May 1, 1897. 
555 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
little plant when well done. The Violet-like flowers, 
with the green fleshy leaves, render it very attract¬ 
ive. Seedlings are easily raised, and when a 
few months old commence to flower very freely, and 
will do so all through the winter months. The 
plants do well under the same treatment as the well- 
known hybrid Streptocarpus. The vineries and 
fruit houses look most promising, for they are show¬ 
ing fine crops of fruits. The kitchen garden was also 
showing signs of' activity. The demand in the 
various departments for the house supplies is very 
extensive, but the gardener-in-chief, Mr. J. Cham¬ 
berlain, is equal to the occasion. The condition of 
the place is everything that can be desired. All¬ 
round gardening is carried out in a thoroughly 
practical manner. There are many other features of 
interest in this well kept place, which I shall note 
at some future time. These few notes are made by 
“ Rusticus,” who recently paid a hurried visit to the 
Deepdene Gardens. 
-•*-- 
MUSHROOMS. 
[Concluded, from p. 538.) 
The artificial manures and feeding required for the 
Chrysanthemum renders the soil rich, and becoming 
decomposed is just in the proper state for the Mush¬ 
rooms to feed on. 
Failing that, we use the ordinary garden soil that 
has previously been heavily manured for some crop 
such as Onions. This also anwers the purpose well; 
the great drawback is the quantity of slugs that may 
accompany the soil, and which become a never- 
ending source of trouble to the youDg crop. Good 
loam is also suitable, but whatever is used, it should 
not be of a worn-out character. I have also tried 
fresh cut turves, but was not so successful as with 
the others. 
We have tried some experiments with the addition 
of artificial manures to the soil, also in having a thin 
layer of cow manure immediately under the soil, 
but although the number was not greater, individual 
Mushrooms were larger. Therefore, if soil has to 
be used that is poor in character an addition of these 
would be an advantage. 
The depth of the soil on the beds is best about 
in., after it has been beaten down firmly ; at any 
greater depth the Mushrooms are longer in appear¬ 
ing, and the crop is in no way larger. The soil 
should be fairly moist but not too wet, or it will be 
difficult to teat it without sticking. I do not agree 
with the old practice of making the top like mortar, 
because, after the bed begins to get dry, it is sure to 
crack and likewise sever the threads of spawn in 
large quantities. 
Covering the beds with straw or hay is an advan¬ 
tage, especially if the house is at all exposed. 
Sheets of brown paper are also helpful when the 
Mushrooms are appearing. The moisture that rises 
from the beds collects in small particles on the 
under side of the paper, and the young crop seems 
to revel in the surroundings. 
It usually takes five or six weeks from the time of 
spawning until the first appearance of the. Mush¬ 
rooms, and a further fortnight before they are fit for 
gathering. The temperature and atmosphere of the 
house must be carefully attended to, 55 0 being a 
good medium. 
The great point in favour of a regular crop is the 
uniform condition of the atmosphere, the heat of 
the beds, and the promptness in which small irre¬ 
gularities are put right. Syringing the walls daily 
but not the beds is necessary, and a little ventilation 
should always be left on the top of the house, but 
not sufficient to cause a draught, thereby ensuring a 
sweet atmosphere. The best condition under which 
to gather Mushrooms is after the top has parted 
from the stem and has become full size. If allowed 
-to remain longer the juiciness of the flesh is lost 
through the spore gills becoming ripened. Careless¬ 
ness at this stage must be avoided, because, if a few 
are gathered too old, and possibly some too young, 
they cannot be expected to cook equally; conse¬ 
quently the weight is put on the cook which, for 
once, is the fault of the gardener. They are best 
pulled all of one size and of one age when possible. 
