82 
MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM, 
makers will produce as good a crop of mushrooms as the 
old mill-track natural spawn used to do. 
The flake spawn is what is generally known as French 
spawn, and is imported into this country from France. 
But the manufacture of “French” spawn for sale, how- 
ever, is not strictly confined to France. It is put up in 
Fig. 22. Fl ike or French Spawn. 
two ways, namely, nicely packed in thin wooden boxes* 
each containing two or three pounds of spawn, and also 
loose in bulk when it is sold by weight or measure. 
Virgin spawn is what we call natural spawn or wild 
spawn; that is, the spawn that occurs naturally in the 
fields, in manure piles, or elsewhere, and without any 
artificial aid. It is supposed to be produced directly 
from the mushroom spores, and is not a new growth of 
surviving parts of old spawn that may have lived over m 
the ground. It is far more vigorous than “made” 
spawn, and spawn makers always endeavor to get it to 
use in spawning the artificial spawn. It is seldom used 
for spawning mushroom beds because not easy to obtain. 
Now and again we come upon a lot of it in a manure 
pile; it looks like a netted mass of white strings travers¬ 
ing the manure. As soon as discovered secure all you 
can find, bring it indoors to a loft, shed, or room, and 
spread it out to dry; after drying it thoroughly keep it 
