,historical ,literature in ,agriculture 7,,chla71 ,cornell ,university7 ,,mushrooms3 ,how to ,grow ,them4 ,a ,,practical ,,treatise ,,on ,mushroom ,culture for ,profit and ,pleasure4 ,,by ,,william ,,falconer4 ,,illustrated4 ,,new ,,york1 ,,orange ,,judd ,,co4 #ahib4 ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahia1 by the ,,orange ,,judd ,,company1 ,in the ,office of the ,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4 ,,preface ,mushrooms and their extensive and profitable culture should concern every one4 ,for home consumption they are a healthful and grateful food1 and for market1 when successfully grown1 they become a most profitable crop4 ,we can have in ,america the best market in the world for fresh mushrooms2 the demand for them is increasing1 and the supply has always been inadequate4 ,the price for them here is more than double that paid in any other country1 and we have no fear of foreign competition1 for all attempts1 so far1 to import fresh mushrooms from ,europe have been unsuccessful4 ,in the most prosperous and progressive of all countries1 with a population of nearly seventy millions of people alert to every profitable1 legitimate business1 mushroom-growing1 one of the simplest and most remunerative of industries1 is almost unknown4 ,the market grower already engaged in growing mushrooms appreciates his situation and zealously guards his methods of cultivation from the public4 ,this only incites interest and inquisitiveness1 and the people are becoming alive to the fact that there is money in mushrooms and an earnest demand has been created for information about growing them4 ,the raising of mushrooms is within the reach of nearly every one4 ,good materials to work with and careful attention to all practical details should give good returns4 ,the industry is one in which women and children can take part as well as men4 ,it furnishes indoor employment in winter1 and there is very little hard labor attached to it1 while it can be made subsidiary to almost any other business1 and even a recreation as well as a source of profit4 ,in this book the endeavor has been1 even at the risk of repetition1 to make the best methods as plain as possible4 ,the facts herein presented are the results of my own practical experience and observation1 together with those obtained by extensive reading1 travel and correspondence4 ,to ,mr4 ,charles ,a4 ,dana1 the proprietor of the ,dosoris mushroom cellars and estate1 ,i am greatly indebted for opportunities to prepare this book4 ,for the past eight years everything has been unstintedly placed at my disposal by him to grow mushrooms in every way ,i wished1 and to experiment to my heart's content4 ,to ,mr4 ,william ,robinson1 editor of ,the ,garden1 ,london1 ,i am especially indebted for many courtesies--permission to quote from ,the ,garden1 ,parks and ,gardens of ,paris1 and his other works1 and to illustrate the chapters in this book on ,mushroom-growing in the ,london market gardens and the ,paris caves1 with the original beautiful plates from his own books4 ,the recipes given in the chapter on ,cooking ,mushrooms1 except those prepared for this work by ,mrs4 ,ammersley1 although based on the ones given by ,mr4 ,robinson1 have been considerably modified by me and repeatedly used in my own family4 ,my thanks are also due to ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,barter1 of ,london1 the largest grower of mushrooms in ,england1 for information given me regarding his system of cultivation2 to ,mr4 ,john ,g4 ,gardner1 of ,jobstown1 ,n4 ,j41 one of the most noted growers for market in this country1 for facilities allowed me to examine his method of raising mushrooms2 and to ,messrs4 ,a4 ,h4 ,withington1 ,samuel ,henshaw1 ,george ,grant1 ,john ,cullen1 and other successful growers for assistance kindly rendered4 ,,william ,,falconer4 ,,dosoris1 ,l4 ,i41 #ahia4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,chapter ,i4--,,those ,,who ,,should ,,grow ,,mushrooms #i ,market ,gardeners-- ,florists-- ,private ,gardeners-- ,village ,people and ,suburban ,residents-- ,farmers4 ,,chapter ,,ii4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,cellars #ae ,underground ,cellars-- ,in ,dwelling ,house-- ,mr4 ,gardner's ,method-- ,mr4 ,denton's ,method-- ,mr4 ,van ,siclen's ,method-- ,the ,dosoris ,mushroom ,cellar4 ,,chapter ,,iii4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,mushroom ,,houses #cd ,building the ,house-- ,mrs4 ,osborne's ,mushroom ,house-- ,interior ,arrangement of ,mushroom ,houses-- ,mr4 ,samuel ,henshaw's ,mushroom ,house4 ,,chapter ,,iv4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,sheds #ci ,the ,temperature of ,interior of the ,bed-- ,shelf ,beds-- ,the ,use of the ,term ,shed4 ,,chapter ,v4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,greenhouses #da ,cool ,greenhouses-- ,on ,greenhouse ,benches-- ,in ,frames in the ,greenhouses-- ,orchard ,houses-- ,under ,greenhouse ,benches-- ,among ,other ,plants on ,greenhouse ,benches-- ,growing ,mushrooms in ,rose ,houses-- ,drip from the ,benches-- ,ammonia ,arising4 ,,chapter ,,vi4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,the ,,fields #ed ,mushrooms often appear ,spontaneously-- ,wild ,mushrooms-- ,mr4 ,henshaw's ,plan-- ,brick ,spawn in ,pastures4 ,,chapter ,,vii4--,,manure ,,for ,,mushroom ,,beds #eg ,horse ,manure-- ,fresher the ,better-- ,manure of ,mules-- ,cellar ,manure-- ,city ,stable ,manure-- ,baled ,manure-- ,cow ,manure-- ,german ,peat ,moss ,stable ,manure for ,mushroom ,beds-- ,sawdust ,stable ,manure for ,mushroom ,beds-- ,tree ,leaves-- ,spent ,hops4 ,,chapter ,,viii4--,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,manure #fi ,preparing out of ,doors-- ,warm ,sunshine-- ,fire-fang-- ,guard ,against ,over ,moistening-- ,the ,proper ,condition of the ,manure-- ,loam and ,manure ,mixed4 ,,chapter ,,ix4--,,making ,,up ,,the ,,mushroom ,,beds #gd ,the ,thickness of the ,beds-- ,shape of the ,beds-- ,bottom-heat ,thermometers-- ,the ,proper ,temperature-- ,too ,high ,temperature-- ,keep the ,house at #ee4 ,,chapter ,x4--,,mushroom ,,spawn #gh ,what is ,mushroom ,spawn8-- ,the ,mushroom ,plant-- ,spawn ,obtained at any ,seed ,store-- ,imported from ,europe-- ,the ,great ,mushroom-growing ,center of the ,country-- ,english ,spawn-- ,mill-track ,mushroom ,spawn-- ,flake or ,french ,spawn-- ,virgin ,spawn-- ,how to ,keep ,spawn-- ,new ,versus ,old ,spawn-- ,how to ,distinguish ,good from ,poor ,spawn-- ,american-made ,spawn-- ,how to make ,brick ,spawn-- ,how to make ,french 7flake7 ,spawn-- ,making ,french ,virgin ,spawn-- ,a ,second ,method-- ,third ,method-- ,relative ,merits of ,flake and ,brick ,spawn4 ,,chapter ,,xi4--,,spawning ,,the ,,beds #if ,preparing the ,spawn-- ,steeped ,spawn-- ,flake ,spawn-- ,transplanting ,working ,spawn4 ,,chapter ,,xii4--,,loam ,,for ,,the ,,beds #ajj ,cavities in the ,surface of ,beds-- ,the ,best ,kind of ,loam-- ,common ,loam-- ,ordinary ,garden ,soil-- ,roadside ,dirt-- ,sandy ,soil-- ,peat ,soil or ,swamp ,muck-- ,heavy1 ,clayey ,loam-- ,loam ,containing ,old ,manure4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4--,,earthing ,,over ,,the ,,beds #ajc ,loam is ,indispensable-- ,the ,best ,soil-- ,proper ,time to ,case ,beds-- ,inserting the ,spawn-- ,sifting the ,soil-- ,firming the ,soil-- ,green ,sods4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4--,,topdressing ,,with ,,loam #ajg ,beds that are in ,full ,bearing-- ,filling up the ,holes-- ,firming the ,dressing to the ,bed-- ,beds in which ,black ,spot has ,appeared4 ,,chapter ,,xv4--,,the ,,proper ,,temperature #aji ,covering the ,beds with ,hay-- ,a ,high ,temperature-- ,in a ,temperature of #ej-- ,in a ,temperature of #ee-- ,boxing ,over the ,bed4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4--,,watering ,,mushroom ,,beds #aaa ,artificially ,heated ,mushroom ,houses-- ,sprinkling ,water over ,mulching-- ,watering ,pots-- ,manure ,water-- ,preparing ,manure ,water-- ,common ,salt-- ,sprinkling the ,floors-- ,houses ,heated by ,smoke ,flues-- ,manure ,steam for ,moistening the ,atmosphere4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4--,,gathering ,,and ,,marketing ,,mushrooms #aae ,when ,mushrooms are ,fit to ,pick-- ,picking-- ,the ,advantages of ,pulling over ,cutting-- ,pulled ,mushrooms-- ,gathering ,field or ,wild ,mushrooms-- ,marketing ,mushrooms4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4--,,re-,,invigorating ,,old ,,beds #abj ,worn ,out ,beds-- ,spurts of ,increased ,fertility-- ,a ,spent ,mushroom ,bed-- ,living ,spawn4 ,,chapter ,,xix4--,,insect ,,and ,,other ,,enemies #abb ,maggots-- ,black ,spot-- ,manure ,flies-- ,slugs-- ,bullet or ,shot ,holes-- ,wood ,lice-- ,mites-- ,mice and ,rats-- ,toads-- ,fogging ,off-- ,flock-- ,cleaning the ,mushroom ,houses4 ,,chapter ,,xx4--,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,ridges ,,out ,,of ,,doors ,,around ,,london #acf ,ridges in the ,open ,field-- ,bed ,making-- ,manure ,obtained from ,city ,stables-- ,the ,site for ,beds-- ,planting the ,spawn-- ,drenching ,rains-- ,russia ,mats-- ,the ,first ,beds-- ,the ,first ,cutting-- ,watering4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4--,,mushroom ,,growing ,,in ,,the ,,paris ,,caves #adc ,caves and ,subterranean ,passages-- ,the ,manure ,used-- ,preparation of the ,manure-- ,making the ,beds-- ,the ,spawn-- ,stratifying the ,spawn-- ,chips and ,powder of ,stone-- ,earthing ,over the ,beds-- ,temperature in ,high-roofed ,caves-- ,when the ,mushrooms are ,gathered-- ,proper ,ventilation4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4--,,cooking ,,mushrooms #aej ,baked ,mushrooms-- ,stewed ,mushrooms-- ,soyer's ,breakfast ,mushrooms-- ,mushrooms la ,crme-- ,curried ,mushrooms-- ,broiled ,mushrooms-- ,mushroom ,soup-- ,mushroom ,stews-- ,potted ,mushrooms-- ,gilbert's ,breakfast ,mushrooms-- ,baked ,mushrooms-- ,mushrooms la ,casse1 ,tout-- ,broiled ,beefsteak and ,mushrooms-- ,to ,preserve ,mushrooms-- ,mushroom ,powder-- ,to ,dry ,mushrooms-- ,dried ,mushrooms-- ,mushroom ,ketchup-- ,pickled ,mushrooms4 ,,illustrations ,mushroom ,cellar under a ,barn1 #af ,boxed-up ,frame with ,straw ,covering1 #ai ,cross ,section of the ,dosoris ,mushroom ,cellar1 #bg ,ground ,plan of the ,dosoris ,cellar1 #bh ,base-burning ,water ,heater1 #cb ,vertical ,section of ,base-burning ,water ,heater1 #cb ,mushroom ,house ,built ,against a ,north-facing ,wall1 #cd ,section of ,mrs4 ,osborne's ,mushroom ,house1 #ce ,ground ,plan of ,mrs4 ,osborne's ,mushroom ,house1 #cf ,interior ,view of ,mr4 ,s4 ,henshaw's ,mushroom ,house1 #ch ,boxed ,mushroom ,bed under ,greenhouse ,bench1 #da ,mushrooms ,grown on ,greenhouse ,benches1 #dc ,wide ,bed with ,pathway ,above1 #dd ,mushrooms on ,greenhouse ,benches under ,tomatoes1 #de ,mr4 ,wm4 ,wilson's ,mushroom ,beds1 #ea ,mushroom ,bed ,built ,flat upon the ,ground1 #eb ,ridged ,mushroom ,bed1 #ec ,banked ,bed against a ,wall1 #ec ,perspective ,view of the ,dosoris ,mushroom ,cellar1 #eh ,bale of ,german ,peat ,moss1 #ff ,brick ,spawn1 #hj ,flake1 or ,french ,spawn1 #hb ,brick ,spawn ,cut in ,pieces for ,planting1 #ig ,a ,perfect ,mushroom1 #aaf ,mushrooms ,affected with ,black ,spot1 #abe ,a ,flock-,diseased ,mushroom1 #acc ,the ,covered ,ridges1 #adj ,in the ,mushroom ,caves of ,paris1 #adg ,gathering ,mushrooms in the ,paris ,caves for ,market1 #adi ,,mushrooms1 ,,how ,,to ,,grow ,,them4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,those ,,who ,,should ,,grow ,,mushrooms4 ,market ,gardeners4--,the mushroom is a highly prized article of food which can be as easily grown as many other vegetable products of the soil--and with as much pleasure and profit4 ,below it is shown1 in particular1 that this peculiar plant is singularly well adapted to the conditions that surround many classes of persons1 and by whom the mushroom might become a standard crop for home use1 the city market1 or both4 ,it is directly in their line of business2 is a winter crop1 requiring their care when outdoor operations are at a standstill1 and they can most conveniently attend to growing mushrooms4 ,they have the manure needed for their other crops1 and they may well use it first for a mushroom crop4 ,after having borne a crop of mushrooms it is thoroughly rotted and in good condition for early spring crops2 and for seed beds of tomatoes1 lettuces1 cabbages1 cauliflowers1 and other vegetables1 it is the best kind of manure4 ,years ago market gardening near ,new ,york in winter was carried on in rather a desultory way1 and the supply of salads and other forced vegetables was limited and mostly raised in hotbeds and other frames1 and prices ran high4 ,but of recent years our markets in winter have been so liberally supplied from the ,southern ,states1 that1 in order to save themselves1 our market gardeners have been compelled to take up a fresh line in their business1 and renounce the winter frames in favor of greenhouses1 and grow crops which many of them did not handle before4 ,these greenhouses are mostly long1 wide 7eighteen to twenty feet71 low1 hip-roofed 7#cj7 structures4 ,in most of them the salad beds are made upon the floor1 and the pathways are sunken a little so as to give headroom in walking and working4 ,others of these greenhouses are built a little higher1 and middle and side benches are erected within them1 as in the case of florists' greenhouses1 and with the view of growing salad plants on these benches as florists do carnations1 and mushrooms under the benches4 ,the mushrooms are protected from sunlight by a covering of light boards1 or hay1 or the space under the benches is entirely shut in1 cupboard fashion1 with wooden shutters4 ,the temperature is very favorable for mushrooms1--steady and moderately cool1 and easily corrected by the covering-in of the beds2 and the moisture of the atmosphere of a lettuce house is about right for mushrooms4 ,in such a house the day temperature may run up1 with sunshine1 to #fe or #gj in winter1 but an artificial night temperature of only #de to #ej is maintained4 ,under these conditions1 with the beds about fifteen inches thick1 they should continue to yield a good crop of short-stemmed1 stout mushrooms for two or three months1 possibly longer4 ,besides growing the mushrooms in greenhouses our market gardeners are very much in earnest in cultivating them in cellars4 ,some of these cellars are ordinary barn cellars1 others--large and commodious--have been built under barns and greenhouses1 purposely for the cultivation of mushrooms4 ,several of these mushroom cellars may be found on ,long ,island between ,jamaica and ,woodhaven4 ,florists4--,in midwinter the cut flower season is at its height and the florist endeavors to make all the money out of his greenhouses that he possibly can2 every available inch of space exposed to the light is occupied by growing plants1 and under the benches alongside of the pathways dahlias1 cannas1 caladiums1 and other tubers and bulbs are stored1 also ivies1 palms1 succulents and the like4 ,in order that the plants may be more fully exposed to the sunlight1 they are grown on benches raised above the ground so as to bring them near to the glass2 and the greenhouse seems to be full to overflowing4 ,but right here we have the best kind of a mushroom house4 ,the space under the benches1 which is nearly useless for other purposes1 is admirably adapted for mushroom beds1 and the warmth and moisture of the greenhouse are exceptionally congenial conditions for the cultivation of mushrooms4 ,florists need the loam and manure anyway1 and these are just as good for potting purposes--better for young stock--after having been used in the mushroom beds than they were before1 so that the additional expense in connection with the crop is the labor in making the beds and the price of the spawn4 ,mushrooms are not a bulky crop2 they require no space or care in summer1 are easily grown1 handled1 and marketed1 and there is always a demand for them at a good price4 ,if the crop turns out well it is nearly all profit2 if it is a complete failure very little is lost1 and it must be a bad failure that will not yield enough to pay for its cost4 ,why should the florist confine himself to one crop at a time in the greenhouse when he may equally well have two crops in it at the same time1 and both of them profitable8 ,he can have his roses on the benches and mushrooms under the benches1 and neither interferes with the other4 ,let us take a very low estimate3 ,in a greenhouse a hundred feet long make a five foot wide mushroom bed under the main bench2 this will give #ejj square feet of bed1 and half a pound to the foot will give #bej pounds of mushrooms1 which1 sold at fifty cents a pound net1 brings #abe4 ,this amount the florist would not have realized without growing the mushrooms4 ,private ,gardeners4--,it is a part of their routine duty1 and success in mushroom growing is as satisfactory to themselves as it is gratifying to their employers4 ,fresh mushrooms1 like good fruit and handsome flowers1 are a product of the garden that is always acceptable4 ,one of the principal pleasures in having a large garden and keeping a gardener consists in being able to give to others a part of the choicest garden products4 ,in most pretentious gardens there is a regular mushroom house1 and the growing of mushrooms is an easy matter2 in others there is no such convenience1 and the gardener has to trust to his own ingenuity where and how he is to grow the mushrooms4 ,but so long as he has an abundance of fresh manure he can usually find a place in which to make the beds4 ,in the tool-shed1 the potting-shed1 the wood-shed1 the stoke-hole1 the fruit-room1 the vegetable-cellar1 or in some other out-building he can surely find a corner2 or1 handier still1 convenient room under the greenhouse benches1 where he can make some beds4 ,failing all of these he can start in ,august or ,september and make beds outside1 as the ,london market gardeners do4 ,in fruit-forcing houses1 especially early graperies1 gardeners have a prejudice against growing any other plants than the grapevines lest red spiders1 thrips1 or mealy bugs are introduced with the plants1 but in the case of mushrooms no such grounds are tenable4 ,as the vines have yielded their fruit by midsummer and ripened their wood early so as to be ready for starting into growth again in ,december or ,january1 the grapery is kept cool and ventilated in the fall and early winter1 but this need not interfere with the mushroom crop4 ,box up the beds or make them in frames inside the grapery2 the warm manure will afford the mushrooms heat enough until it is time to start the vines1 when the increased temperature and moisture of the house will be in favor of the mushrooms because of the declining heat in the manure beds4 ,the mushrooms have no deleterious effect whatever upon the vines1 nor have the vines upon the mushrooms4 ,village ,people and ,suburban ,residents4--,those who keep horses should1 at least1 grow mushrooms for their own family use and1 if need be1 for market as well4 ,they are so easily raised1 and they take up so little space that they commend themselves particularly to those who have only a village or suburban lot1 and1 in fact1 only a barn4 ,and they are not a crop for which we have to make a great preparation and need a large quantity of manure4 ,no matter how small the bed may be1 it will bear mushrooms2 and if we desire we can add to the bed week after week1 as our store of manure increases1 and in this way keep up a continuous succession of mushrooms4 ,a bed may be made in the cow-house or horse-stable1 the carriage-house1 barn-cellar1 woodshed1 or house-cellar2 or if we can not spare much room anywhere1 make a bed in a big box and move it to where it will be least in the way4 ,but the best place is1 perhaps1 the cellar4 ,an empty stall in a horse-stable is a capital place1 and not only affords room for a full bed on the floor1 but for rack-beds as well4 ,farmers4--,no one can grow mushrooms better or more economically than the farmer4 ,he has already the cellar-room1 the fresh manure and the loam at home1 and all he needs is some spawn with which to plant the beds4 ,nothing is lost4 ,the manure1 after having been used in mushroom beds1 is not exhausted of its fertility1 but1 instead1 is well rotted and in a better condition to apply to the land than it was before being prepared for the mushroom crop4 ,the farmer will not feel the little labor that it takes4 ,there is no secret whatever connected with it1 and skilled labor is unnecessary to make it successful4 ,the commonest farm hand can do the work1 which consists of turning the manure once every day or two for about three weeks1 then building it into a bed and spawning and molding it4 ,nearly all the labor for the next ten or twelve weeks consists in maintaining an even temperature and gathering and marketing the crop4 ,many women are searching for remunerative and pleasant employment upon the farm1 and what can be more interesting1 pleasant and profitable work for them than mushroom-growing8 ,after the farmer makes up the mushroom bed his wife or daughter can attend to its management1 with scarcely any tax upon her time1 and without interfering with her other domestic duties4 ,and it is clean work2 there is nothing menial about it4 ,no lady in the land would hesitate to pick the mushrooms in the open fields1 how much less1 then1 should she hesitate to gather the fresh mushrooms from the clean beds in her own clean cellar8 ,mushrooms are a winter crop2 they come when we need them most4 ,the supply of eggs in the winter season is limited enough1 and pin-money often proportionately short2 but with an insatiable market demand for mushrooms all winter long1 at good prices1 no farmer's wife need care whether the hens lay eggs at ,christmas or not4 ,when mushroom-growing is intelligently conducted there is more money in it than in hens1 and with less trouble4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,cellars4 ,underground ,cellars4--,mushrooms require a uniform moderately low temperature and moist atmosphere1 and will not thrive where draughts1 or sudden fluctuations