The length of time a bed will bear all depends on 
how it has been treated from the very beginning ; 
but with us they bear profitably for three months, 
when the beds are taken out and renewed as 
required. Of course, a bed well done will bear 
longer, as I have noticed them yielding for six 
months, but it would have been far more profitable 
to have had two good crops instead of one, which 
for the last three months only produced a dish now 
and again. After a bed has been in bearing some 
time, and signs of exhaustion become evident, a 
thorough soaking of water at 90°, with a little salt 
dissolved in each can, should be given. This will 
renew vitality, and a further crop will be secured. 
Liquid drainings from the stables are also excellent 
for this purpose. 
The foregoing remarks have been entirely of 
culture in the Mushroom house, and exactly such as 
we practise at Devonhurst; but it by no means 
follows that good results cannot be had otherwise. 
There is the amateur, for instance, who has no 
Mushroom house, and the market gardener who 
grows his by the acre in beds in the open ; but for 
all that I do not hesitate to say that where there is a 
daily demand and only a limited convenience, the 
Mushroom house is the best. You are clear then of 
the influence of our variable climate, and rain, 
frost, and snow can have little effect compared with 
what they have outside. In any case, Mushroom 
growing will pay for culture of the highest order, 
and the greater attention that is paid to trifling 
details, the greater will be the return of Mushrooms. 
We will now take the case of the amateur who has 
no Mushroom house, but who, nevertheless wants to 
grow them. There is usually some odd corner in 
which a small bed can be made. I have frequently 
noticed beds under the stages in small greenhouses, 
but in very few cases have I noticed a good crop. A 
few weeks ago I was invited to examine a bed by an 
amateur who had procured some manure, and who, 
from theory, considered himself competent to grow 
Mushrooms for the first time. According to his 
statement he had got the manure and had faithfully 
carried out what knowledge he had obtained by 
having it turned several times to dry, and then had 
it thrown together in a heap to ferment. The 
mistake was, he did not take into consideration the 
dull weather, with the result that the manure did 
not dry a bit. After a day or two it heated violently 
and then the bed was formed under a stage in the 
greenhouse. Relying entirely on what he had read 
he beat the manure as hard as possible (which would 
have been right in other conditions), and, of course, 
it being so wet, was more like paste than horse 
droppings. Needless to say, it never heated after 
being put up ; and had it been spawned, the 
excessive moisture would have rotted the spawn. 
I advised him not to rely on any one bringing in 
manure without first knowing its condition, and he is 
now collecting it from the stable himself daily. I 
have no doubt about this man succeeding now, as he 
knows what to avoid and will profit by his first 
experience. This is, in most cases, the root of the 
non-success of the amateur, the manure being too 
wet before reaching him and he has little means of 
drying it. I would advise anyone who has difficulty 
in getting good dry manure in the winter to get the 
droppings in the autumn, and make up the beds then, 
when he will be more likely to get it dry, and better 
weather to manipulate it. When the bed has been 
made up after the manner I have already described 
(but, of course, on the ground level), cover it heavily 
with strawy litter, and a piece of tarpaulin for 
preference, placed over it. This will run the water 
off and keep the bed dry, taking care that no water is 
allowed to soak under the bed. No anxiety need be 
entertained should the crop not appear at a given 
period, because the temperature of the house might 
not be suitable throughout the winter, but whenever 
the conditions become favourable the Mushrooms 
will appear all right. The same rule applies to beds 
in sheds, out-buildings or odd corners. Get the 
material right in the first instance, spawn at the 
right temperature, and with fair treatment the 
Mushrooms are bound to come sooner or later. 
No amount of frost will damage the spawn should 
the beds get frozen. A few years ago I was in a 
market garden, and saw a fine crop in a number of 
old dwelling houses. The whole of the floors were 
utilised with beds, spawned and covered at Christ¬ 
mas time. Frost immediately set in, and the beds 
were frozen for two months. These began to bear 
in May, and a fine crop resulted at a good profit, the 
whole lot being sold at is. 6d. per pound. 
