GROWING MUSHROOMS IM RIDGES. 137 
fresh mushrooms, here we get fifty cents to a dollar a 
pound for ours. But as mushroom-growing there is 
confined to fall, winter and spring, those gardeners who 
restrict themselves to mushrooms only devote the sum¬ 
mer months to making mushroom spawn for their own 
use, and also for sale. 
Mr. John F. Barter, of Lancefield street, London, the 
king of London mushroom growers, writes me under 
date of Dec. 10, 1888: “I employ men for mushroom 
bed-making from August to March; then, in order to 
keep on the same staff, I get about 10,000 bushels of 
brick spawn made up for sale. ... By the sale of 
spawn I make just half of my living.” Now let us see: 
10,000 bushels = 160,000 bricks, and each brick weighs 
a pound, thus we have 160,000 pounds. At ten cents a 
pound (retail price) the total is $16,000; at five cents 
a pound (supposed wholesale price) $8000, or at three 
and a half cents a pound (supposed manufacturer’s 
price) $5600. 
The manure is obtained from the city stables and 
hauled home by the gardeners on their return trips from 
market. The manure collected after midsummer is 
used for mushrooms, and an effort is made to save the 
very best horse manure for this purpose. When enough 
has accumulated for a bed the manure is turned and 
well shaken, removing only the rougher part of the 
straw, and thrown into a large pyramidal pile to heat; 
this shape is adopted as being better than the flat form 
for keeping out rain. In three or four days the manure 
is again turned, shaken out and piled up as before; after 
this it is turned every second day, unless it rains, until 
it has been turned six or seven times in all. It should 
then be ready for making into ridges. 
The site for the beds should be a warm, well-sheltered 
piece of ground, either in the open field or orchard ; 
much pains should be exercised to protect it from cold 