of temperature or moisture prevail4 ,therefore an underground cellar is the best of all structures in which to grow mushrooms4 ,the cellar is everybody's mushroom house4 ,cellars are under dwellings1 barns1 and often under other out-buildings4 ,these cellars are imperative for domestic purposes1 for storing apples1 potatoes and other root crops and perishable produce2 and for these uses we need to make them frost proof and dry4 ,these cellars are ideal mushroom houses1 and any one who has a good cellar can grow mushrooms in it4 ,in fact1 our market gardeners who are making money out of mushrooms find it pays them to excavate and build cellars expressly for growing mushrooms4 ,indeed1 some of our market gardeners who have never grown a mushroom or seen one grown1 but who know well that some of their neighbors are making money out of this business1 instinctively feel that the first step in mushroom-growing is a cellar4 ,it is almost incredible how secretly the market growers guard everything in connection with mushroom-growing from the outside world1 and even from one another2 in fact1 in some cases their next-door neighbors and life-long intimate friends have never been inside their mushroom cellars4 ,if a cellar is to be wholly devoted to mushroom-growing it should be made as warm as possible with double windows1 and double doors1 where the entrance is from the outside1 but if from another building single doors will suffice4 ,a chimney-like shaft or shafts rising from the ceiling should be used as ventilators in winter1 when we can not ventilate from doors or windows2 indeed1 side ventilation at anytime when the beds are in bearing condition is rather precarious4 ,there should be some indoor way of getting into the cellar1 as by a stairway from the building above it4 ,also an easy way of getting in fresh materials for the beds1 and removing the exhausted material4 ,this is1 perhaps1 best obtained by having a door that opens to the outside1 or a moderately large one from the building above4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,,mushroom ,,cellar ,,under ,a ,,barn4 ,the interior arrangement of the cellar is a matter of choice with the grower1 but the simplest way is to have beds three or four feet wide around the inside of the walls1 and beds six feet wide1 with pathways two1 or two and one-half feet wide between them running parallel along the middle of the cellar4 ,above these floor-beds1 shelf-beds in tiers of one1 two1 or three1 according to the height of the cellar1 may be formed1 always leaving a space of two and one-half or three feet between the bottom of one bed and the bottom of the next4 ,this is very necessary1 in order to admit of making and tending the beds and gathering the crop1 and emptying the beds when they are exhausted4 ,provision should also be made for the artificial heating of these cellars1 and room given for the heating pipes wherever they are to run4 ,but wherever fire heat is used in heating these cellars1 if practicable1 the furnace itself should be boxed off1 by a thin brick wall1 from the main cellar1 and the pipes only introduced4 ,this does away with the dust and noxious gas1 and modifies the parching heat4 ,but in a snug1 warm cellar1 artificial heat is not absolutely necessary4 ,we can grow capital crops of mushrooms in such a cellar without any furnace heat1 simply by using a larger body of material in making the beds1--enough to maintain a steady warmth for a long time4 ,but this1 observe1 is a waste of material1 for no more mushrooms can be grown in a bed two feet thick than in one a foot thick4 ,in an unheated cellar the mushrooms grow large and solid1 but they do not come so quickly nor in such large numbers as in a heated one4 ,and a little artificial warmth has the effect of dispelling that cold1 raw1 damp air peculiar to a pent-up cellar in winter1 and purifies the atmosphere by assisting ventilation4 ,instead of using box beds1 some growers spread the bed all over the floor of the cellar1 and leave no pathway whatever1 stepping-boards or raised pathways being used instead4 ,of course1 in these instances1 no shelf beds are used4 ,others make ridge beds all over the cellar floor1 as the ,parisians do in the caves4 ,the ridges are two feet wide at bottom1 two feet high1 and six or eight inches wide at top1 and there is a foot alley between them4 ,here1 again1 no shelf beds are used4 ,one of the chief troubles with flat-roofed mushroom cellars is the drip from the condensed moisture rising from the beds1 and this is more apparent in unheated than in heated cellars1--the wet gathers upon the ceiling and1 having no slope to run off1 drips down again4 ,oiled paper or calico strung along ,symbol3 ,inverted ,v wise above the upper beds protects them perfectly2 whatever falls upon the passage-ways upon the floor does no harm4 ,in any other outhouse cellar1 as well as in one completely given over to this use1 we can make up beds and grow good mushrooms4 ,mr4 ,james ,vick told me that at his seed farm near ,rochester he raises many mushrooms in winter in his potato cellars2 and so can any one in similar places4 ,mr4 ,john ,cullen1 of ,south ,bethlehem1 ,pa41 a very successful cultivator1 tells me that his present mushroom cellar used to be a large underground cistern1 but with a little fixing1 and opening a passage-way to it from a neighboring cellar1 he has converted it into an excellent cellar for mushrooms1 and surely the immense crops that ,i have seen in that cave of total darkness justify his good opinion of it4 ,in ,dwelling ,house4--,the cellar of a dwelling house is a capital place for mushroom beds1 and can be used in whole or part for this purpose4 ,in the case of private families who wish to grow a few mushrooms only for their own use it is not necessary to devote a whole cellar to it2 but partition off a part of it with boards and make the beds in this4 ,or make a bed alongside of the wall anywhere and box it in to protect it from cold and draughts1 and mice and rats4 ,you can have shelves above it for domestic purposes1 just as you would in any other part of the cellar4 ,bear in mind that mushrooms thrive best in an atmospheric temperature of from #ej to #fj1 and if you can give them this in your house-cellar you ought to get plenty of good mushrooms4 ,but if such a high temperature can not be maintained without impairing the usefulness of the cellar for other purposes1 box up the beds tightly1 and from the heat of the bed itself1 when thus confined1 there usually will be warmth enough for the mushrooms1 but if not spread a piece of old carpet or matting over the boxing4 ,the beds may be made upon the floor1 and flat1 or ridged1 or banked against the wall1 ten or twelve inches deep in a warm cellar1 and fifteen to twenty inches or more deep in a cool cellar1 and about three feet wide and any length to suit4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,,boxed-,,up ,,frame ,,with ,,straw ,,covering4 ,the boxing may consist of any kind of boards for sides and ends1 and be built about six or ten inches higher than the top of the beds1 so as to give the mushrooms plenty headroom2 the top of the boxing may be a lid hung on hinges or straps1 or otherwise arranged1 to admit of being easily raised or removed at will1 and made of light lumber1 say one-half inch thick boards4 ,in this way1 by opening the lid1 the mushrooms are under observation and can be gathered without any trouble4 ,when the lid is shut they are secure from cold and vermin4 ,thus protected the cellars can be ventilated without interfering with the welfare of the mushrooms4 ,a light wooden frame covered with calico or oiled paper would also make a good top for the boxing1 only it would not be proof against much cold1 or rats or mice4 ,if desirable1 in warm cellars1 shelf beds could be built above the floor beds1 but in cool1 airy cellars this would not be advisable4 ,manure beds in the dwelling-house cellar may seem highly improper to many people1 but in truth1 when rightly handled1 these beds emit no bad odor4 ,the manure should be prepared away from the house1 and when ready for making into beds it can be spread out thin1 so as to become perfectly cool and free from steam4 ,when it has lain for two days in this condition it may be brought into the cellar and made into beds4 ,having been well sweetened by previous preparation1 it is now cool and free from steam1 and almost odorless2 after a few days it will warm up a little1 and may then be spawned and earthed over at once4 ,do not bury the spawn in the manure1 merely set it in the surface of the manure2 this saves the spawn from being destroyed by too great a heat1 should the bed become unduly warm4 ,this1 if the manure has been well prepared1 is not likely to occur4 ,the coating of loam prevents the escape of any further steam or odor from the manure4 ,on the #adth of ,january last1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,robinson1 editor of the ,london ,garden1 in writing to me1 mentioned the following very interesting case of growing mushrooms in the cellar of a dwelling house3 ,i went out the other day to see ,mr4 ,horace ,cox1 the manager of the ,field newspaper1 who lives at ,harrow1 near the famous school4 ,his house is heated by a hot-water system called ,keith's1 and the boiler is in a chamber in the house in the basement4 ,the system interested me and ,i went down to see the boiler1 which is a very simple one worked with coke refuse4 ,however1 ,i was pleased to see all the floor of the room not occupied by the boiler covered with little flat mushroom beds and bearing a very good crop4 ,truth to tell1 ,i used to fear growing mushrooms in dwelling houses might be objectionable in various ways2 but this instance is very interesting1 as there is not even the slightest unpleasant smell in the chamber itself4 ,the beds are small1 scarcely a foot high1 and perfectly odorless2 so that it is quite clear that one may cultivate mushrooms in one's house1 in such a case as this1 without the slightest offence4 ,mr4 ,gardner's ,method4--,mr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,gardner1 of ,jobstown1 ,n4 ,j41 uses an ordinary cellar1 such as any farmer in the country has1 and the little that has been done to it to darken the windows and make them tight1 so as to render them better for mushrooms1 any farmer with a hand-saw1 an ax1 a hammer and a few nails and some boards can do4 ,mr4 ,gardner is a market gardener1 and has not the amount of fresh manure upon his own place that he needs for mushroom-growing1 but he buys it1 common horse manure1 in ,new ,york1 and it is shipped to him1 over seventy miles1 by rail4 ,and this pays2 and if it will pay a man to get manure at such a cost for mushroom-growing1 how much more will mushroom-growing pay the farmer who has the cellar and the manure as well8 ,mr4 ,gardner raises mushrooms1 and lots of them4 ,when ,i visited him last ,november1 instead of trying to hide anything in their cultivation from me1 he took particular pains to show and explain to me everything about his way of growing them4 ,and he assures me that by adopting simple means of preparing the manure and fixing for the crop1 and avoiding all complicated methods1 one can get good crops and make fair profits4 ,his cellar is sixty feet long1 twenty-four feet wide1 and nine feet high from floor to ceiling4 ,the floor is an earthen one1 but perfectly dry4 ,it is well supplied with window ventilators and doors1 and in the ceiling in the middle of the cellar opens a tall shaft or chimney-like ventilator that passes straight up through the roof above4 ,while the beds are being made full ventilation by doors1 windows and shaft is given1 but as soon as there is any sign of the mushrooms appearing all ventilators except the shaft in the middle are shut and kept closed4 ,the bed occupies the whole surface of the cellar floor and was all made up in one day4 ,as a pathway1 a single row of boards is laid on the top of the bed1 running lengthwise along the middle of the cellar from the door to the farther end1 and here and there between this narrow path and the walls on either side a few pieces of slate are laid down on the bed to step upon when gathering the mushrooms4 ,here is the oddest thing about ,mr4 ,gardner's mushroom-growing4 ,he does not give the manure any preparatory treatment for the beds4 ,he hauls it from the cars to the cellar1 at once spreads it upon the floor and packs it solid into a bed4 ,for example1 on one occasion the manure arrived at ,jobstown1 ,july #hth2 it was hauled home and the bed made up the same day1 and the first mushrooms were gathered from this bed the second week in ,september1--just two months from the time the manure left the ,new ,york or ,jersey ,city stables4 ,the bed was fifteen inches thick4 ,in making it the manure was first shaken up loosely to admit of its being more evenly spread than if pitched out in heavy forkfuls1 and it was then tramped down firmly with the feet4 ,the bed was then marked off into halves4 ,on one half 7,no4 #a7 a layer of a little over three inches of loam was at once placed over the manure2 on the other half 7,no4 #b7 no loam was used at this time1 but the manure on the surface of the bed--about three inches deep--was forked over loosely4 ,twelve days after having been put in the temperature of the bed ,no4 #b1 three inches deep1 was #ij1 and then it was spawned4 ,on the next day the soil from bed ,no4 #a1 spawned four days earlier1 was thrown upon bed ,no4 #b1 and then part of the soil that was thrown on ,no4 #a was thrown back again on ,no4 #b1 so that now a coating of loam an inch and a half deep covered the whole surface of the bed4 ,when finished the surface was tamped gently with a tamper with a face of pine plank sixteen inches long by twelve inches wide4 ,mr4 ,gardner does not believe in the alleged advantages of a hard-packed surface on the mushroom bed1 but is inclined to favor a moderately firm one4 ,he uses the ,english brick spawn1 which is sold by our seedsmen4 ,he has tried making his own spawn1 but owing to not having proper means for drying it1 he has had rather indifferent success4 ,almost all growers insert the pieces of spawn about two to three inches under the surface of the manure1 one piece at a time1 and at regular intervals of nine inches or thereabouts apart each way--lengthwise and crosswise4 ,but here1 again1 ,mr4 ,gardner displays his individuality4 ,he breaks up the spawn in the usual way1 in pieces one or two inches square4 ,of course1 in breaking it up there is a good deal of fine particles besides the lumps4 ,with an angular-pointed hoe he draws drills eighteen inches apart and two and one-half to three inches deep lengthwise along the bed1 and in the rows he sows the spawn1 as if he were sowing peach stones1 or walnuts1 or snap beans1 and covers it in as if it were seeds4 ,mr4 ,gardner regards #eg as the most suitable temperature for a mushroom house or cellar1 and1 if possible1 maintains that without the aid of fire-heat4 ,he has hot-water pipes connected with the contiguous greenhouse heating arrangement in his cellar1 but he never uses them for heating the mushroom cellar except when obliged to4 ,by mulching his bed with straw he gets along without any fire-heat1 but this is very awkward when gathering the mushrooms4 ,after the bed has borne a little while it is top-dressed all over with a half-inch layer of fine soil4 ,before using1 this soil has been kept in a close place--pit1 frame1 shed1 or large box--in which there was1 at the same time1 a lot of steaming-hot manure1 so that it might become thoroughly charged with mushroom food absorbed from the steam from the fermenting material4 ,should any portion of the bed get very dry1 water of a temperature of #ij is given gently and somewhat sparingly through a fine-spraying water-pot rose1 or syringe4 ,enough water is never given at any one time to penetrate through the casing into the manure below or the spawn in the manure4 ,but rather than make a practice of watering the beds1 ,mr4 ,gardner finds it is better to maintain a moist atmosphere1 and thus lessen the necessity for watering4 ,mr4 ,gardner firmly believes that the mushrooms derive much nourishment from the steam of fermenting fresh horse manure1 and by using this steam in our mushroom houses we can maintain an atmosphere almost moist enough to be able to dispense with the use of the syringe1 and the mushrooms are fatter and heavier for it4 ,and he practices what he preaches4 ,in one end of his mushroom cellar he has a very large1 deep1 open box1 half filled with steaming fresh horse-droppings1 and once or twice a day he tosses these over with a dung-fork1 in order to raise a steam1 which it certainly does4 ,it is also for this purpose that he introduces the loam so soon when making the beds1 so that it may become charged with food that otherwise would be dissipated in the atmosphere4 ,there is a marked difference between the mushrooms raised from the ,french flake spawn and those from the ,english brick spawn1 but he has never observed any distinct varieties from the same kind of spawn4 ,sometimes a few mushrooms will appear that are somewhat differently formed from those of the general crop1 but this he regards as the result of cultural conditions rather than of true varietal differences4 ,his last year's bed began bearing early in ,november1 and continued to bear a good crop until the first of ,may4 ,after that time1 no matter what the crop may be1 the mushrooms become so infested with maggots as to be perfectly worthless1 and they are cleared out4 ,it is on account of the large body of manure in the bed1 and the low1 genial1 and equable temperature of the cellar that the beds in this house always continue so long in good cropping condition4 ,some years ago the mushrooms were not gathered till their heads had opened out flat1 but nowadays the marketmen like to get them when they are quite young and before the skin of the frill between the cup and the stem has broken apart4 ,a good market is found in ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia and ,boston4 ,mr4 ,denton's ,method4--,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,denton1 of ,woodhaven1 ,l4 ,i41 is an extensive market gardener about ten miles from ,new ,york4 ,during the summer months he grows outdoor vegetables for the ,new ,york and ,brooklyn markets1 and in winter mushrooms in cellars4 ,he has no greenhouses4 ,under his barns he has two large cellars which he devotes entirely to mushroom-growing in winter4 ,the cellars are seven and one-half feet high inside2 the beds five feet wide1 nine inches deep1 two feet apart1 and run parallel to one another the whole length of the cellar4 ,the beds are three deep1 that is1 one bed is made upon the floor1 and the other two1 rack or shelf fashion1 are made above the floor bed1 and two and one-half feet apart from the bottom of the one bed to the bottom of the one above it4 ,the shelves altogether are temporary structures built of ordinary rough scantling and hemlock boards1 and the beds are all one board deep4 ,a common iron stove and string of sheet iron smoke pipes are used for heating the cellars4 ,but he tells me the parching effect is very visible on the beds1 it dries them up on the surface very much1 and he has to sprinkle them frequently with water to keep them moist enough4 ,during the late summer and fall months1 on his return trips from the ,brooklyn markets1 ,mr4 ,denton hauls home fresh horse manure from the ,city stables4 ,all that he can put on a wagon costs him about twenty-five cents2 and this is what he uses for mushrooms4 ,he prepares it in a large open shed just above the cellar1 and when it is fit for use he adds about one-third of its bulk of loam4 ,the loam is the ordinary field soil from his market garden4 ,he tells me he has better success with beds made up in this way than when manure alone is used4 ,we all know how very heavily market gardeners manure their land1 also how vigorously most writers on mushroom culture denounce the use of manure-fatted loam in mushroom beds1 but here is ,mr4 ,denton1 the most successful grower of mushrooms for market in the neighborhood of ,new ,york1 practicing the very thing that is denounced6 ,while he likes good lively manure to begin with he is very careful not to use it soon enough to run any risk of overheating in the beds4 ,the loam in the manure counteracts this strong heating tendency1 also with the loam mixture the shelf-beds can be built much more firmly than with plain manure on the springy boards4 ,when the temperature falls to #ij he spawns the beds4 ,he uses both ,french and brick spawn1 but leans with most favor to the latter1 of which in the fall #ahhi he used #djj lbs4 ,he markets from #agjj to #bejj lbs4 of mushrooms a year from these two cellars4 ,mr4 ,denton believes emphatically in cleanliness in the mushroom cellar1 and ascribes his best successes to his most thorough cleaning4 ,every summer he cleans out his cellars and limewashes all over4 ,mr4 ,van ,siclen's ,method4--,mr4 ,abram ,van ,siclen1 of ,jamaica1 ,l4 ,i41 also grows mushrooms very extensively in underground cellars1 whose arrangements do not differ materially from those of ,mr4 ,denton's1 except in his manner of heating4 ,he runs an immense greenhouse vegetable-growing establishment1 as well as a summer truck farm1 and uses hot water heating apparatus1 also smoke flues as employed ordinarily in greenhouses1 especially lettuce houses4 ,the sheet iron pipes1 except in squash houses1 he does not hold in much favor4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,,cross-,,section ,,of ,,the ,,dosoris ,,mushroom ,,cellar4 ,the ,dosoris ,mushroom ,cellar4--,this is a subterranean tunnel or cellar that was excavated and arched some ten years ago1 expressly for the cultivation of mushrooms4 ,it is situated in an open1 sunny part of the garden1 and its extreme length from outside of end walls is eighty-three feet2 but of this space nine feet at either end are given up to entrance pits and a heating apparatus2 and the full length of the mushroom cellar proper inside the inner walls is sixty-three feet4 ,the walls and arch are of brick1 and the top of the arch is two and one-half feet below the surface of the soil4 ,this tunnel or arch is seven feet high in the middle and eight feet wide within1 but a raised two-feet-wide pathway along the middle lessens the height to six and one-half feet4 ,between this pathway and the sides of the building there is only an earthen floor1 but it is quite dry1 as the cellar is perfectly drained4 ,three ventilators sixteen feet apart had been built in the top of the arch1 but this was a mistake1 as the condensation in the cellar in winter from these ventilators always keeps the place under them cold and wet and rather unproductive4 ,one tall wooden chimney-like shaft would have been a better ventilator than the three ventilating holes now there1 which are covered over with an iron and glass grating4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4 ,,ground ,,plan ,,of ,,the ,,dosoris ,,cellar4 ,at one end of the house and behind the stairs descending into the pit is the heating apparatus1 from which a four-inch hot-water pipe passes around inside the house near the wall and only four inches above ground4 ,a three-feet wide hemlock flooring for the bed to rest on is laid along each side and about four inches above the pipe1 leaving the aperture between the earth floor and the bottom of the bed along the pathway open for the escape of the artificial heat4 ,one might think that the hot water pipe under1 and so near the bed1 would dry it up and destroy it1 but such is not the case4 ,in a cellar of this kind very little fire heat is needed to maintain the required temperature1 and ,i do not know where else the pipes could be put where they would do the work any better and be more out of the way4 ,these beds1 for convenience in building them1 spawning them1 molding them over1 gathering the crop and watering the beds1 and removing the manure after the beds are exhausted1 are built against the wall and with a rounded face1 thus giving a three and one-half feet wide surface of bed in place of one three feet wide1 were it built flat4 ,this gain in superficial area is not so important as it might seem1 for the part immediately next to the edge of the pathway seldom yields very much4 ,above these beds a string of shelf beds is arranged which runs the full length of both sides of the cellar4 ,from the floor of the under bed to the floor of the top bed is three feet1 and the upper beds are just as wide as the lower ones4 ,the shelves for the beds are temporary affairs1 put up and taken down every year4 ,the cross-bars rest in sockets in the wall made by cutting out half a brick every four feet along the wall1 and on upright strips or feet one and one-fourth by four inches wide1 or two by three inches1 set under the inside ends of the cross-bars and resting on the cement floor close up against the lower bed4 ,by having this foot end a quarter of an inch higher than the wall end the heavy weight of the bed is thrown toward the wall4 ,loose hemlock boards set close together form the flooring1 for there is no need of nailing any of them except the one next to the upright face board1 which is ten inches wide1 and nailed along the front1 by the pathway1 to the posts and shelf board4 ,by tilting the weight to the wall the upright board is firm enough to hold its place against any pressing out in building the beds4 ,the supporting legs of the shelves are also nailed to the face board of the lower bed1 and this holds them perfectly solid in place4 ,the shelf beds are eight inches deep at front1 but can be made of any depth desired against the walls at the back4 ,the cold wall has no injurious effect upon the bearing of the bed1 and many fine mushrooms grow close against the walls4 ,the entrance pits are nine and one-half feet deep from ground level1 three feet eight inches wide1 nine feet long1 and are covered over with folding doors on strong hinges1 and descended into by means of wooden movable stairs4 ,these dimensions are needed at the end where the heating apparatus is placed1 but at the other end1 although it is convenient in handling the manure1 a space two or three feet less would have answered just as well4 ,a close door at either end of the mushroom cellar proper separates it from the end pits4 ,the cellar is divided in the middle by a partition4 ,this gives1 when it is in full working order1 eight beds1 each thirty-one and one-half feet long1 or a continuous run of #beb feet or #gef square feet of surface1 and as the beds are renewed twice a year this gives #ejd running feet of bed1 or #aeab square feet of surface4 ,a common average crop is three-fifths of a pound of mushrooms to the square foot of bed1 and a good fair average is four-fifths of a pound4 ,this would give over a thousand pounds of mushrooms a season from this cellar when it is in full running capacity4 ,but as the aim is to have a steady supply of mushrooms from ,october until ,may1 and not a flush at any one time and a scarcity at another1 only two beds are made at a time1 allowing a month to intervene between every two4 ,for the two beds1 ,no4 #a1 preparing the manure begins in ,july1 the beds are made up in ,august1 and gathering of the crop commences in ,october2 work on the two beds1 ,no4 #b1 begins in ,august1 the beds are made up in ,september1 and the mushrooms gathered in ,november2 preparing for the two beds1 ,no4 #c1 begins in ,september1 the beds are made up in ,october1 gathering commences in ,december2 for the two beds1 ,no4 #d1 work begins in ,october1 the beds are made up in ,november1 and the crop is gathered in ,january2 for the two beds1 ,no4 #e 7,no4 #a renewed71 work begins in ,november1 the beds are made up in ,december1 and the crop is gathered in ,february2 for the two beds1 ,no4 #f 7,no4 #b renewed71 work begins in ,december1 the beds are made up in ,january1 and the crop is gathered in ,march2 for the two beds1 ,no4 #g 7,no4 #c renewed71 work begins in ,january1 the beds are made up in ,february1 and the crop is gathered in ,april2 for the two beds1 ,no4 #h 7,no4 #d renewed71 work begins in ,february1 the beds are made up in ,march1 and the mushrooms gathered in ,may4 ,after this time of year the summer heat renders mushroom-growing uncertain1 and the maggots destroy the mushrooms4 ,this system allows each bed a bearing period of two months4 ,after yielding a crop for some seven to nine weeks the beds are pretty well exhausted and hardly worth retaining longer4 ,they might drag along in a desultory way for weeks1 but as soon as they stop yielding a paying crop we clear them out and start afresh4 ,and when the mushroom season is closed we lift out and remove the manure1 clean the boards used in shelving1 and give the cellar a thorough cleaning1--whitewash its walls and paint its woodwork with kerosene to destroy noxious insects and fungi4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e4 ,,base-,,burning ,,water ,,heater4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f4 ,,vertical ,,section4 ,the heating apparatus consists of one of ,hitchings' base-burner boilers with a four-inch hot-water pipe that passes around inside the cellar1 and it deserves special mention because of its economy1 efficiency1 and the satisfaction it gives generally4 ,this boiler needs no deep or spacious stoke-hole4 ,here it is set under the stairway in a pit four and one-half feet long1 by three feet wide1 by eighteen inches deep2 it is not in the way1 and there is plenty of room to attend to it4 ,the heater1 like a common parlor stove1 has a magazine for the supply of coal4 ,it has a double casing with the water space between and down to the bottom of it1 so that when set in a shallow pit there is no difficulty whatever about the circulation of the water in the pipes4 ,the hot water passes from the boiler to an open iron tank placed two feet above it1 as shown in the engraving1 and thence down through a perpendicular pipe till it reaches and enters the horizontal pipes that pass around the cellar and1 returning1 enters the boiler again near its base4 ,the boiler and pipes are filled from this tank1 which should always be kept at least half full of water1 and looked into every day when in use1 so that when the water gets lower than half full it may be filled up again4 ,about #acd running feet of four-inch pipe are included inside the cellar 7sixty-four feet on each side and six feet across at further end72 this gives #acd square feet of heating surface1 or a proportion of about a square foot of heating surface for every fifteen cubic feet of air space in the cellar4 ,this proportion is more than ample in the coldest weather1 but beneficial in so far that there is no need to fire hard to maintain the proper temperature4 ,a three-inch pipe would have given heat enough1 but the heat would not have been so steady4 ,both nut and stove coal is used in this heater1 and in the severest winter weather it burns not more than a common hodful in twenty-four hours4 ,it is so easily regulated that the temperature of the cellar day or night1 or in mild or severe weather1 never varies more than three degrees1 namely from #eg to #fj4 ,in a close underground cellar where the temperature in midwinter without any artificial heat does not fall below #dj or #de it is an easy matter1 with such a heater as this is1 to maintain any desired temperature4 ,if the grates are renewed now and then1 the heater should last in good condition for twenty years4 ,with the ordinary stove there is danger of fire1 of escaping gas and of sudden changes of temperature1 and the evil influence of a dry1 parching heat--just what mushrooms most dislike--is ever present4 ,the first cost of a hot water apparatus may be more than that of an old stove and sheet iron pipes1 but where mushrooms are grown extensively1 as a matter of economy1 efficiency1 and convenience1 the advantages are altogether on the side of the hot water apparatus4 ,furthermore1 hot water pipes can be run where it would be unsafe to put smoke pipes4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,mushroom ,,houses4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #g4 ,,mushroom ,,house ,,built ,,against ,a ,,north-,,facing ,,wall4 ,a mushroom house is a building erected purposely for mushroom culture4 ,it may be wholly or partly above ground1 and built of wood1 brick1 or stone1 and extend to any desired dimensions4 ,but a few general principles should be borne in mind4 ,mushrooms in houses are a winter and not a summer crop1 and they are impatient of sudden changes of temperature and of a hot or arid atmosphere4 ,therefore1 build the houses where they will be warm and well-sheltered in winter1 so as to get the advantage of the natural warmth1 and spare the artificial heat4 ,they should be entered from an adjoining building1 or through a porch on the south side1 so as to guard against cold draughts or blasts in winter when the door would be opened in going into or coming out of the house4 ,at the same time1 do not lose sight of convenience in handling the manure1 either in bringing it into the house or taking it out1 and with this in view it may be necessary to have a door opening to the outside4 ,all outside doors should be double and securely packed around in winter4 ,side window ventilators are not necessary1 at the same time they are useful in the early part of the season and in summer time2 they should be double and tightly packed in winter4 ,the walls1 if made of brick1 should be hollow1 if of wood1 double2 indeed1 walls built as if for an ice house are the very best for a mushroom house1 and should be banked with earth1 tree leaves1 or strawy manure in winter1 to help keep the interior of the house a little warmer4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #h4 ,,section ,,of ,,mrs4 ,c4 ,j4 ,,osborne',s ,,mushroom ,,house4 ,the floor should be perfectly dry2 that is1 so well drained that water will not stand upon it1 but it is immaterial whether the floor is an ordinary earthen one or of wood or cement4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #i4 ,,ground ,,plan ,,of ,,mrs4 ,,osborne',s ,,mushroom ,,house4 ,the roof should be double and always sloping1--never flat4 ,the hoar frost that appears in severe weather inside a single roof is likely to melt as the heat of the day increases1 and this cold drip falling upon the beds below is very prejudicial to the mushroom crop4 ,a double roof saves the beds from this drip1 and it also renders the house warmer1 and less fire is needed to maintain the requisite temperature4 ,one might think that a single roof like that of a dwelling house1 and then a flat ceiling under it1 would be equivalent to a double sloping roof1 but it is not4 ,the moisture arising from the interior of the house condenses upon the flat ceiling1 and the water1 having no way of running off1 drips down upon the beds4 ,with a sloping ceiling or inside roof the water runs down the ceiling to the walls4 ,a very pointed example of this may be seen in ,mrs4 ,c4 ,j4 ,osborne's excellent mushroom house at ,mamaroneck1 ,n4 ,y4 ,it had been built in the most substantial manner1 with a sloping roof and a flat ceiling under the roof1 but so much annoyance was caused by the drip falling from it upon the beds below that her gardener had the flat ceiling removed and a sloping one built instead1 and now it works splendidly1 and a few months ago ,i saw as fine a crop of mushrooms in that house as one could wish to look at4 ,the interior arrangement of the mushroom house may resemble that of the mushroom cellar4 ,beds may be made alongside of the walls and1 if there is room1 also along the middle of the house1 and shelves erected in the same way as in the cellar4 ,but in the case of cold1 thin outside walls1 the shelf-beds should not be built close against them1 but instead boxed off about two inches from the walls1 so as to remove the beds from the chilling touch of the wall in winter4 ,economy may suggest the advisability of high mushroom houses1 so that one may be able to build one shelf above another1 until the shelves are two1 three1 or four deep4 ,but this is a mistake4 ,the artificial heat required to maintain a temperature of #ee in midwinter in a house built high above ground would be too parching and unsteady for the good of the mushrooms2 besides1 a second shelf is inconvenient enough1 and when it comes to a third or a fourth the inconvenience would be too great1 and overreach any advantage hoped for in economy of space4 ,an unheated mushroom house must be regarded as a shed1 and treated similarly1 as described in the following chapter4 ,in large1 well appointed1 private gardens1 a mushroom house is considered an almost indispensable adjunct to the glasshouse establishment1 and is generally built against the north-facing wall of a greenhouse4 ,in this way it gets the benefit of the warm wall1 and may be easily heated by introducing one or two hot-water pipes from the greenhouse system2 besides1 in winter the house may be entered from the glass house or adjacent shed1 and in this way be exempted from the inclement breath of the frosty air that would be admitted in opening the outside door4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aj4 ,,interior ,,view ,,of ,,mr4 ,s4 ,,henshaw',s ,,mushroom ,,house4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,henshaw's ,mushroom ,house4--,mr4 ,henshaw has raised mushrooms several years at his place on ,staten ,island4 ,his mushroom house is nine feet wide and sixty feet long4 ,one side is a brick wall and the other is double boarded4 ,the roof is of tin1 in which there are three sashes each two by five feet1 supplying ample light4 ,at each end is a door giving convenient access to the interior1 for carrying in and removing material without disturbing the bearing beds4 ,in winter the roof is covered with a coating of salt hay1 to preserve an equable temperature and prevent the moisture from condensing on the ceiling and falling in drops on the beds4 ,the floor is of earth1 which1 when well drained1 he thinks preferable to either brick or lumber4 ,the floor is entirely covered with beds1 no shelves or walks being used4 ,this makes it necessary to step on the beds1 but as no covering is employed it is always easy to avoid stepping on the clusters of young mushrooms1 and so long as they are left uninjured the bed is seldom1 if ever1 impaired by the compacting effect of the treading4 ,in order to maintain a necessary winter temperature of #fj a four-inch hot-water pipe extends the whole length of the house about two feet from the floor4 ,on the other side of the brick wall is a greenhouse which1 by keeping the wall warm1 helps to keep the mushroom house warm4 ,mr4 ,henshaw divides this house into three equal beds4 ,the part at the further end of the house is made up in the fall and comes into bearing in ,december2 the middle part a month later to come in a month later1 and the near end still a month later1 to follow as another succession4 ,then1 if need be1 and he wishes to renew the bed at the further end of the house1 he clears it out and supplies fresh material for the new bed4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,sheds4 ,any one who has a snug1 warm shed1 may have a good mushroom house1 but it is imperative that the floor should be dry1 and the roof water-tight4 ,of course a close shed1 as a tool-house or a carriage-house1 is better than an open shed1 but even a shed that is open on the south side1 if closely walled on the other sides1 can also be made of good use for mushroom beds4 ,while open sheds are good enough for beds that yield their crop before ,christmas1 they are ill-adapted for midwinter beds4 ,the temperature of the interior of a mushroom bed should be about #fj during the bearing period1 and the temperature of the surface of the bed #de to #ej at least2 if lower than that the mycelium has a tendency to rest1 and the crop stagnates4 ,now this temperature can not be maintained in an open shed1 in hard frosty weather1 without more trouble than the crop is worth4 ,the beds would have to be boxed up and mulched very heavily4 ,and even in a close1 warm shed1 protection in this way would have to be given1 but the bed should not be under the penetrating influence of piercing winds and draughts4 ,the mushroom beds should therefore be made in the warmest parts of the warmest sheds4 ,the beds should be made upon the floor and as much to one side as possible1 so as to be out of the way1 and in form flat on the ground1 or rounded up against the sides of the shed2 in the latter case the house should be well banked around on the outside with litter or tree leaves or earth1 so as to exclude frost from the lower part of the walls1 and thereby prevent the manure in the beds from getting badly chilled4 ,the beds should be made deeper in a cool shed than in a cellar or warm mushroom house1 so that they may retain their heat for a long time4 ,shelf beds should not be used in unheated sheds1 because of the difficulty in keeping them warm in winter4 ,as a rule1 shelf beds are not made as deep as are those upon the floor2 hence they do not hold their heat so long4 ,when cold weather sets in it is easy to box up and cover over the lower beds to keep them warm1 but in the case of shelf beds1 that are exposed above and below1 it is more trouble to protect them sufficiently against cold than they are worth4 ,generally speaking1 the term shed is applied to unheated1 simple wooden structures2 for instance1 the wood-shed1 the tool-shed1 a carriage-house1 or a hay-barn4 ,but we often use the name shed to designate heated buildings1 as the potting and packing sheds of florists4 ,were it not that these heated sheds are simply workrooms1 and where there is a great deal of going out and in1 and1 consequently1 draughts and sudden and frequent fluctuations of temperature1 the treatment of mushroom beds made in them would be the same as that advised for regular mushroom houses2 but as the circumstances are somewhat different the treatment1 too1 should not be the same4 ,a warm potting shed is an excellent place for mushroom beds4 ,here they should be made under the benches and covered up in front with thick calico1 plant-protecting cloth1 or light wooden shutters1 to exclude cold currents and sudden atmospheric changes1 and guard against the beds drying too quickly4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,greenhouses4 ,any one who has a greenhouse can grow mushrooms in it4 ,and it does not matter what kind of greenhouse it is1 whether a fruit house1 a flower house1 or a vegetable house1 it is available for mushrooms4 ,one of the advantages of raising mushrooms in a greenhouse is that they grow to perfection in parts of the greenhouse that are nearly worthless for other purposes2 for instance1 under the stages1 where nothing else grows well1 although rhubarb and asparagus might be forced there1 and a little chicory and dandelion blanched4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #aa4 ,,boxed ,,mushroom ,,bed ,,under ,,greenhouse ,,bench4 ,cool greenhouses1 in all cases1 are better for mushrooms than hothouses4 ,cool houses are seldom kept at a lower temperature than #de or #ej in winter1 while hothouses run from #fj to #gj at night1 with a rise of ten to twenty degrees by day1 and this is too hot for mushrooms4 ,it is a very easy matter1 by means of covering with hay or boxing over and covering the boxing with hay or matting1 to keep a mushroom bed in a cool house warm and free from marked changes in temperature2 but it is a difficult matter to keep a mushroom bed in a hothouse cool enough and prevent sudden rises in temperature4 ,on ,greenhouse ,benches4--,it sometimes happens that the beds are formed on the greenhouse benches1 and the mushrooms occupy the same place that might be assigned to roses or any other planted-out crop4 ,the beds on the benches are made one board deep1 that is1 eight to ten inches of short1 fresh manure1 and otherwise as in the case of beds anywhere else4 ,after the beds are spawned and cased with soil1 by covering them over with a layer of straw litter or hay1 sudden drying out of the surface is prevented1 and in