The usual market system is, the beds are made in 
the form of a ridge in the open 3 ft. wide at the base, 
and 2^ ft. high, and prepared in a similar manner to 
that in which I have already described, although 
not so rigidly carried out, through having large quan¬ 
tities to prepare. The men who usually prepare these 
beds,although they may be only considered labourers, 
are nevertheless masters of the situation, as regards 
experience, and know exactly the conditions required 
to secure a crop, and work accordingly. 
Spent Cucumber or Melon beds are often made 
profitable by inserting pieces of spawn just at the 
time the Melons, &c., are becoming matured, the 
soil being watered and well beaten down, after which 
a good return is had with little outlay. The power of 
these tiny threads of spawn is surprising, and if one 
could only watch their progress how interesting it 
would be. We spawned a Cucumber bed in a frame 
two years ago, and even got a crop both iDside and 
out. The spawn ran through the 9-in. brickwork, 
and produced Mushrooms in the gravel path. A 
year later from the same bed we got another crop, 
but they were this time a nuisance, as our Chrysan¬ 
themum plants were set on the bed without any 
thought of Mushrooms. When they began to grow, 
each morning a considerable number of the plants 
were tumbled over, but we soon found out what was 
doing the damage, and removed the Mushrooms. 
Where Peas are grown in trenches made up of 
manure, &c., spawn may be inserted during the 
growth of the crop, and a good return of Mushrooms 
had when the Peas are cleared away without 
further trouble. Again, to prolong the season, a 
trench 2 ft. wide and one spit deep can be made at 
the bottom of a north or east wall, and filled with 
manure and spawned in the usual way, covering the 
same with the soil taken out. The more natural 
conditions in the beginning of the summer renders 
the growth less fastidious, and usually a heavy crop 
is the result. 
It is a difficult matter to produce Mushrooms that 
are any good here in the south, from June to August 
inclusive. The heat is far too great and the air too 
dry, unless a cellar can be had that is beyond the 
influence of the outside atmosphere. 
The Mushroom maggot is usually the result of 
these dry and hot surroundings, and it is needless 
to keep on growing while these pests are in evidence, 
as they render the Mushrooms practically useless. 
The Mushroom lends itself to an endless variety 
of ways by which it may be grown. I have seen 
them grown in boxes, baskets and pots. These 
latter are plunged in another bed and eventually 
spawned and turfed over, after in the first place 
being three parts filled with manure. Grown in 
this way, they would be an attractive feature in a 
collection of vegetables, if six pots were arranged in 
a similar manner to what Cauliflowers are. One 
large piece of spawn is enough for one pot, finishing 
with a piece of turf cut to the size necessary. 
There are several insects, &c., that are trouble, 
some, but none worse than the slug for destroying 
the crop. Constant hand picking in the evening, 
when they are feeding, is the only remedy after they 
once get into the house, but much may be done by a 
rigid examination of the soil before being taken in 
Woodlice, in some instances, are troublesome, as are 
also cockroaches and others; but a soaking of 
boiling water poured into their crevices and haunis 
will prove too much for them. 
It is quite possible to fail in Mushroom growing, 
even with all the care and experience brought to 
bear on their culture. As a case in point, I would 
mention where horses are dosed with medicine and 
the droppings from these used. The medicine has 
eventually the effect of killing the spawn, and the 
grower may be quite innocent of the fact, and put 
down, inadvertently, as not a successful grower. I 
have heard it stated that when the horses were fed 
with Carrots that a similar effect was noticeable, 
but I am not so certain about the truth of this state¬ 
ment, as our horses are fed in part with these, and I 
have not seen any ill effects. It is, however, 
necessary in any case to try and guard against these 
points ; it may not always be possible, but you have 
the satisfaction, should failure confront you, that 
you have at least done your duty. I have purposely 
said nothing about the history of the Mushroom, 
its natural growth in the fields and woods, also of 
the endless variety of the fungi, but have en¬ 
deavoured to give you, instead, what is more useful 
and important to the gardener, their practical culture. 
—James Gibson. 
-- 
Beans remove about g - 3 lbs. of sulphur, and 12.0 
lbs. of phosphorus, from an acre of land annually. 
