22 
MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM. 
the middle of the cellar opens a tall shaft or chimney¬ 
like ventilator that passes straight up through the roof 
above. While the beds are being made full ventilation 
by doors, windows and shaft is given, but as soon as 
there is any sign of the mushrooms appearing all venti¬ 
lators except the shaft in the middle are shut and kept 
closed. 
The bed occupies the whole surface of the cellar floor 
and was all made up in one day. As a pathway, a single 
row of boards is laid on the top of the bed, running 
lengthwise along the middle of the cellar from the door 
to the farther end, and here and there between this nar¬ 
row path and the walls on either side a few pieces of 
slate are laid down on the bed to step upon when gath¬ 
ering the mushrooms. Here is the oddest thing about 
Mr. Gardner’s mushroom-growing. He does not give 
the manure any preparatory treatment for the beds. He 
hauls it from the cars to the cellar, at once spreads it 
upon the floor and packs it solid into a bed. For exam¬ 
ple, on one occasion the manure arrived at Jobstown, 
July 8th ; it was hauled home and the bed made up the 
same day, and the first mushrooms were gathered from 
this bed the second week in September,—just two 
months from the time the manure left the New York or 
Jersey City stables. The bed was fifteen inches thick. 
In making it the manure was first shaken up loosely to 
admit of its being more evenly spread than if pitched 
out in heavy forkfuls, and it was then tramped down 
firmly with the feet. The bed was then marked off into 
halves. On one half (No. 1) a layer of a little over 
three inches of loam was at once placed over the manure ; 
on the other half (No. 2) no loam was used at this time, 
but the manure on the surface of the bed—about three 
inches deep—was forked over loosely. Twelve days after 
having been put in the temperature of the bed No. 2, 
three inches deep, was 90°, and then it was spawned. 