order to further prevent this drying it is a good plan to sprinkle some water over the mulching every day or two1 but not enough to soak through into the bed4 ,about the time the young mushrooms commence to show themselves1 remove the mulching and replace it with a covering of shutters raised another board's height above the bed1 or with strong calico or plant-protecting cloth hung curtain-fashion over the beds4 ,the accompanying illustration1 ,fig4 #ab1 for which ,i am indebted to ,henry ,a4 ,dreer1 of ,philadelphia1 gives an excellent idea of how mushrooms may be grown and cared for on greenhouse benches4 ,this illustration1 ,mr4 ,dreer writes3 is made from a photograph of a crop grown on the greenhouse benches at the ,model ,farm1 by ,mr4 ,mc,caffrey1 gardener to ,j4 ,e4 ,kingsley1 ,esq41 of the ,continental ,hotel4444 ,no covering of litter is used1 but the requisite shading on sunny days is secured by the use of cotton cloth stretched over the top of the bed1 as shown in the engraving4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ab4 ,,mushrooms ,,grown ,,on ,,greenhouse ,,benches ,,at ,,mr4 ,j4 ,e4 ,,kingsley',s ,,model ,,farm4 ,my principal objection to mushroom beds on greenhouse benches is their liability to frequent and marked changes of atmospheric temperature and moisture1 and to drying out4 ,in midwinter they may be all right1 but as spring advances and the sun's brightness and heat increase1 the susceptibility of the beds to become dry also increases4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ac4 ,,wide ,,bed ,,with ,,pathway ,,above4 ,in ,frames in the ,greenhouses4--,mr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,gardner has a range of greenhouses some #ijj feet long--the longest unbroken string of glasshouses that ,i know of--for the forcing of fruit and vegetables in winter2 grapes1 peaches1 nectarines1 figs1 tomatoes1 cucumbers1 snap beans1 peas1 lettuce4 ,this range is divided into several compartments1 to accommodate the different varieties of crops1 also so that some can be run as succession houses4 ,in order to make the most of everything1 market-gardener-like1 he doubles up his crops wherever possible1 and for this end he finds no crop more amenable and profitable than mushrooms4 ,it matters nothing to him whether the house is cold or warm1 he can grow mushrooms in it anyway1 and in order to be master of the situation he makes his mushroom beds in hotbed frames inside the greenhouses4 ,by attending to ventilating or keeping close1 or covering up or leaving bare1 he can properly regulate the temperature of the mushroom bed1 no matter how hot or cold the atmosphere of the greenhouse may be4 ,in the same way--by shading the panes or unshading them--he governs the light admitted to the mushrooms4 ,the greenhouses in which the mushrooms are grown are orchard houses1 that is1 glasshouses in which peach and nectarine trees are grown and forced4 ,as these trees fruit and finish their growth early1 it is necessary that they be kept as cool and inactive as possible in the fall and early winter1 and started again into growth in late winter4 ,in the fall1 therefore1 the fermenting material being confined in frames retains warmth enough for the proper development of the mushrooms1 and as the winter advances and the heat in the frames begins to wane it becomes necessary to begin heating the greenhouses in order to start the trees into bloom and growth1 and thus are provided very favorable conditions for the continued production of the mushroom crop4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ad4 ,,mushrooms ,,on ,,greenhouse ,,benches ,,under ,,tomatoes4 ,the frames used are common hotbed box frames seven feet wide and carrying three and one-half feet wide sashes4 ,a string of them is run along the middle of the greenhouses1 for greenhouse after greenhouse is occupied by them4 ,they are flat upon the floor1 and in the early part of the season alone in the greenhouses4 ,but as the winter advances a temporary staging is erected over these frames1 on which spiras1 peas1 beans1 or other flowers or vegetables are to be grown4 ,these love the light and a position near the glass1 whereas the mushrooms grow perfectly well in the dark quarters of the frames under the stages4 ,if he did not grow mushrooms under these stages the room would be unoccupied1 hence unproductive2 but by occupying it with mushrooms he not only gets peaches and snap beans at once out of the same greenhouse1 but also a crop of mushrooms1 often worth as much as the other two4 ,in preparing the beds in the frames they were made up a foot deep1 very firm1 and with ,new ,york stable manure brought direct from the cars4 ,there was no preliminary preparation of the manure4 ,a layer of loam one and one-half inches deep was then spread over the surface and forked into the bed of manure one and one-half inches deep1 so as to form an earthy mat three inches deep4 ,this was then packed solid with the feet1 and a two-inch layer of loose manure added all over4 ,in about ten days the temperature three inches below the surface was about #ie1 and the beds were then spawned4 ,in spawning1 drills were drawn across the beds about a foot apart and just deep enough to touch but not penetrate the earthy mat before referred to4 ,the broken spawn was then sown in the drills and covered with a layer of loam one and one-half to two inches deep1 which was tamped slightly4 ,the sashes were then put on and tilted up a little to let the moisture escape4 ,by the time the mushrooms appeared there was very little need of ventilating1 as the condensation of moisture on the glass was scarcely apparent2 but ventilation is easily guided by the appearance of moisture on the glass1 the more of this the more ventilation should be given4 ,to begin with1 there was no attempt at shading the frames2 but as soon as the mushrooms began to appear the beds were shaded1 and mostly by the crops of other plants on the stages above them4 ,these frame beds were made up last ,october1 and began bearing in ,december1 and on ,march #ad ,mr4 ,gardner wrote me3 ,the mushrooms in my frames have done grandly4 ,i cut large basketfuls to-day of the finest mushrooms ,i have ever seen1 some of them measuring five inches in diameter before being fully expanded4 ,and further1 in submitting the above notes to him for verification1 he adds3 ,there is one vital point we should impress upon all who grow mushrooms in frames or under greenhouse benches1 namely1 that sudden changes of temperature must be avoided4 ,while light1 in my opinion1 is good for mushrooms1 it causes a rise of temperature1 and this we must guard against4 ,in order to maintain a uniform temperature all glass exposed to light or heat in any other way should be covered with some non-conducting material4 ,rye straw is the best thing for this purpose that ,i know of4 ,indeed1 neglect of this simple matter1 in cases where sunlight and heat from hot-water pipes come in contact with the young mushrooms or mycelium on the surface of the beds1 is the cause of many failures in growing in frames and greenhouses4 ,under ,greenhouse ,benches4--,open empty spaces under the stages anywhere are good places for mushroom beds4 ,however1 carefully observe a few points1 to wit3 ,a dry floor under the beds is imperative1 for a wet floor soaks and chills the beds1 and renders them unhealthy for the spawn2 but the common earth floor is good enough1 provided water does not stand upon it at any time2 if it does1 the floor to be under the beds can be rendered dry by raising it a little higher than the general level1 or using a flooring of old boards4 ,beds should not be built close up against hot-water pipes1 steam pipes1 or smoke flues1 as the heat from these when they are in working condition will bake the parts of the beds next to them and render them unproductive1 and also crack and spoil the caps of the mushrooms that come up within a foot or two of the pipes4 ,but this injury from hot pipes and flues can be lessened greatly by boxing the pipes1 so as to shut off the heat from the mushroom beds and allowing it full escape upward2 then the beds can be made1 with safety1 up to within a foot of the pipes4 ,as a rule1 hot-water pipes are run around under the front benches of a greenhouse1 then it would not be advisable to make beds under those benches4 ,the middle bench is the one most commonly free from pipes1 hence the one best adapted for beds4 ,it has more headroom1 and therefore easier working facilities4 ,steam-heated greenhouses generally present the best accommodations for mushroom beds1 because the pipes occupy less room under the benches than do those for hot water1 and they are always kept higher from the ground4 ,among ,other ,plants on ,greenhouse ,benches4--,it sometimes happens that mushrooms spring up spontaneously among the roses1 carnations1 violets1 mignonette1 and other crops that are grown planted out on the benches1 and this is particularly the case where fresh soil had just been used1 in whole or part1 for filling the bench beds4 ,these mushrooms come from natural spawn contained in the loam or manure before they were brought indoors1 and which is apt to be true virgin spawn4 ,the mushrooms are generally of the common kind1 grown from brick spawn1 but occasionally a much larger and heavier sort is produced1 and this is the horse mushroom4 ,it is perfectly good to eat1 only of coarser quality than the other4 ,a fair and certain crop can be obtained by planting pieces of spawn in the beds here and there between the plants and where they will be least likely to be soaked with water4 ,in order to further insure the development of the spawn1 holes about the size of a pint cup should be scooped out here and there over the bed1 and filled up solidly with quite fresh but dry horse droppings1 with the piece of spawn in the middle1 and covered over on top with an inch of loam1 so as to leave the whole surface of the bed level4 ,so small a quantity of dry manure surrounded with cold earth will not heat perceptibly1 and the moisture of the loam about it will soon moisten it1 no matter how dry it may be4 ,the dry1 fresh droppings are the very best material for starting the mycelium into growth4 ,growing ,mushrooms in ,rose ,houses4--,george ,savage1 the head gardener at ,mr4 ,kimball's greenhouses1 ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y41 grows mushrooms very successfully under the benches of the rose houses4 ,when he makes up his earliest mushroom beds in the fall the rose house is kept cool1 and this is an advantage to the mushroom beds1 which get all the warmth they need from the fermenting manure2 but as ,november advances1 and the heat in the beds begins to wane the rose houses are started1 and this artificial warmth comes in good season to benefit the growing mushrooms4 ,the roses1 in this case1 are planted out on benches1 hence there is scarcely any dripping of water from above upon the mushroom beds below4 ,mr4 ,george ,grant1 of ,mamaroneck1 ,n4 ,y41 who grows mushrooms in the greenhouse1 ,i called to see last ,january1 and was very much pleased with his simple and successful method4 ,the beds were then in fine bearing1 very full1 and the crop was of the best quality4 ,the beds were made upon the earthen floor of his tomato-forcing house and under the back bench4 ,the bed was flat1 seven to eight inches deep1 with a casing of a ten-inch-wide hemlock board set on edge at the back1 and another of same size against the front4 ,the bed was made of horse droppings1 six inches deep1 and molded over with fresh loam one and one-half inch deep4 ,over the whole1 and resting on the edges of the hemlock boards1 was a light covering of other boards1 with a sprinkling of hay on top of them to arrest and shed drip1 and maintain an equable temperature in the bed4 ,mr4 ,abram ,van ,siclen1 of ,jamaica1 ,long ,island1 is one of the largest mushroom growers for market in the country1 as well as one of the most extensive growers of market-garden truck under glass around ,new ,york4 ,he devotes an immense area under his lettuce-house benches to the cultivation of mushrooms4 ,the beds are made upon the floor in the usual way1 only for convenience' sake1 to admit of plenty of room in making up the beds and gathering the crop1 besides avoiding the necessity for building higher structures than the ordinary lettuce greenhouses1 the mushroom beds are sunken about eighteen to twenty-four inches under the level of the pathways4 ,as the lettuces are planted out upon the benches there is very little drip from them1 hence the sunken beds are well enough4 ,and the temperature of a lettuce house is about right for a long-lasting mushroom bed4 ,light is excluded by a simple covering of salt hay laid over the beds1 and sometimes by light wooden shutters set up against the aperture between the lettuce benches and the floor1 in this way boxing in the mushrooms in total darkness4 ,mr4 ,william ,wilson1 of ,astoria1 has an immense greenhouse establishment near ,new ,york4 ,in his greenhouses1 under both the side and middle benches1 he grows mushrooms1 and when ,i saw them in ,january there were about #cjj square yards of beds4 ,the beds were flat1 about nine inches thick1 built upon the ground1 and protected from strong light by having muslin tacked over the openings between the benches and the beds alongside the pathways4 ,but his crop was suffering from drip4 ,mr4 ,wilson told me he could not begin to supply the demand4 ,he says whatever he makes on mushrooms is mostly clear gain4 ,they occupy space that otherwise would remain unoccupied1 and he needs the manure and the loam in his florist business1 and it is in better condition for potting after it has been rotted in the mushroom beds than it was before it was used for this purpose4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ae4 ,,mr4 ,,wm4 ,,wilson',s ,,mushroom ,,beds4 ,drip from the ,benches4--,this must be prevented from the beds above1 else it will soak or chill1 and in a large measure kill the spawn4 ,i have seen many examples of this evil4 ,the beds would be full of drip holes all over their surface1 and although a good many mushrooms here and there about the bed might perfect themselves1 multitudes only reach the pin-head condition--or possibly the size of peas--and then fogg off in patches4 ,it is not one or two little mushrooms in a clump that fogg off1 but where one foggs off all of the little ones in that patch go1 for it is not a disease of the individual mushroom1 but of the mycelium or mushroom plant that runs in the bed1 and when this is injured or killed all the little mushrooms arising from this particular patch of plant are robbed of sustenance and must perish4 ,in greenhouses where the benches are occupied with roses1 carnations1 bouvardias1 violets1 or lettuces1 planted out1 as commercial florists and gardeners generally grow them1 there is very little drip1 because while the plants on these benches are freely watered1 the soil is never soaked enough for the water to drain from it in dripping streamlets1 as is continually the case in greenhouses where potted plants are grown on the stages4 ,under these planted out benches1 if care is exercised1 mushrooms can be grown in open beds2 in fact1 it is about the best place and condition for them in a greenhouse4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #af4 ,,mushroom ,,bed ,,built ,,flat ,,upon ,,the ,,ground4 ,with stages occupied by plants in pots provision needs to be made to ward off the drip from the mushroom beds1 by erecting over1 and conveniently high above them1 a light wooden framework1 on which rest light wooden frames covered with oiled paper1 oiled muslin1 or plant-protecting cloth4 ,in fact1 three light wooden strips run over the bed1 as shown in ,fig4 #ab1 or three strings of stout cord or wire run in the same manner will answer for small beds1 and act as a support for the oiled muslin or plant-protecting cloth4 ,building paper is sometimes used for the same purpose4 ,mr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,gardner uses ordinary hotbed frames and sashes1 as described in a previous chapter4 ,light wooden shutters--made of one-half inch or five-eighths inch pine--may be used for the same end1 and will last for many years4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ag4 ,,ridged ,,mushroom ,,bed4 ,the beds under the greenhouse benches may be made up in the same way as are beds anywhere else2 that is1 flat upon the floor and between two boards set on edge1 as seen in ,fig4 #af1 or in ridges under the high or middle benches1 as in ,fig4 #ag1 or in banked beds against the back wall1 as shown in ,fig4 #ah4 ,generally the flat bed is the most convenient to make and take care of4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ah4 ,,banked ,,bed ,,against ,a ,,wall4 ,in open1 airy greenhouses it is always well to inclose the mushroom beds in box casings and with sash or shutter coverings1 to prevent draughts and fluctuations of temperature and atmospheric moisture4 ,this can easily be done by making the sides a board and a half 7fifteen inches71 or two boards 7twenty inches7 high1 and covering over with light wooden shutters1 sashes1 or muslin or paper-covered light frames4 ,see ,fig4 #aa4 ,ammonia ,arising4--,ammonia arising from the manure of the mushroom beds in the greenhouse may be injurious to the other inmates of the greenhouse4 ,if the manure has been well prepared before it was introduced into the greenhouse1 the ammonia arising from it will not1 in the least degree1 injure any other plants or flowers that may be in the house2 but if the manure is fresh1 hot1 and rank1 the opposite will be the case4 ,beds in greenhouses should always be made up of manure that has been well prepared beforehand out of doors or in a shed1 and as it is brought into the greenhouse it should at once be built solidly into the beds4 ,then very little steam will arise from the beds2 in fact1 it will be imperceptible to sight or smell4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,the ,,fields4 ,under suitable conditions we can grow mushrooms easily and abundantly in the open fields1 and the planting of the spawn is all the trouble they will cause us4 ,during the late summer and fall months mushrooms often appear spontaneously and in great quantity in our open pastures1 but in their natural condition they are an uncertain crop1 as in one year they may occur in the greatest abundance1 and in the next perhaps none can be found in the fields in which they had been so numerous the previous year4 ,why this should be so is not very clear4 ,the popular opinion is that after a dry summer mushrooms abound in the fields1 but after a wet summer they are a very scarce crop2 and the inference is that the moisture has killed the spawn in the ground4 ,this may be true to a certain extent1 but how does it happen--as it certainly often does--that good spawn planted by hand in the fields in early summer will produce mushrooms toward fall no matter whether the summer has been wet or dry8 ,at the same time1 it is true that a wet spell immediately succeeding the planting of the spawn will kill a great deal of it4 ,as a rule1 wild mushrooms abound most in rich1 old1 well-drained1 rolling pasture lands1 and avoid dry1 sandy1 or wet places1 or the neighborhood of trees and bushes4 ,in attempting to cultivate them in the open fields we should endeavor to provide similar conditions4 ,then the chief requisite is good spawn1 for without this we can not raise mushrooms4 ,about the middle of ,june take a sharp spade in the pasture1 make ,v or ,t-shaped cuts in the grass sod about four inches deep and raise one side enough to allow the insertion of a bit of spawn two to three inches square under it1 so that it shall be about two inches below the surface1 then tamp the sod down4 ,by cutting and raising the sod in this way1 without breaking it off1 it is not as likely to die of drought in summer4 ,in this way plant as much or little as may be desired and at distances of three1 four1 or more feet apart4 ,during the following ,august or ,september the mushrooms should show themselves1 and continue in bearing for several weeks4 ,mr4 ,henshaw1 of ,staten ,island1 who has been very successful in growing mushrooms in the fields as well as indoors1 writes to me as follows3 ,you ask me to give you my plan of growing mushrooms in the fields during the summer4 ,it is very simple4 ,about the end of ,june1 or as soon as dry weather sets in1 we remove the old beds from our mushroom house1 and if there should be any live spawn in the bottom of our beds we put it in a wheelbarrow and take it to the field1 where we plant it in the open places1 but never under trees4 ,in planting1 we lift a sod and put a shovelful of the manure containing the spawn in the hole1 then replace the sod and beat it down firm2 this we do at distances of twelve feet apart4 ,if we have no live spawn from our indoor beds we take the common brick spawn1 and put about a quarter of a brick into each hole1 returning and beating down the sod as already stated4 ,this is all that is done4 ,if there comes a dry time after the spawn is put in the pasture we are sure to have a good supply of mushrooms in the fall4 ,a few years ago ,carter ,co41 seedsmen1 ,london1 sent this to one of the gardening periodicals3 ,the following mode of growing mushrooms in meadows by one of our customers may be interesting to your readers3 ,in ,march 7,may would be soon enough here7 he begins to collect droppings from the stables4 ,these1 when enough have been gathered together1 are taken into the meadow1 where holes dug here and there about one foot or eighteen inches square are filled with them1 the soil removed being scattered over the surrounding grass4 ,when all the holes have been filled and made solid he then places two or three pieces of spawn about one inch square in each hole1 treads all down firmly1 replaces the turf and beats it tightly down4 ,under this system1 in ,august and ,september mushrooms appear without fail in abundance and without any further care4 ,the method is simple and the result certain4 ,therefore all