70 
MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GftOW THEM. 
in the event of dull, cold weather, cover np the pile 
quite snugly with straw and shutters to start the heat in 
it. Altogether, a warm, close shed would be better. 
It seldom happens that one can get all the manure he 
wants at one time ; it accumulates by degrees. This is 
the case with the market grower who uses many tons, 
and hauls it home from the city stables a little at a 
time; also with the private grower, who uses only a few 
bushels or half a cord, and has it accumulate for days or 
weeks from his own stable. As the manure accumulate® 
throw it into a pile, straw and all, but not into such a 
big pile that it will heat violently; and particularly 
observe that it shall not “fire-fang” or “burn” in the 
heap. If it shows any tendency to do this, turn it over 
loosely, sprinkle it freely with water, spread it out a 
little, and after a few hours, or when it has cooled off 
nicely, throw it up into a pile again and tread it firmly 
to keep it moist and from heating hastily. 
When enough manure has accumulated for a bed, pre¬ 
pare it in the following way: Turn it over, shaking it 
np loosely and mixing it all well together. Throw aside 
the dry, strawy part, also any white “burnt” manure 
that may be in it, and all extraneous matter, as sticks, 
stones, old tins, bones, leather straps, rags, scraps of 
iron, or such other trash as we usually find in manure 
heaps, but do not throw out any of the wet straw; in¬ 
deed, we should aim to retain all the straw that has 
been well wetted in the stable. If the.manure is too 
dry do not hesitate to sprinkle it freely with water, and 
it will take a good deal of water to well moisten a heap 
of dry manure. Then throw it into a compact oblong 
pile about three or four feet high, and tread it down a 
little. This is to prevent hasty and violent heating and 
“burning,” for firmly packed manure does not heat up 
so readily or whiten so quickly as does a pile loosely 
thrown together. Leave it undisturbed until fennenta* 
