, we learn from Mr. T. Ingram, jun., that he 
raised it from B. fuchsioides crossed with B. nitida; and that he has effected a real cross—a 
very remarkable one too, we think—is apparent from the evident traces of both parents, to be 
detected in the progeny. Several other hybrids of nearly equal merit have resulted from the 
same cross, but the one w r e have figured is selected as the best of those which have yet bloomed. 
The seed was sown towards the close of last year; and when we saw them last August, many 
of the plants were already in vigorous bloom. 
Culture.— -The Begonias are stove plants, and perhaps the easiest of all stove plants to 
cultivate with ordinary success. The shrubby kinds, such as the subject of our plate, are 
readily propagated by cuttings, planted in sandy soil, and set in any moist shady part of the 
hothouse, or more speedily by being placed in a close shaded hot-bed. The cuttings, when 
rooted, may be potted singly into small pots, and should be shifted on into larger ones as their 
roots become crowded; and, within moderate limits, this may be carried to any extent, accord¬ 
ing to the size of plant that may be required. The soil should be light and free, and moderate¬ 
ly rich ; such, for example, as a mixture of half mellow loam, a quarter leaf mould, and a 
quarter dried lumpy cow-dung, the compost being freely intermixed with sharp gritty sand. 
Watering must not be overdone, especially when they are inactive. In winter any part of the 
stove not too hot and close will suit them: in summer, they for the most part prefer moderate 
shade, and the calm damp atmosphere of a pit. The culture of Begonias, as decorative objects, 
is, however, a subject on which we propose to have more to say hereafter.—M. 