who happen to have a meadow1 paddock1 or grass field1 and are fond of mushrooms1 should try the experiment4444 ,in the case in question fresh holes were spawned every year4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,manure ,,for ,,mushroom ,,beds4 ,in order to grow mushrooms successfully and profitably a supply of fresh horse manure is needed1 and this should be the very best that is made1 either at home or bought from other stables4 ,the questions of manure and spawn are the most important that we have to deal with4 ,very few make their own spawn1 as it is bought and accepted upon its good looks1--often rather deceptive1--but the manure business is entirely in our own hands1 and success with it depends absolutely upon ourselves4 ,we can not reasonably expect good results from poor manure nor from ill-prepared manure4 ,it is only from the very best of horse manure prepared in the very best fashion that we can hope for the very best crops of the best mushrooms4 ,horse ,manure4--,there are various kinds of horse manure1 differing materially in their worth for mushroom beds4 ,the kind of manure depends upon the condition of the horses1 how they are housed1 fed1 and bedded1 and how the manure is taken care of4 ,but while the manure of all healthy animals is useful for our purpose1 there still is a great choice in horse manure4 ,if we are dependent upon our home supply we may use and make the best of what we have1 but if we have to buy the manure we should be very particular to select the best kind of manure and accept of no other4 ,the very best manure is that from strong1 healthy1 hard-worked1 well-kept animals that are liberally fed with hard food1 as timothy hay and grain1 and bedded with straw4 ,and if the bedding be pretty well wetted with urine and trampled under the horses' feet1 so much the better2 indeed1 this is one reason why manure from farm and teamsters' stables is better than that from stylish establishments1 where everything is kept so scrupulously dry and clean4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ai4 ,,perspective ,,view ,,of ,,the ,,dosoris ,,mushroom ,,cellar4 ,the fresher the manure is the better1 still manure that is not perfectly fresh may also be quite good4 ,stable manure may accumulate in a cellar for a couple of months1 and still be first rate4 ,after our hotbed season is over ,i stack our stable manure high in the yard1 and from ,june until ,august1 as the manure is taken away from the stable each day1 it is piled on the top of this stack4 ,my object is to keep it so dry that it can neither heat nor rot4 ,in ,august the stack is broken down and the best manure shaken out to one side for mushrooms1 and the long straw and rotted parts thrown to the other side4 ,this short manure1 when moistened with water and thrown into a heap1 exposed to the sun for a day or two1 will heat up briskly4 ,the beds illustrated in ,fig4 #ai were made from manure prepared in this way in ,august4 ,in the case of quite fresh manure1 let it accumulate for a few days1 or a fortnight1 even1 until there is enough of it to make up a bed1 and then prepare it4 ,be very particular to prevent1 from the first1 its heating violently or burning while accumulating in the pile4 ,beds made from very fresh manure respond quickly and generously4 ,the crop comes in heavily to begin with1 and continues bearing largely while it lasts1 but its duration is usually shorter than in the case of a bed made up of less fresh manure4 ,but altogether it yields a better and heavier crop than a bed that comes in more gradually and lasts longer1 and the mushrooms are of the finest quality4 ,some growers use the droppings only1 and reject all of the strawy part1 or as much of it as they can conveniently shake out4 ,this gives them an excellent manure and perhaps the very best for use on a small scale or in small beds4 ,when mushrooms are to be grown in boxes1 narrow troughs1 half barrels1 and other confined quarters1 it is well to concentrate the manure as much as possible--use all the droppings and as little straw as you can4 ,but droppings alone for large beds would take too much manure and cost too much1 and they would not be any better than with a rougher manure4 ,always preserve the wet1 strawy part of the manure1 along with the droppings1 and mix and ferment them together1 and in this way not only add largely to the bulk of the pile1 but secure the benefits afforded by the urine without reducing1 in any way1 the strength or fermenting properties of the manure4 ,shake out all the rank1 dry1 strawy part of the manure and lay it aside for other purposes4 ,this may be of further use as bedding in the stables1 covering the mushroom beds after they have been made up1 or for hotbeds2 if well wetted with stable drainings1 or even plain water1 it forms a ready heating material4 ,many a time when we have been short of home-made manure ,i have bought some loads here and there from different stables in the village1 and mixed all together and made it into beds with excellent results4 ,sometimes when the manure under preparation had been rather old and cool1 ,i have added a fifth or tenth part of fresh droppings to it1 with very quickening effect in heating and apparent benefit to the crop4 ,it is generally believed that the manure of entire horses is better for mushrooms than that of other horses1 but positive evidence in this direction has never come under my observation4 ,some practical men assert that there is no difference4 ,mr4 ,john ,g4 ,gardner1 at the ,rancocas ,farm1 who has had abundant opportunity to test this matter1 tells me that he has given it a fair trial and been unable to find any difference in the quality or quantity of mushrooms raised from beds made from the manure of entire horses and those raised from beds made from the manure of other equally as well fed animals4 ,but the ,parisian growers insist that there is a difference in favor of entire horses1 especially in the case of hard-worked animals such as are engaged in heavy carting4 ,manure of horses that are largely fed with carrots is emphatically condemned by most writers on the cultivation of mushrooms2 indeed1 it is one of the points in every book on mushrooms which ,i have read4 ,let us look at a few practical facts3 ,there are at ,dosoris two shelf beds in one cellar2 each is thirty feet long1 three feet wide1 and nine inches deep1 and both are bearing a very thick crop of mushrooms4 ,the material in these beds consists of horse manure three parts and chopped sod loam one part1 which had been mixed and fermented together from the first preparation4 ,the manure was saved from the stables on the place in ,november1 '#hh1 the materials prepared in ,december1 the beds built ,dec4 #ag1 spawned ,dec4 #bd1 molded over ,dec4 #ca1 and first mushrooms gathered ,feb4 #g1 #ahhi4 ,these beds bore well until the middle of ,april4 ,the mushrooms did not average as large as they did on the deeper beds upon the floor of the cellar1 but they ran about three-fourths to one ounce apiece1 and a good many were more than this4 ,it is most always the case1 however1 that the crop on thin shelf beds averages less than it does on thick floor beds1 and especially is this noticeable after the first flush of the crop has been gathered1 no matter what kind of fermenting material had been used4 ,at the time when the manure used for these beds was being saved at the stable the horses were only very lightly worked1 and to each horse was fed1 in addition to hay and some oats and bran1 about a third of a bushel of carrots a day4 ,and this is the manure used for the late mushroom beds1 and yet good crops and good mushrooms are produced4 ,this is not only the experience of one year's practice but the regular routine of many4 ,perhaps some one would like to ask3 ,do you consider the manure of carrot-fed horses as good as the manure of animals to which no carrots or other root crops had been fed8 ,my answer is--decidedly not4 ,while the manure of carrot-fed animals is not the best1 at the same time it is good1 and any one having plenty of it can also have plenty of mushrooms4 ,the complete denunciation of the manure of carrot-fed horses so emphatically stereotyped upon the minds and pens of horticultural writers is not always founded on fact4 ,manure of ,mules4--,this is regarded as being next in value to that of entire horses1 and some ,french growers go so far as to say that it is quite as good4 ,mr4 ,john ,g4 ,gardner tells me of an extraordinary crop of mushrooms he once had which astonished that veteran1 ,samuel ,henshaw1 and that it was from beds made of manure from mule stables4 ,certainly the heaviest crop of mushrooms ,i ever did see was at ,mr4 ,wilbur's place at ,south ,bethlehem1 ,pa41 four years ago1 and the beds were of clean mule droppings from the coal mines4 ,mule manure can be had in quantity at our mule stock yards1 which are in nearly every large city in the ,middle and ,southern ,states4 ,getting it from the mines costs more than it is worth1 except as a fancy article2 the men will not collect and save it for any reasonable price4 ,cellar ,manure4--,many stables have cellars under them into which the manure and urine are dropped at every day's cleaning4 ,these cellars are not generally cleaned out before a good deal of manure has accumulated in them1 say a few weeks'1 or a few months'1 or a winter's gathering1 and it is commonly pretty well moistened by the urine4 ,if this manure has not become too dry and fire-fanged in the cellar it is splendid for mushrooms4 ,we buy a good deal of it1 but are particular to reject the very dry and white-burned parts4 ,sometimes the manure from the cow-stables1 as well as from the horse-stables1 is dropped together into the cellar2 then ,i would give less for the manure1 especially if the cow manure predominated1 because in the working it keeps too cold and wet and pasty2 but if there is not cow manure enough to give the mass a pasty character it will make capital mushroom beds4 ,pigs often have the run of the manure-cellar1 as is generally the case in farmyards4 ,i would not use any part of this mixed pig manure4 ,mycelium evades hog manure2 besides it is impure and malodorous1 and a propagating bed for noxious insect vermin4 ,it matters very little what kind of bedding is used1 in the case of cellar manure1 but ,i would not buy it if sawdust or salt hay had been used as bedding4 ,neither of these materials1 in limited quantity1 is deleterious to the mushrooms2 at the same time1 they are far less desirable than straw1 field hay1 ,german peat moss1 or corn stalks1 and there are risks enough in mushroom-growing without courting any that we can as well avoid4 ,city ,stable ,manure4--,around ,new ,york this can always be had in any quantity at a reasonable rate1 and it is first-rate manure for mushroom beds4 ,market gardeners haul in a load of vegetables to market and bring back a load of manure2 others may buy and haul home manure in the same way1 or make arrangements with a teamster to do it for them4 ,but the whole matter of city manure is now so deftly handled by agents1 who make a special business of it1 that we can get any quantity of manure1 from a #ejj lb bale to an unlimited number of loads1 and of most any quality1 delivered near or far1 inland or coastwise1 at a fairly moderate price4 ,it is the city stable manure that nearly all our large market growers use for their mushroom beds4 ,when they get it at the stables and cart it home themselves they know what they are handling1 and should take only fresh horse dung4 ,in ordering it of an agent be particular to arrange for the freshest and cleanest1 pure horse manure4 ,they will get it for you4 ,we get several hundreds of loads of this selected manure from them every year for hotbeds1 and find it excellent4 ,we also get #ajjj to #bjjj loads of the common ,new ,york stable manure a year for our general outdoor crops1 and it also is capital manure in its way1 but not so good as the selected manure for mushrooms4 ,it is mixed a little and smells very rank1 and in mushroom beds usually produces a good deal of spurious fungi4 ,most all of our largest mushroom growers1 ,van ,siclen of ,jamaica1 ,denton of ,woodhaven1 ,connard of ,hoboken1 and others1 live within easy hauling distance of the city1 and are able to select and get the very choicest manure at a very cheap rate4 ,baled ,manure4--,within a year or two a good deal of our city horse manure has been put up in bales and thus shipped and sold4 ,each bale contains from #cej to nearly #ejj lbs1 and is made up1 pressed and tied in about the same way as baled hay4 ,the principal advantages of the bales are these3 ,only the cleanest horse manure is put up in this way2 cow manure1 offal1 spent hops1 or other short or soft manures are not included in the bales1 nor1 on account of shipping considerations1 are malodorous manures of any sort permitted in them4 ,the railroads allow baled manure to be put off on their platforms1 and closer to their stations than they would allow loose manure2 and it often happens that an agent will send a carload to a railroad station and dump it off there so that the people around who have only small garden lots can have an opportunity of buying one or more bales1 just as they need it1 and without1 as is generally the case1 having to buy a whole load when they need only half a load4 ,these bales are quite a boon to people who would like to have a small bed of mushrooms in their cellar and who have no other manure4 ,bring home one or more bales1 open them1 spread out the manure a little1 and when it heats turn it a few times1 and it will soon be ready for use4 ,or if you do not wish to litter up the place1 roll the bales into the cellar1 shed1 or wherever else you wish to make use of them1 and mix about one-fourth of their bulk of loam with the manure and make up the bed at once4 ,the ,board of ,health of ,new ,york city is very emphatic in its endeavors to rid the city of any accumulation of manure and1 a year ago1 had under consideration a plan to compel the manure agents1 for sanitary reasons1 to bale the stable manure4 ,and perhaps this is the reason why it is so easily procured1 to wit3 ,a ,new ,york gentleman1 desirous of engaging in the mushroom-growing business1 writes me3 ,i get my manure from the city in bales4 ,all it costs me is the freight to my place at ,white ,plains4 ,lucky gentleman6 ,with any amount of the best kind of stable manure gratis1 no wonder he wishes to embark in the mushroom ship4 ,cow ,manure4--,this is sometimes used with horse manure in forming the materials for a mushroom bed1 and several ,european writers are emphatic in advocating its use4 ,but ,i have tried it time and time again1 and in various ways1 and am satisfied that it has no advantage whatever over plain horse manure1 if1 indeed1 it is as good4 ,it is not used by the market growers in this country4 ,the best kind of cow manure is said to be the dry chips gathered from the open pastures2 these are brought home1 chopped up fine and mixed with horse manure4 ,the time and expense incurred in collecting and chopping these chips completely overreach any advantages that might be derived from them1 no matter how desirable they may be4 ,the next best kind of cow manure is that of stall-fed cattle1 to which dry food only1 as hay and grain1 is fed4 ,this is seldom obtainable except in winter1 and is then available for spring beds only4 ,this ,i have used freely4 ,one-third of it to two-thirds of dry horse manure works up very well1 heats moderately1 retains its warmth a long time1 also its moisture without any tendency to pastiness2 the mycelium travels through it beautifully1 and it bears fine mushrooms4 ,still1 it is no better than plain horse manure4 ,the poorest kind of cow manure is the fresh manure of cattle fed with green grass1 ensilage1 and root crops2 indeed1 such manure can not be used alone2 it needs to be freely mixed with some absorbent1 as dry loam1 ,german moss1 dry horse droppings1 and the like1 and even then ,i have utterly failed to perceive its advantages2 it is a dirty mass to work1 and quite cold4 ,in the manufacture of spawn1 however1 cow manure is a requisite ingredient1 and here again the manure of dry fed animals is better than that of those fed with green and other soft food4 ,but my chief objection to the use of cow manure in the mushroom beds is that it is a favorite breeding and feeding place for hosts of pernicious bugs and grubs and earth worms1--creatures that we had better repel from1 rather than encourage in1 our mushroom beds4 ,german ,peat ,moss ,stable ,manure for ,mushroom ,beds4--,although ,i have not yet had an opportunity of trying this material for mushroom beds1 ,mr4 ,gardner1 of ,jobstown1 has great faith in it2 so1 too1 has that prince of ,english mushroom growers1 ,richard ,gilbert1 of ,burghley1 who relates his success with it in growing mushrooms in the ,english garden papers4 ,this peat moss is a comparatively new thing in this country1 and is used in place of straw for bedding horses4 ,it is a great absorbent and soaks up much of the urine that1 were straw used instead1 would be likely to pass off into the drains4 ,to this is ascribed its great virtue in mushroom culture4 ,it should be mixed with loam when used for mushroom beds4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bj4 ,,bale ,,of ,,german ,,peat ,,moss4 ,sawdust ,stable ,manure for ,mushroom ,beds4--,this is the manure obtained from stables where sawdust has been used for bedding for the horses4 ,it is a good absorbent and retains considerable of the stable wettings4 ,such manure ferments well1 makes up nicely into beds1 the mycelium runs well in it1 and good mushrooms are produced from it4 ,but if ,i could get any other fairly good manure ,i wouldn't use it4 ,i remember seeing it at ,mr4 ,henshaw's place some years ago4 ,he had bought a quantity of fresh stable manure from the ,brighton coal yards1 where sawdust had been used for bedding for the horses1 and this he used for his mushroom beds4 ,i went back again in a few months to see the bed in bearing1 but it was not a success4 ,at the same time1 some ,european growers record great success with sawdust stable manure4 ,george ,bolas1 ,hopton1 ,wirkeworth1 ,england1 sent specimens of mushrooms that he grew on sawdust manure beds to the editor of the ,garden1 who pronounced them in every way excellent4 ,mr4 ,bolas says3 ,in making up the bed ,i mixed about one-third of burnt earth with the sawdust1 sand1 and droppings4 ,the mushrooms were longer in coming up than usual1 the bed being in a close shed1 without any heat whatever4 ,they have1 however1 far exceeded my expectations4 ,richard ,gilbert1 of ,burghley1 also wrote to the ,garden1 ,april #be1 #ahhe3 ,there is nothing new in growing mushrooms in sawdust4 ,i have done it here for years past2 that is to say1 after it had done service as a bed for horses1 and got intermixed with their droppings4 ,i have never been able to detect the least difference in size or quality between mushrooms grown in sawdust and those produced in the ordinary way4 ,tree ,leaves4--,forest tree leaves are often used for mushroom beds1 sometimes alone1 instead of manure1 but more frequently mixed with horse manure to increase the bulk of the fermenting material4 ,oak tree leaves are the best2 quick-rotting leaves1 like those of the chestnut1 maple1 or linden1 are not so good1 and those of coniferous trees are of no use whatever4 ,as the leaves must be in a condition to heat readily they should be fresh2 such are easily secured before winter sets in1 but in spring1 after lying out under the winter's snow and rain1 their vitality is mostly gone4 ,but we can secure a large lot of dry leaves in the fall and pile them where they will keep dry until required for use4 ,as needed we can prepare a part of this pile by wetting the leaves1 taking them under cover to a warm south-facing shed1 and otherwise assisting fermentation just as if we were preparing for a hotbed4 ,while moistening the leaves with clean water will induce a good fermentation1 wetting them with liquid from the horse-stable urine tanks will cause a brisk heat1 and for mushrooms produce more genial conditions4 ,mushroom beds composed in whole or part of fermenting tree leaves should be much deeper than would be necessary were horse manure alone used2 for half leaves and half manure1 say fifteen inches deep2 for all leaves1 say twenty to thirty inches deep4 ,while mushroom spawn will run freely in leaf beds and we can get good mushrooms from them1 my experience has satisfied me that we do not get as fine crops from these beds or any modification of them as from the ordinary stable manure beds4 ,and we can not wonder much at this1 considering that the wild mushroom is scarcely ever found in the neighborhood of trees or where leaf mold deposits occur4 ,spent ,hops4--,we can make good use of this in one way4 ,if we are short of good materials for a mushroom bed1 we can first make up the beds eight or ten inches deep with fermenting spent hops1 and above this lay a four or five inch layer of horse manure1 or this and loam mixed4 ,the hops will keep up the warmth1 and the manure affords a congenial home for the mushroom spawn4 ,but we should never use spent hops alone1 nor so near the surface of the beds that the spawn will have to travel through it4 ,spent hops can be had for nothing1 and our city brewers even pay a premium to the manure agents to take the hops away4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,manure4 ,get as good a quality of fresh horse manure as you can1 and in sufficient quantity for the amount of bed or beds you wish to make4 ,next get it into suitable condition for making up into beds4 ,this can be done out of doors or under cover of a shed1 but preferably in the shed4 ,out of doors the manure is under the drying influence of sun and wind1 and it is also liable to become over-wetted by rain1 but under cover we have full control of its condition4 ,all the manure for beds between ,july and the end of ,october is prepared out of doors on a dry piece of ground1 but what is used after the first of ,november1 