52 
MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM. 
that patch go, for it is not a disease of the individual 
mushroom, but of the mycelium or mushroom plant that 
runs in the bed, and when this is injured or killed all 
the little mushrooms arising from this particular patch 
of plant are robbed of sustenance and must perish. 
In greenhouses where the benches are occupied with 
roses, carnations, bouvardias, violets, or lettuces, “plant- 
ed out,” as commercial florists and gardeners generally 
grow them, there is very little drip, because while the 
plants on these benches are freely watered, the soil is 
never soaked enough for the water to drain from it in 
dripping streamlets, as is continually the case in green¬ 
houses where potted plants are grown on the stages. 
Under these “planted out” benches, if care is exercised, 
mushrooms can be grown in open beds; in fact, it is 
about the best place and condition for them in a 
greenhouse. 
With stages occupied by plants in pots provision needs 
to be made to ward off the drip from the mushroom beds, 
by erecting over, and conveniently high above them, 
a light wooden framework, on which rest light wooden 
frames covered with oiled paper, oiled muslin, or plant- 
protecting cloth. In fact, three light wooden strips run 
Fig. 16. Mushroom Bed built flat upon the Ground. 
over the bed, as shown in Fig. 12, or three strings of 
stout cord or wire run in the same manner will answer 
for small beds, and act as a support for the oiled muslin 
or plant-protecting cloth. Building paper is sometimes 
used for the same purpose. Mr. J. G. Gardner uses 