all through the winter1 is handled in a shed open to the south4 ,during the autumn months we get along very well with it out of doors2 after every turning cover the heap with strawy litter to save it from the drying influences of sun and wind4 ,remove this covering when next turned1 and lay light wooden shutters on top of it as a precaution against rain4 ,in the shed in winter the manure is protected against rain and snow and we can always work it conveniently2 when the shed is open to the south--as wagon and wood-sheds often are--we get the benefit of the warm sunshine in the daytime in starting fermentation in the manure1 but in the event of dull1 cold weather1 cover up the pile quite snugly with straw and shutters to start the heat in it4 ,altogether1 a warm1 close shed would be better4 ,it seldom happens that one can get all the manure he wants at one time2 it accumulates by degrees4 ,this is the case with the market grower who uses many tons1 and hauls it home from the city stables a little at a time2 also with the private grower1 who uses only a few bushels or half a cord1 and has it accumulate for days or weeks from his own stable4 ,as the manure accumulates throw it into a pile1 straw and all1 but not into such a big pile that it will heat violently2 and particularly observe that it shall not fire-fang or burn in the heap4 ,if it shows any tendency to do this1 turn it over loosely1 sprinkle it freely with water1 spread it out a little1 and after a few hours1 or when it has cooled off nicely1 throw it up into a pile again and tread it firmly to keep it moist and from heating hastily4 ,when enough manure has accumulated for a bed1 prepare it in the following way3 ,turn it over1 shaking it up loosely and mixing it all well together4 ,throw aside the dry1 strawy part1 also any white burnt manure that may be in it1 and all extraneous matter1 as sticks1 stones1 old tins1 bones1 leather straps1 rags1 scraps of iron1 or such other trash as we usually find in manure heaps1 but do not throw out any of the wet straw2 indeed1 we should aim to retain all the straw that has been well wetted in the stable4 ,if the manure is too dry do not hesitate to sprinkle it freely with water1 and it will take a good deal of water to well moisten a heap of dry manure4 ,then throw it into a compact oblong pile about three or four feet high1 and tread it down a little4 ,this is to prevent hasty and violent heating and burning1 for firmly packed manure does not heat up so readily or whiten so quickly as does a pile loosely thrown together4 ,leave it undisturbed until fermentation has started briskly1 which in early fall may be in two or three days1 or in winter in six to ten days1 then turn it over again1 shaking it up thoroughly and loosely and keeping what was outside before inside now1 and what was inside before toward the outside now2 and if there are any unduly dry parts moisten them as you go along4 ,trim up the heap into the same shape as you had before1 and again tread it down firmly4 ,this compacting of the pile at every turning reduces the number of required turnings4 ,when hot manure is turned and thrown loosely into a pile it regains its great heat so rapidly that it will need turning again within twenty-four hours1 in order to save it from burning1 and all practical men know that at every turning ammonia is wasted1--the most potent food of the mushroom4 ,we should therefore endeavor to get along with as few turnings as possible2 at the same time1 never allow any part of the manure to burn1 even if we have to turn the heap every day4 ,these turnings should be continued until the manure has lost its tendency to heat violently1 and its hot1 rank smell is gone1--usually in about three weeks' time4 ,if the manure1 or any part of it1 is too dry at any turning1 the dry part should be sprinkled with water and kept in the middle of the heap4 ,plain water is what is generally used for moistening the manure1 but ,i sometimes use liquid from the stable tanks1 which not only answers the purpose of wetting the dry materials1 but it also is a powerful stimulant and welcome addition to the manure4 ,but the greatest vigilance should be observed to guard against overmoistening the manure2 far better fail on the side of dryness than on that of wetness4 ,if the manure is too wet to begin with it should be spread out thinly and loosely and exposed to sun and wind1 if practicable1 to dry4 ,drying by exposure in this way is not as enervating as burning in a hot pile1 and better have recourse to any method of drying the manure than use it wet4 ,if1 on account of the weather or lack of convenience for drying1 the manure can not be dried enough1 add dry loam1 dry sand1 dry half-rotted leaves1 dry peat moss1 dry chaff1 or dry finely cut hay or straw1 and mix together4 ,the proper condition of the manure1 as regards dryness or moistness1 can readily be known by handling it4 ,take a handful of the manure and squeeze it tight2 it should be unctuous enough to hold together in a lump1 and so dry that you can not squeeze a drop of water out of it4 ,some private gardeners in ,england lay particular stress upon collecting the fresh droppings at the stables every day1 and spreading them out upon a shed or barn floor to dry1 and in this way keeping them dry and from heating until enough has accumulated for a bed1 when the bed is made up entirely of this material1 or of part of this and part of loam4 ,but market gardeners1 the ones whose bread and butter depend upon the crops they raise1 never practice this method1 and that patriarch in the business1 ,richard ,gilbert1 denounces the practice unstintedly4 ,different growers have different ideas of preparing manure for mushroom beds1 but the aim of all is to get it into the best possible condition with the least labor and expense1 and to guard against depriving it of any more ammonia than can be helped4 ,see ,mr4 ,gardner's method of preparing manure1 p4 #bb4 ,loam and ,manure ,mixed4--,mushroom beds are often formed of loam and manure mixed together1 say one-third or one-fourth part of the whole being loam1 and the other two-thirds or three-fourths manure2 if a larger proportion of loam is used it will render the beds rather cold unless they are made unusually deep4 ,i am not prepared to affirm or deny that this mixed material has any advantages over plain manure2 ,i use it considerably every year and with good results2 at the same time1 ,i get as good crops from the plain manure beds4 ,but it has many warm friends who are excellent growers4 ,in preparing this mixed material ,i use fresh sod loam well chopped up1 and add it to the manure in this way3 ,first select the manure and throw it into a heap to ferment1 as before explained2 then after the first turning cover the heap with a layer of this loam about three or four inches thick1 enough to arrest the steam2 at the next turning mix this casing of loam with the manure1 and when the heap is squared off add another coating of loam of the same thickness in the same way as before1 and so on at each turning until the whole mass is fit for use1 and the full complement of loam1 say one-fourth the full bulk1 has been added4 ,in this way much of the ammonia that otherwise would be evaporated from the manure is arrested and retained4 ,some growers1 when they first shake out their fresh manure1 add the full complement of loam to it at once and mix them together4 ,others1 again1 ,mr4 ,denton1 of ,woodhaven1 for instance1 prepare the manure in the ordinary way and when ready for use add the quota of loam4 ,i use good sod loam for two reasons1 namely1 because it is the very best that can be used for the purpose1 and1 also1 after being used in the mushroom beds it is a capital material1 and in fine condition for use in potting soft-wooded plants4 ,but the loam commonly used to mix with the manure is ordinary field soil4 ,if the loam is ordinarily moist to begin with1 and also the manure1 there is very little likelihood of any of the material getting too dry during the preparation4 ,and much less preparation is needed1 for the presence of the loam lessens1 considerably1 the probability of hasty1 violent fermentation4 ,mr4 ,withington1 of ,south ,amboy1 ,n4 ,j41 uses rather a stinted amount of loam in his manure4 ,he writes me3 ,we made up our beds this year with a proportion of loam in the manure1 say one part loam to eight parts manure1 but have always used clear manure heretofore1 and ,i think the beds hold out longer than when only manure is used4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,making ,,up ,,the ,,mushroom ,,beds4 ,the place in the cellar1 shed1 house1 or elsewhere1 where we intend to grow the mushrooms1 should be in readiness as soon as the manure has been well prepared and is in proper condition for use4 ,the bed or beds should be made up at once4 ,the thickness of the beds depends a good deal upon circumstances1 such as the quality of the manure1--whether it is plain horse manure1 or manure and loam mixed together1--or whether the beds are to be made in heated or unheated buildings1 and on the floor or on shelves4 ,floor beds are generally nine to fifteen inches deep2 about nine inches in the case of manure alone1 in warm quarters1 and ten to fourteen inches when manure and loam are used4 ,in cool houses the beds are made a few inches deeper than this so as to keep up a steady1 mild warmth for a long time4 ,the beds may be made flat1 or ridged1 or like a rounded bank against the wall2 but the flat form is the commonest1 and the most convenient where shelves are also used in the same building4 ,shelf beds are generally nine inches deep2 that is1 the depth of one board4 ,in making up the beds1 bring in the manure and shake it up loosely and spread it evenly over the bed1 beating it down firmly with the back of the fork as you go along1 and continue in this way until the desired depth is attained4 ,if it is a floor bed and there is no impediment1 as a shelf overhead1 tread the manure down firmly and evenly2 if the manure is fairly dry and in good condition it will be pretty firm and still springy1 but if it is too moist and poorly prepared treading will pack it together like wet rotten dung4 ,now pierce a hole in the bed and insert a thermometer4 ,there are ground or bottom-heat thermometers1 as gardeners call them1 for this purpose1 but any common thermometer will do well enough2 and after two or three days examine this thermometer daily to see what is the temperature of the manure in the bed4 ,in roomy or airy structures or where only a small bed has been made it may1 in the meantime1 be left in this condition4 ,but in a tight cellar ,i find that the warm moisture arising from the bed condenses in the atmosphere and settles on the top of the manure1 making it perfectly wet4 ,in order to counteract this1 as soon as the bed is made up ,i spread some straw or hay over it loosely2 the moisture settles on the covering and does not reach through to the manure4 ,beware of overcovering1 as such induces overheating inside the bed4 ,at spawning time remove this covering4 ,the bed will then have become so cool 7#hj or #ij7 that there is very little evaporation from it1 consequently little danger of surface-wetting4 ,the ,proper ,temperature4--,this1 in mushroom beds1 depends upon the materials of which they are composed1 their thickness1 how they are built1 the situation they are in1 and other circumstances4 ,if the manure was good and fresh to begin with1 carefully prepared and used as soon as ready1 the bed in a few days will warm up to #abe1 or a little more or less1 and this is very good4 ,my best beds have always shown a maximum heat of between #abj and #abe4 ,had the manure been used a few days too soon the heat would rise higher1 perhaps to #ace1 but this is too warm2 in this case ,i would fork over the surface of the bed a few inches deep to let the heat escape1 and after a couple of days compact the bed again4 ,boring holes all over the surface of the beds with a crowbar is the common way of reducing a too high temperature1 and when the heat has subsided sufficiently fill up these holes with finely pulverized dry loam4 ,with loam we can fill them up perfectly1 but we can not do this with manure1 and if left open they remain as wet sweat holes that are very deleterious to the spreading spawn4 ,a too high temperature in the beds should be sedulously guarded against1 for it wastes the substance of the manure1 dries up the interior of the bed1 and the mushroom crop must necessarily be starved and short4 ,provided that the manure is fresh and good and has been well prepared1 if the beds1 after being made up1 do not indicate more than #ajj or #aaj no alarm need be felt1 for excellent crops will likely be produced by these beds4 ,the thicker the beds are the higher the heat will probably rise in them4 ,firmly built beds warm up more slowly than do loosely built ones1 and they keep their heat longer4 ,if the materials are quite cool when built solidly into beds they are not apt to become very warm afterward4 ,but ,i always like to make up the beds with moderately warm manure4 ,it sometimes happens that circumstances may prevent the making up of the beds just as soon as the manure is in prime condition1 and even after they are made up the heat does not rise above #ge or #hj4 ,in such a case if the manure is otherwise in good condition and fresh1 it is well enough and a good crop may be expected4 ,but if the manure1 to begin with1 had been a little stale1 rotten and inert1 ,i certainly would not hesitate to at once break up the bed1 add some fresh horse droppings to it1 mix thoroughly1 then make it up again4 ,or a fair heat may be started in such a stale bed by sprinkling it over rather freely with urine from the barnyard1 then forking the surface over two or three inches deep and afterward compacting it slightly with the back of the fork4 ,spread a layer of hay1 straw1 or strawy stable litter a few inches deep over the bed till the heat rises4 ,if the manure had been moist enough this sprinkling should not be resorted to1 but the fresh droppings added instead4 ,when it is applied1 however1 great care should be taken to prevent overheating2 a lessening or entire removal of the strawy covering1 and again firmly compacting the surface of the bed will reduce the temperature4 ,some saltpeter1 or nitrate of soda1 an ounce to three gallons of liquid1 will encourage the spread of the mycelium after the spawn is inserted2 a much stronger solution of these salts can now be used than would be safe to apply after the mycelium is running in the bed4 ,when loam and manure mixed together comprise the materials of which the bed is made1 the temperature is not likely to rise so high as when manure alone is used1 but this matters not so long as the materials of which the bed is composed are sweet and fresh and not over-moist4 ,but if the materials are cold and stale treat as recommended for a manure bed1 always bearing in mind that it is better to have a cold bed that is fairly dry than one that is wet1 or1 indeed1 a warm one that is wet4 ,mr4 ,withington1 of ,south ,amboy1 has a good word to say for beds of a low temperature4 ,he writes me3 ,our beds kept in good bearing two months1 though they have borne in a desultory way a month longer4 ,our best bed this season was one that was kept at an even temperature4 ,the manure never rose above #ge when made up1 and decreased to about #fj soon after spawning4 ,kept the house at #ee4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,mushroom ,,spawn4 ,what is mushroom spawn8 ,is it a seed or a root8 ,do you plant it or sow it1 or how do you prepare it8 are some of the questions asked me now and again4 ,to the general public there seems to be some great mystery surrounding this spawn question2 in fact1 it appears to be the chief enigma connected with mushroom-growing4 ,now1 the truth is1 there is no mystery at all about the matter4 ,what practical mushroom growers call spawn1 botanists term mycelium4 ,the spawn is the true mushroom plant and permeates the ground1 manure1 or other material in which it may be growing2 and what we know as mushrooms is the fruit of the mushroom plant4 ,the spawn is represented by a delicate white mold-like network of whitish threads which traverse the soil or manure4 ,under favorable circumstances it grows and spreads rapidly1 and in due time produces fruit1 or mushrooms as we call them4 ,the mushrooms bear myriads of spores which are analogous to seeds1 and these spores become diffused in the atmosphere and fall upon the ground4 ,it is reasonable to suppose that they are the origin of the spawn which produces the natural mushrooms in the fields1 also the spawn we find in manure heaps4 ,but we never have been able to produce spawn artificially from spores1 or in other words1 mushrooms have never been grown by man1 so far as ,i can find any authentic record1 from seed4 ,how1 then1 do we get the spawn8 ,by propagation by division4 ,we take the mushroom plant or spawn1 as we call it1 and break it up into pieces1 and plant these pieces separately in a prepared bed of manure or other material1 under conditions favorable for their growth1 and we find that these pieces of spawn develop into vigorous plants that bear fruit 7mushrooms7 in about two months from planting time4 ,when the spawn has borne its full crop of fruit it dies4 ,well1 then1 if we can not produce spawn from spores1 and the spawn in the beds that have borne mushrooms has died out1 how are we to get the spawn for our future crops8 is a question that may suggest itself to the inexperienced4 ,by securing it when it is in its most vigorous condition1 which is before it begins to show signs of forming mushrooms1 and drying it1 and keeping it dry till required for use4 ,but in order to secure the spawn we need to take and keep with it the manure to which it adheres or in which it is spreading4 ,in this way it can be kept in good condition for several years and without its vitality being perceptibly impaired4 ,keeping it dry merely suspends its growth2 as soon as it is again submitted to favorable conditions of moisture and heat its pristine activity returns4 ,mushroom spawn can be obtained at any seed store4 ,our seedsmen always keep it in stock1 both the brick 7,english71 and the flake 7,french7 spawn4 ,it is retailed in quantities of one pound or more1 and as the article is perfectly dry it can be easily sent by mail in small quantities4 ,the seedsmen import it from ,europe every year along with their seeds4 ,a prominent ,boston seedsman writes me3 ,we get our supply through the ,london wholesale seedsmen1 for the sake of convenience and cheaper ocean freight1 etc4 ,coming with a shipment of other goods and on same bill of lading brings the freight charges down4 ,the low price at which mushroom spawn is sold in quantity can only be maintained with low freight rates1 as there is a duty here of #bj on the article4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #ba4 ,,brick ,,spawn4 ,by direct inquiry of the leading importers in different cities ,i find that we import about #dejj lbs of ,french or flake spawn1 and #djjj bushels1 or #fd1jjj lbs of ,english or brick spawn1 and that fully a half of this whole importation is handled by the seedsmen of ,new ,york city4 ,in ,new ,york one firm alone1 who make a specialty of supplying market gardeners1 has in one year imported #aejj bushels of brick spawn4 ,but the vicinity of ,new ,york is the great mushroom-growing center of the country1 also the best market for mushrooms in the country4 ,one gardener at ,jamaica1 ,l4 ,i41 bought #ajjj lbs of brick spawn at one time1 and a neighbor of his bought #djj lbs2 this shows what a large quantity of spawn market gardeners require4 ,and the demand this year is unprecedented2 some of our leading importers had sold out their supply before the first of ,november4 ,and it is not private growers so much as market growers who are the cause of this2 the market men find there is money in growing mushrooms and they are going into it4 ,spawn comes in the form of dry1 hard1 solid manure bricks1 and also in the form of flakes of half rotted strawy manure4 ,these bricks and flakes are completely permeated with the mushroom mycelium4 ,the brick spawn is commonly known as ,english spawn1 and what is imported into this country is made in ,england1 mostly about ,london4 ,the bricks made by the different manufacturers vary a little in size and weight2 in some cases ten bricks go to the bushel1 in others fourteen1 and in others sixteen4 ,this last is the commonest sized brick1 and weighs exactly a pound1 and measures about eight and one-half inches long1 five and one-fourth inches wide1 and one and one-fourth inches thick2 it is what the ,london spawn makers call a #ix#fx#b inch brick1 but it shrinks in drying4 ,in retailing brick spawn in this country it is sold by weight and not by measure4 ,mill-track mushroom spawn is advertised by some of our seedsmen1 but what they sell under this name is only the ordinary ,english brick spawn4 ,one of our prominent seed firms who advertise it write me3 ,genuine mill-track spawn used to be the best in ,england1 but it has been superseded1 although ,european gardeners still call for ,english spawn under the name of 'mill-track4' ,the real mill-track spawn is the natural spawn that has spread through the thoroughly amalgamated horse droppings in mill-tracks or the cleanings from mill-tracks4 ,it is usually sold in large1 irregular1 somewhat soft lumps1 and is much esteemed by spawn makers for impregnating their bricks1 but nowadays1 that horses have given place to steam as a motive power in mills1 we have no further supply of mill-track spawn for use in spawning our mushroom beds4 ,we do not feel this loss1 however1 as the spawn now manufactured by our best makers will produce as good a crop of mushrooms as the old mill-track natural spawn used to do4 ,the flake spawn is what is generally known as ,french spawn1 and is imported into this country from ,france4 ,but the manufacture of ,french spawn for sale1 however1 is not strictly confined to ,france4 ,it is put up in two ways1 namely1 nicely packed in thin wooden boxes1 each containing two or three pounds of spawn1 and also loose in bulk when it is sold by weight or measure4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bb4 ,,flake ,,or ,,french ,,spawn4 ,virgin spawn is what we call natural spawn or wild spawn2 that is1 the spawn that occurs naturally in the fields1 in manure piles1 or elsewhere1 and without any artificial aid4 ,it is supposed to be produced directly from the mushroom spores1 and is not a new growth of surviving parts of old spawn that may have lived over in the ground4 ,it is far more vigorous than made spawn1 and spawn makers always endeavor to get it to use in spawning the artificial spawn4 ,it is seldom used for spawning mushroom beds because not easy to obtain4 ,now and again we come upon a lot of it in a manure pile2 it looks like a netted mass of white strings traversing the manure4 ,as soon as discovered secure all you can find1 bring it indoors to a loft1 shed1 or room1 and spread it out to dry2 after drying it thoroughly keep it dry and preserve and use it as you would ,french spawn1 for it is the best kind of flake spawn4 ,in using virgin spawn for spawning beds ,i have obtained larger and heavier mushrooms than from made spawn1 and the beds lasted longer in good bearing1 but the weight of the whole crop has not been more than from artificial spawn4 ,how to ,keep ,spawn4--,spawn should be kept in a dry1 airy place1 somewhat dark1 if convenient1 and in a temperature between #ce and #fe4 ,wherever things will must1 as in a cellar1 cupboard against a wall1 or in a close1 damp building1 is a very poor place for keeping spawn4 ,if the spawn is perfectly dry and kept in a dry1 airy place1 and not in large bulk1 and covered1 it will bear a high temperature with apparent impunity1 but whenever dampness1 even of the atmosphere1 is coupled with heat1 the mycelium begins to grow1 and this1 in the storeroom1 is ruinous to the spawn4 ,judging from our natural mushroom crops1 the spawn for which must be alive in the ground in winter1 one concludes that frost should not be injurious to the artificial spawn1 still my experience is that hard frost destroys the vitality of both brick and flake spawn4 ,and this is one reason why ,i get our full supply of spawn in the fall and keep it myself rather than submit it to the mercy of the seed store4 ,new ,versus ,old ,spawn4--,how long spawn may be kept without its vitality becoming impaired is an unsettled question1 but there is no doubt1 if properly kept1 it will remain good for several years4 ,but ,i can not impress too strongly upon the reader the importance of using fresh spawn4 ,do not use any old spawn at any price2 do not accept it gratis and ruin your prospect of success by using it4 ,it takes three months from the time when the manure is gathered for the beds until the mushrooms are harvested4 ,can you1 therefore1 afford to spend this time1 and undergo the care and trouble and expense1 and court a failure by using old spawn8 ,we have risks enough with new spawn1 let alone old spawn4 ,i do not use any more old spawn1 but ,i have used it often and long enough to be convinced of its general worthlessness1 unless preserved with the greatest care4 ,how to ,distinguish ,good from ,poor ,spawn4--,this is a very difficult matter1 notwithstanding what people may say to the contrary4 ,if we could positively tell good from bad spawn1 we would never use bad spawn1 and1 therefore1 with ordinary care1 have very few failures in mushroom-growing2 for good spawn is the root of success in this business4 ,spawn differs very much in its appearance2 sometimes the bricks show very little appearance of the presence of spawn1 and still are perfectly good2 and again1 we may get bricks that are pretty well interlaced and clouded with bluish white mold or fine threads1 and this1 too1 is good4 ,when the bricks are freely pervaded with pronounced white threads this is no sign that the spawn is bad4 ,bricks dried as hard as a board may be perfectly good2 so1 too1 may be those that are comparatively soft4 ,mushroom spawn should have a decided smell of mushrooms1 and whatever cobweb-like mold may be apparent should be of a fresh bluish white color1 and the fine threads clear white4 ,prominent yellowish threads or veins are a sign that the mycelium had started to grow and been killed4 ,distinct white mold patches on the surface of the bricks indicate the presence of some other fungous parasite on the mushroom mycelium2 the absence of any mushroom smell in the spawn indicates its worthlessness and that the mycelium is dead4 ,one familiar with mushroom spawn can tell with considerable certainty very living spawn and very dead spawn1 but ,i am far from convinced that any one can decide unhesitatingly in the case of middling or weak spawn4 ,mr4 ,s4 ,henshaw1 in ,henderson's ,handbook of ,plants1 tells us3 ,the quality of the spawn may be very easily detected by the mushroom-like smell1 444 and ,i should have no hesitation in picking out good spawn in the dark4 ,sanguine1 surely1 but ,i have tried it and found the test wanting4 ,m4 ,lachaume says that good spawn shows an abundance of bluish-white filaments well fitted together1 and giving off a strongly marked odor of mushrooms4 ,all those portions which show traces of white or yellow mold or have a floury appearance1 should be rejected and destroyed4 ,mr4 ,wright says3 ,a brick may be a mass of moldiness1 and yet be quite worthless2 and if the mold has a spotted appearance1 as if fine white sand had been dredged on and through the mass1 it is certain there is no mushroom-growing power there4444 ,if thick threads pass through the mass and there are signs of miniature tubercles on them1 then the spawn may be regarded as too far gone4444 ,clusters of white specks on the spawn denote sterility4 ,mr4 ,a4 ,d4 ,cowan1 of ,new ,york1 who has the reputation of being an excellent judge of mushroom spawn1 writes me3 ,to correctly judge the quality of brick spawn by its appearance requires experience in handling it1 and a trained eye which enables one quickly to detect good from bad1 fair to middling4 ,as two lots seldom come exactly or nearly alike in appearance1 it is hardly possible to give precise rules to follow1 excepting the never-failing requisite which the spawn must possess to be good1 namely1 the moldy appearance on the surface1 the more the better1 without showing threads4 ,too many of these to a given space are a sure indication of exhausted vitality1 arising generally from the bricks being heaped together when in process of manufacture1 before they are sufficiently dried4 ,healthy bricks are usually of a dusty brown color1 and of light weight4 ,black colored spawn is to be avoided1 as a rule1 and when the black appearance is very prevalent in a cargo of bricks it is a strong indication that the spawn has not run its course2 and as it is not expected to do so after it has reached the hands of the retailer it is economy to cast it aside4 ,some persons break a brick into several pieces to see how it looks inside4 ,to the experienced eye this is not necessary1 or even to lay hands upon it1 as the outward moldy appearance is the best of all evidence of its healthy vitality1 and this never exists if the bricks have lost their germinating power1 excepting1 of course1 where they have been kept damp1 and the spawn has spent its power1 which is detected by the white threads appearing in great quantity4 ,american-made ,spawn4--,so far as ,i have been able to find out by diligent inquiry1 mushroom spawn is not made for sale in this country4 ,but ,i am informed that a few growers do save and use their own flake spawn4 ,some of our principal growers1 ,van ,siclen1 ,gardner1 and ,henshaw1 for instance1 in time past attempted to make their own spawn1 but with only partial success1 and now they confine themselves to the imported article4 ,but this state of affairs can not long continue4 ,the demand here for fresh mushrooms is so great1 the industry of mushroom-growing so important1 the price of imported spawn so high1 and the quantity of foreign spawn imported annually into this country is so large1 that1 before long1 we hope some one will find it to his advantage to make a specialty of growing mushroom spawn in this country to supply the ,american market4 ,there is no practical operation in connection with the cultivation of mushrooms so little known or understood by the general grower as the growing 7or making1 as it is commonly called7 and preserving of mushroom spawn4 ,general cultivators in ,england and ,france 7outside of the ,paris caves7 do not make their own spawn2 it is a distinct branch of the business1 and carried on by specialists who grow mushrooms for sale in winter1 and spawn in summer4 ,the time and attention required to produce a small quantity of first-class spawn are worth more than the cost of the spawn at the seed store4 ,in order to make spawn profitably we must make it in large quantity1 and we need not attempt to make it unless we have good materials and conditions for its proper preparation1 and will give it every attention possible for its best development4 ,because spawn may be made in ,america is no reason whatever why the ,american people will buy it4 ,we must produce1 at least1 as good an article as the best in ,europe before we can find countenance in our home market4 ,it is not the shape of the manure brick1 its size1 fine finish1 hardness1 softness1 or freshness1 that counts in this case2 it is the fullness and vitality of the mass of mycelium or mushroom plant that is contained within it4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,brick ,,spawn4 ,as the making of brick spawn for sale is not yet an ,american industry1 but almost entirely confined to ,england1 ,i think it best to restrict myself to describing how it is made in ,england4 ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,barter1 of ,lancefield street1 ,london1 is one of the most successful mushroom growers and spawn makers in ,great ,britain4 ,he writes me that he confines himself entirely to the mushroom business2 he makes his living by it4 ,he grows mushrooms in the winter months and makes spawn in the summer months2 he employs men for mushroom bed making from ,august until ,march1 then1 to keep on the same hands during summer1 he makes spawn for sale4 ,he grows for and sells in the ,london market about #ba1jjj pounds of mushrooms a year1 and in summer makes some #aj1jjj bushels1 equal to #afj1jjj pounds1 of brick spawn for sale4 ,the amount of spawn made in a year by this one manufacturer is about three times as much as the total annual importation of mushroom spawn of all kinds into this country4 ,and he is only one maker among several4 ,this fact alone must convince us that mushroom-growing is carried on to a vastly greater extent in ,european countries than it is here1 where we have as good facilities as they have1 and an immensely better market4 ,the manner of making the spawn differs a little with the different manufacturers1 and no one can become proficient in it without practical knowledge4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,barter if he thought spawn could be made profitably in this country1 paying1 as we do1 #a4ej a day for laborers1 and without any certainty of the same men staying with us permanently4 ,he writes me3 ,uncertain labor would be of no use4 ,of course the wages you pay would not affect it much1 as ,i pay nearly as much as that for my leading men4 ,but to begin with1 you must have a man that has had some experience4 ,about the simplest and best way of making brick spawn that ,i find described is the following from ,the ,gardeners' ,assistant4 ,i may here state that ,robert ,thompson1 the author of this work1 was for many years the superintendent of the ,royal ,horticultural ,society's gardens at ,chiswick1 near ,london1 and1 in his day1 was regarded as without a peer in practical horticulture1 and lived in the midst of the market gardens of ,london and the principal mushroom-growing district4 ,fresh horse droppings1 cow dung1 and a little loam mixed and beaten up with as much stable drainings as may be necessary to reduce the whole to the consistence of mortar4 ,it may then be spread on the floor of an open shed1 and when somewhat firm it may be cut into cakes of six inches square4 ,these should be placed on edge in a dry1 airy place1 and must be frequently turned and protected from rain4 ,when half dry make a hole in the broadside of each1 large enough to admit of about an inch square of good old spawn being inserted so deep as to be a little below the surface2 close it with some moist material the same as used in making the bricks4 ,when the bricks are nearly dry make1 on a dry bottom1 a layer nine inches thick of horse dung prepared as for a hotbed1 and on this pile the bricks rather openly4 ,cover with litter so that the steam and heat of the layer of dung may circulate among the bricks4 ,the temperature1 however1 should not rise above #fj2 therefore1 if it is likely to do so1 the covering must be reduced accordingly4 ,the spawn will soon begin to run through the bricks1 which should be frequently examined whilst the process of spawning is going on1 and when1 on breaking1 the spawn appears throughout pretty abundantly1 like a white mold1 the process has gone far enough4 ,if allowed to proceed the spawn would form threads and small tubercles1 which is a stage too far advanced for the retention of its vegetative powers4 ,therefore1 when the spawn is observed to pervade the bricks throughout like a white mold1 and before it assumes the thread-like form1 it should be removed and allowed to dry in order to arrest the further progress of vegetation till required for use4 ,it ought to be kept in a dark and perfectly dry place4 ,i would add1 do not keep it where it is apt to become musty or moldy in summer2 also keep it in as cool a dry place as possible in summer1 and always above #ce in winter4 ,these other recipes are also given3 #a4 ,horse droppings one part1 cow dung one-fourth1 loam one twentieth4 #b4 ,fresh horse droppings mixed with short litter one part1 cow dung one-third1 and a small portion of loam4 #c4 ,equal parts of horse dung1 cow dung1 and sheep's dung1 with the addition of some rotten leaves or old hotbed dung4 #d4 ,horse dung one part1 cow dung two parts1 sheep's dung one part4 #e4 ,horse droppings from the roads one part1 cow dung two parts1 mixed with a little loam4 #f4 ,horse dung1 cow dung1 and loam1 in equal parts4 ,from the above it appears that horse dung and cow dung are the principals in spawn bricks2 the loam is added for the purpose of making the other materials hold together2 it also absorbs the ammonia1 which otherwise would pass off4 ,j4 ,burton's ,method4 ,from ,the ,kitchen and ,market ,garden4--,make the spawn in early spring4 ,as cow manure is the principal ingredient used in making the bricks this should be secured before the animals get any green food4 ,store it on the floor of an open1 dry1 airy shed1 and turn it every few days for a week or two4 ,then add an equal part of the following3 ,fresh horse droppings1 a little loam1 and chopped straw1 mixed together4 ,the whole should then be worked well together and then trodden down1 after which it may be allowed to remain for a few days1 when it will be required to be turned two or three times a week4 ,if the weather be fine and dry the mass will soon be in a fit condition for molding into bricks1 which process can be performed by using a mold in the same way as the brick makers1 or1 444 the manure may be spread evenly on the floor to a thickness of six inches1 and then be firmly trodden and beaten down evenly with the back of the spade4 ,it should then be lined out to the required size of the bricks1 and be cut with a sharp spade or turfing iron4 ,in a few days the bricks will be sufficiently dry to handle1 when they should be set up edgeways to dry thoroughly1 and if exposed to the sun for two or three days they will be ready to receive the spawn4 ,in introducing the spawn two holes large enough to admit a piece of spawn as big as a pigeon's egg should be cut in each brick at equal distances4 ,this should be well beaten in and the surface made even with a little manure4 ,the bricks should then be collected together in a heap and covered with enough short manure to cause a gentle heat1 being careful that there is no rank heat or steam to kill the spawn4 ,this must be carefully attended to until the spawn is found to have penetrated through the whole of the bricks1 after which they should be stacked away in any convenient dry place4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,french 7flake7 ,,spawn4 ,i can not do better than to let a practical ,frenchman engaged in the business tell this story4 ,in ,vol4 ,,xiii of the ,london ,garden ,i find an ,english translation of ,m4 ,lachaume's book1 ,the ,cave ,mushroom1 and this comment by the editor3 ,the most complete account of the cave culture of mushrooms which has been published by any cultivator on the spot well acquainted with the subject is that recently published by ,m4 ,lachaume4 ,lachaume says3 ,the best spawn to use is what is called 'virgin spawn'2 that is to say1 which has not yet produced mushrooms4 ,in this country this kind of spawn may be procured of any respectable nurseryman1 under the name of ',french spawn4' ,it differs from ,english spawn by being in the form of small tufty cakes1 instead of in compact blocks4 ,large mushroom growers1 however1 always provide themselves with their own spawn by taking it from a bed which is just about to produce its crop1 or which has already produced a few small mushrooms4444 ,it is true that by thus 'breeding in and in1' as it were1 the mushrooms show a tendency to deteriorate after a time2 new spawn must therefore be obtained as soon as any signs of deterioration begin to manifest themselves4 ,making ,french ,virgin ,spawn4--,condensed from ,lachaume's book on mushrooms4 ,take five or six barrow loads of horse droppings that have lain in a heap for some time1 and lost their heat1 and mix them with one-fourth of their bulk of short stable litter4 ,then1 in ,april1 open a trench two feet wide1 twenty inches deep1 and length to suit1 at the foot of1 but eight inches distant from1 a wall facing north4 ,in the bottom of the trench spread a layer three to four inches deep of chopped straw1 then an equally thick layer of the prepared manure1 all pressed firmly by treading it down4 ,the two layers must now be gently watered1 and then another double layer of chopped straw and droppings must be laid1 trodden down and watered1 and so on until the top of the trench is reached4 ,the bed ought to rise above the level of the ground and be rounded off like the top of a trunk4 ,to prevent excessive dampness from heavy rain cover the mound with a thick layer of stable litter4 ,three months after filling the trench it should be opened at the side or end4 ,if the pieces of manure are well covered with masses of bluish-white filaments1 giving off the odor of mushrooms1 the operation has succeeded1 and the spawn is fit for use or for drying to preserve for future use4 ,but if the threads are only sparingly scattered through the mass1 the trench should be covered up again and left for another month4 ,in saving the spawn the flakes of manure containing the largest amount of spawn filaments should be retained1 and those showing a brown appearance rejected4 ,in order to facilitate the drying of the spawn the flakes should be broken into pieces1 weighing from one to two pounds2 they are then placed in a well ventilated shed1 but they must not be piled upon each other4 ,properly prepared and dried this spawn keeps good for ten years4 ,a ,second ,method 7by ,lachaume74 ,this is generally adopted by mushroom growers4 ,the formation of the spawn is accelerated by adding pieces of old spawn here and there4444 ,at the beginning of ,april we must choose a piece of ground situated at the foot of a wall facing north4444 ,the soil ought to be very open and light rather than heavy1 so as to avoid dampness4 ,taking advantage of a fine day1 we open a trench sixteen inches wide and at about eight inches from the foot of the wall1 and of a length adapted to the quantity of spawn we desire to produce4 ,the earth is thrown out on the side opposite the wall4 ,manure which has been prepared for a mushroom bed1 and has just come into condition is then filled into the trench1 leaving1 however1 a space at one end of it about two feet and six inches in length for the formation of a mushroom bed1 which is made by tossing the manure about and shaking it up with the hands1 after which it is pressed down with the hands and knees4 ,as soon as the layer of manure reaches six inches in thickness we place along the edge a number of lumps of spawn at about one foot apart4 ,these lumps are placed level with the manure on the edge facing the wall4 ,this portion of the surface of the manure ought to be raised vertically1 and should lean against the earthen wall of the trench4 ,the other half of the surface ought to slope gently toward the wall1 leaving a space of three or four inches between it and the side of the trench1 so that it may be trimmed4 ,the lumps of spawn on this surface should be placed a little backward1 so that they may not be broken when the bed is trimmed4 ,the bed is then covered with more manure1 until the first lumps of spawn are buried three or four inches deep4 ,a second row of lumps of spawn is then inserted1 as described in the directions for making the first row1 and the bed is filled up level with the surface of the soil4 ,it is finished by covering it up with a layer of fine1 dry soil three or four inches thick4 ,the spawn ought to be very dry1 otherwise we shall get a premature crop of mushrooms instead of fresh spawn4 ,at the end of six weeks or a couple of months the new spawn ought to make its appearance1 a fact which we may learn by opening the bed4 ,one sign1 which will save us the trouble of opening up the beds1 is the appearance of young mushrooms on the surface4 ,the layer of earth is first removed1 and then the cakes of spawn are treated as described in the directions given for the first method of making spawn4 ,third ,method 7by ,lachaume74 ,by filling in a trench like that described in the first method1 by a series of layers of one-third of pigeon or fowl guano1 and two-thirds of short manure1 containing a large proportion of spent horse droppings1 treading it down firmly1 watering it if it is too dry1 and finishing up with a layer of soil1 as described already1 we may1 at the end of a couple of months1 or even a little longer1 procure a supply of well-formed cakes of spawn of excellent quality1 which may be used in the ordinary manner4 ,from ,mr4 ,robinson's ,mushroom ,culture4 ,this 7,french7 spawn is obtained by preparing a little bed1 as if for mushrooms1 in the ordinary way1 and spawning it with morsels of virgin spawn1 if that is obtainable2 and then when the spawn has spread through it1 the bed is broken up and used for spawning beds in the caves1 or dried and preserved for sale4 ,from ,mr4 ,wright's book on mushrooms4 ,french spawn 444 is contained in flakes of manure4 ,neither is it virgin spawn1 nor derived immediately from it1 444 but is spawn taken from one bed for impregnating another4 ,relative ,merits of ,flake and ,brick ,spawn4--,the flake or ,french spawn costs about three times as much as the brick or ,english spawn1 and1 as it is so much whiter with mycelium than is the brick spawn1 many believe that it is more potent and well worth the additional cost4 ,in spawning the beds ,i use two pounds of flake spawn to plant the same space for which ,i would use five pounds of brick spawn1 and this gives a capital crop1 with number of mushrooms a little in favor of the flake spawn1 but on account of the larger size of the mushrooms the weight of crop is considerably in favor of the brick spawn4 ,and ,i find more certainty of a crop in the case of the brick spawn than in the other4 ,regarding the respective merits of brick and flake spawn1 ,mr4 ,barter1 in response to my inquiry1 writes me3 ,i have tried them both1 and know brick spawn to be far the best4 ,you see1 ,i do nothing but this mushroom business for a living1 so1 of course1 would use the best kind of spawn for my crop4 ,generally the ,french spawn produces one-third less mushrooms than does the brick spawn from the same length of bed1 besides1 those from the brick spawn are by far the heaviest and fleshiest4 ,i would here observe that ,mr4 ,barter's remarks apply more to ridge beds out of doors than beds in the cellar or mushroom house4 ,and it is odd1 but true1 that the flake spawn does not produce as good results in outdoor beds as it does in those under cover4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,spawning ,,the ,,beds4 ,after the mushroom bed is made up it should1 within a few days1 warm to a temperature of #aaj to #abj4 ,carefully observe this1 and never spawn a bed when the heat is rising1 or when it is warmer than #ajj1 but always when it is on the decline and under #ij4 ,in this there is perfect safety4 ,have a ground thermometer and keep it plunged in the bed2 by pulling it out and looking at it one can know exactly the temperature of the bed4 ,have a few straight1 smooth stakes1 like short walking canes1 and stick the end of these into the bed1 twelve to twenty feet apart2 by pulling them out and feeling them with the hand one can tell pretty closely what the temperature of the bed is4 ,all practical mushroom growers know that if the temperature of a twelve inch thick bed at seven inches from the surface is #ajj1 that within an inch of the surface of the bed will only be about #ie indoors1 and #he to #ij out of doors4 ,also1 that when the heat of the manure is on the decline it falls quite rapidly1 five1 often ten degrees1 a day1 till it reaches about #ge1 and between that and #fe it may rest for weeks4 ,some years ago ,i gave considerable attention to this matter of spawning beds at different temperatures4 ,spawn planted as soon as the bed was made 7five days after spawning the heat in interior of bed ran up to #abc7 yielded no mushrooms1 the mycelium being killed4 ,the same was the case in all beds where the spawn had been planted before the heat in the beds had attained its maximum 7#abj or over74 ,where the heat in the middle of the bed never reached #aae1 the spawn put in when the bed was made1 and molded over the same day1 yielded a small crop of mushrooms4 ,a bed in which the heat was declining was spawned at #aaj2 this bore a very good crop1 and at #ajj and under to #fe good crops in every case were secured1 with several days' delay in bearing in the case of the lowest temperatures4 ,but notwithstanding these facts1 my advice to all beginners in mushroom growing is1 wait until the heat of the bed is on the decline and fallen to at least #ij1 before inserting the spawn4 ,writing to me about spawning his beds1 ,mr4 ,withington1 of ,new ,jersey1 says3 ,i believe a bed spawned at #fj to #gj1 and kept at #ee after the mushrooms appear1 will give better results than one spawned at a higher temperature1 say #ij4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bc4 ,,brick ,,spawn ,,cut ,,in ,,pieces ,,for ,,planting4 ,preparing the ,spawn4--,if brick spawn is used cut up the bricks 7standard size7 into ten or twelve pieces with a sharp hatchet1 and avoid1 as much as possible1 making many crumbs1 as is the case generally when a hammer or mallet is used in breaking the bricks4 ,extra large pieces of spawn are apt to produce large clumps of mushrooms1 but this is not always an advantage1 as when many mushrooms grow together in a clump they are apt to be somewhat undersized1 and in gathering we can not pluck them all out clean enough so as not to leave a part of the root in the ground to poison the balance of the clump1 in cases where several or many of them spring from one common base4 ,inserting the ,spawn4--,when brick spawn is used plant the lumps about an inch deep under the surface of the manure1 and about ten inches apart each way4 ,if the spawn looks very good1 and the lumps are large do not plant them quite so close as when the spawn shows less mycelium in it1 and the lumps are small4 ,never use a dibber in planting spawn2 simply make a hole in the manure with the fingers1 insert the lump and cover it over at once1 and as soon as the bed has been planted firm it well all over4 ,although the lumps are buried only an inch deep under the manure1 we have to make a hole three or four inches deep to push the lump into to get it buried4 ,french or flake spawn is inserted in much the same way and at about the same distance1 only1 instead of cutting it up into lumps1 we merely break it into flaky pieces about three inches long by an inch thick1 and in planting it in the beds1 in place of pushing it into the hole1 lay in the flake on its flat side and at once cover it4 ,many growers plant spawn a good deal deeper than ,i do1 but ,i have never found any advantage in deep planting4 ,in moderately warm beds1 or beds that are likely to retain their heat for a considerable time1 ,i am satisfied that shallow planting is better than deep planting4 ,when we want to mold over our beds soon after spawning them1 shallow planting is to be recommended4 ,but if the beds are only #ge to #gh1 before being spawned2 then ,i think deep planting is better than shallow planting1 because the genial temperature gives the mycelium a better start in life than would the cooler manure nearer the surface4 ,if there is any likelihood of the surface manure getting wet from the condensed moisture of the atmosphere1 ,i would again cover over the beds with some hay or straw1 and let it remain on until molding time4 ,and if the bed is a little sluggish1--that is1 cool1--this covering will help in keeping it warm4 ,outside beds should be molded over in three or four days after spawning2 inside beds in eight to ten days4 ,steeped ,spawn4--,as brick spawn is so hard and dry ,i have tried the effect of steeping it in tepid water before planting2 some pieces were merely dipped in the water1 and others allowed to soak in the pails one-half1 one1 five1 and ten hours4 ,the effect was prejudicial in every instance and ruinous in the case of the long-soaked pieces4 ,flake ,spawn4--,this is produced by breaking up the brick spawn into pieces about two inches square and mixing them in a heap of manure that is fermenting gently4 ,after lying in this heap about three weeks it will be found one mass of spawn1 and just in the right condition for running vigorously all through the bed in a very short time4444 ,when flake spawn is used the appearance of the crop is from two to three weeks earlier than when brick spawn is used4--,mr4 ,henshaw1 in first edition of ,henderson's ,handbook of ,plants4 ,i have tried this method and given it careful attention1 but the results were inferior to those obtained where plain1 common brick spawn had been used at once4 ,in all my practice ,i have found that any disturbance of the spawn when in active growth which would cause a breaking1 exposing1 or arresting of the threads of the mycelium has always had a weakening influence upon it4 ,i have transplanted pieces of working spawn from one bed to another1 as the ,french growers do1 but am satisfied that ,i get better crops and larger mushrooms from beds spawned with dry spawn than from beds planted with working spawn from any other beds4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,loam ,,for ,,the ,,beds4 ,in growing mushrooms we need loam for casing the beds after they are spawned1 topdressing the bearing beds when they first show signs of exhaustion1 filling up the cavities in the surface of the beds caused by the removal of the mushroom stumps1 and for mixing with manure to form the beds4 ,the selection of soil depends a good deal on what kind of soil we have at hand1 or can readily obtain4 ,the best kind of loam for every purpose in connection with mushroom-growing is rich1 fresh1 mellow soil1 such as florists eagerly seek for potting and other greenhouse purposes4 ,in early fall ,i get together a pile of fresh sod loam1 that is1 the top spit from a pasture field1 but do not add any manure to it4 ,of course1 while this contains a good deal of grassy sod there is much fine soil among it1 and this is what ,i use for mushrooms4 ,before using it ,i break up the sods with a spade or fork1 throw aside the very toughest parts of them1 and use the finer earthy portion1 but always in its rough state1 and never sifted4 ,the green1 soddy parts that are not too rough are allowed to remain in the soil1 for they do no harm whatever1 either in arresting the mycelium or checking the mushrooms1 and there is no danger that the grass would grow up and smother the mushrooms4 ,common loam from an open1 well-drained fallow field is good1 and1 if the soil is naturally rich1 excellent for any purpose4 ,but do not take it from the wet parts of the fields4 ,reject all stones1 rough clods1 tussocks1 and the like4 ,such loam may be used at once4 ,ordinary garden soil is used more frequently than any other sort1 and altogether with highly satisfactory results4 ,the greatest objection ,i have to it is the amount of insects it is apt to contain on account of its often repeated heavy manurings4 ,roadside dirt1 whether loamy or gritty1 may also be used with good results4 ,if free from weeds1 sticks1 stones and rough drift1 it may be used at once1 but it is much better to stack it in a pile to rot for a few months before using4 ,sandy soil1 such as occurs in the water-shed drifts along the roads and where it has been washed into the fields1 is much inferior to stiffer and more fibrous earth4 ,i have used the rich dark colored soil from slopes and dry hollows in woods1 and1 odd though it may appear1 as mushrooms do not naturally grow in woods1 with success4 ,but it is not as good as loam from the open field4 ,peat soil or swamp muck that has been composted for two or three years has failed to give me good returns4 ,the mushrooms will come up through it all right1 but they do not take kindly to it4 ,heavy1 clayey loam is1 in one way1 excellent1 in another1 not so good4 ,so long as we can keep it equably moist without making it muddy it is all right1 but if we let it get a little too dry it cracks1 and in this way breaks the threads of the spawn and ruins the mushrooms that were fed through them4 ,loam ,containing ,old ,manure4--,loam in which there is a good deal of old1 undecomposed manure1 such as the rich soil of our vegetable gardens1 is unqualifiedly condemned by some writers because of the quantity of spurious and noxious fungi it is supposed to produce when used in mushroom beds4 ,but ,i can not join in this denunciation because my experience does not justify it4 ,this earth is the only kind used by many market gardeners1 as they have no other1 and certainly without apparent injurious effect4 ,when ,i was connected with the ,london market gardens1 some twenty years ago1 ,steele1 ,bagley1 ,broadbent1 and the other large mushroom growers in the ,fulham ,fields cased all of their beds with the common garden soil--perhaps the most manure-filled soil on the face of the earth--and spurious fungi never troubled them4 ,indeed1 ,i can not understand why it should produce baneful crops of toadstools when used in mushroom beds1 and no toadstools when used for other horticultural purposes1 as on our carnation benches in greenhouses1 in our lettuce or cucumber beds1 or in the case of potted plants4 ,true1 spurious fungi may appear in the earth on our greenhouse benches or frame beds or mushroom beds at any time and in more or less quantity1 but ,i am convinced that the rich earth of the vegetable garden has no more to do with producing toadstools than has any other good soil1 and old manure has far less to do with it than has fresh manure4 ,all practical gardeners know how apt hotbeds1 in spring when their heat is on the decline1 are to produce a number of toadstools2 and1 also1 that when the bed is spent1 that is1 when the heat is altogether gone1 the tendency to bear toadstools has gone too4 ,this peculiarity is more apparent in spring than in fall4 ,all mushroom growers know that spurious fungi1 when they appear at all1 are most numerous three to two weeks before it is time for the mushrooms to come in sight4 ,the same growth appears in the manure piles out in the yard2 a few weeks after the strong heat of the manure has gone lots of toadstools may be observed on and about the heaps1 but on the piles of well-rotted cold manure we seldom find toadstools at all4 ,the fresh1 clean stable manure used in mushroom-growing is not apt to be charged with the spores of pernicious toadstools2 their presence is always most marked in the case of mixed manures4 ,and there is a current idea that mushrooms will not thrive in beds in which old manure abounds1 either in the loam or fermenting material2 that it kills the mycelium4 ,this1 too1 ,i must refute4 ,i have seen heavy crops of spontaneous mushrooms come up in violet and carnation beds in winter1 and where the soil consisted of at least one-fourth of rotted manure well mixed with the earth4 ,in cucumber and lettuce beds the same thing has taken place4 ,and in similar beds that have been planted artificially with spawn1 good crops of mushrooms have also been raised1 and the mycelium1 instead of evading the lumps of old manure in the soil often forms a white web right through them4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,earthing ,,over ,,the ,,beds4 ,this is an important operation in mushroom-growing1 and the one for which loam is indispensable4 ,it consists in covering the manure beds1 after they have been spawned1 with a coating1 or casing as it is more commonly called1 of loam4 ,the spawn spreads in the manure and rises up into the casing1 where most of the young mushrooms develop1 and all find a firm foothold4 ,the loam also contributes to their sustenance4 ,and it protects the manure1 hence the spawn1 from sudden fluctuations of temperature1 and preserves it from undue wetting or drying4 ,the best soil to use for this purpose is rich1 fibrous1 mellow loam1 such as is described1 page #ajj4 ,if the manure is fresh and in good condition and the beds are in a snug cellar or closed mushroom house1 ,i would not case them until the second week after spawning1 say about the eighth or tenth day2 but were these same beds in an open1 airy shed or other building ,i would case them over some days earlier1 say the fourth or fifth day4 ,a fear is often expressed that when beds are cased within three or four days after being spawned the close exclusion of the manure from the air is apt to raise the heat of the manure in the bed1 and thereby destroy the spawn2 but ,i have never known of any truth in this theory1 and with well-prepared manure ,i am satisfied no brisk reheating takes place1 at least the thermometer does not indicate it4 ,the great danger of early casing is in killing the spawn by burying it too deep in damp material and before it has begun to run through the manure4 ,i have conducted several experiments in order to satisfy myself regarding when is the proper time to case the beds1 and have found no difference in results between beds that were cased over as soon as they were spawned and others that were not cased over until the fourth1 seventh1 tenth1 or fourteenth day after spawning4 ,the good or bad results in the time of casing depend on the condition of the manure in the beds1 the depth at which the spawn has been inserted1 the openness or closeness of the place in which the beds are situated1 and other cultural conditions4 ,but to delay casing as late as the fifteenth or sixteenth day after spawning is injurious to the crop1 because in applying the covering of soil we are sure to break many of the mycelium threads that have by this time so freely permeated the surface of the manure4 ,after the fourth week little white knots may be observed here and there on the spawn threads2 these are forming mushrooms1 and to delay casing the bed until this time would smother these little pinheads1 and greatly mar our prospects of a good crop4 ,peter ,henderson1 in his invaluable work1 ,gardening for ,profit1 has given rise to a deep seated prejudice against molding over mushroom beds as soon as they are spawned by telling us that in his first attempt at mushroom-growing he had labored for two years without being able to produce a single mushroom1 and all because he molded over his beds with a two-inch casing of loam just as soon as he had spawned them4 ,then he changed his tactics1 and did not mold over the beds until the tenth or twelfth day after spawning1 and was rewarded with good crops of mushrooms4 ,now1 notwithstanding ,mr4 ,henderson's experience1 it is a fact that many excellent growers spawn and mold their beds the same day1 and with success4 ,but ,mr4 ,h4 has done much good in displaying a rock against which many might be wrecked1 so much depends upon other cultural conditions4 ,the old practice of inserting the spawn three or more inches deep into the manure bed and then molding it at once with two inches deep of loam was enough to destroy the most potent spawn2 nowadays we barely cover the spawn with the manure1 and this is how molding over at once is so successful4 ,all the preparation necessary is to have the loam in medium dry1 mellow condition1 well broken up with the spade or digging fork1 and freed from sticks1 stones1 big roots1 clods1 chunks of old manure1 and the like4 ,sifting the soil for casing the beds is labor lost4 ,sifted soil has no advantage over unsifted earth1 except when it is to be used for topdressing the bearing beds or filling up the holes in their surface4 ,the condition of the soil should be mellow but inclined to moist4 ,if wet it can only be used clumsily and spread with difficulty2 if dry it can be spread easily but not made firm1 and on ridge beds can not be put on evenly4 ,but when moderately moist it can be spread easily and evenly on flat or rounded surfaces1 and made firm and smooth4 ,how deep the mold shall be put upon the bed is also an unsettled question4 ,some growers recommend three-fourths of an inch1 others one1 one and one-half1 two1 or two and one-half inches1 and some of our best growers of fifty or seventy-five years ago were emphatic in asserting three inches as the proper depth1 but among recent writers ,i do not find any who go beyond two and one-half inches4 ,my own experience is in favor of a heavy covering1 say one and one-half to two inches4 ,in the case of a thin covering the mushrooms come up all right but their texture is not as solid as it is in the case of a heavy covering1 nor do the beds continue as long in bearing2 besides1 fogging off is much more prevalent under thinly covered than under heavily covered beds2 also1 when the coating of loam is heavy a great many more of the pinheads develop into full sized mushrooms than in the case of thinly molded beds4 ,opinions differ as to firming the soil4 ,i am in favor of packing the soil quite firm1 and have never seen good mushrooms that could not come through a well firmed casing of loam1 and ,i never knew of an instance where firm casing stopped or checked the spreading of the mycelium or the development of the mushrooms4 ,in the case of flat beds1--for instance1 those made on shelves and floors1--a slightly compacted coating 7and this is all ,mr4 ,j4 ,g4 ,gardner uses7 may be all right1 but in the case of alongside-of-walls1 ridge1 and other rounded beds ,i much prefer and always use solidly compacted casings4 ,mr4 ,henshaw has for several years used green sods about two inches thick1 put all over the bed1 grass side down1 and beaten firmly4 ,the advantage of using sods instead of soil1 he thinks1 is that the young clusters of mushrooms never damp or fogg off as they are apt to do when soil is used4 ,i have given this green sods method repeated and careful trials1 and am satisfied that it has no advantages1 in any way1 over common fibrous loam2 indeed1 it is not as good4 ,no matter how firmly a sod1 having its green side down1 may be beaten on to a bed of manure1 there is barely any union between the two2 the sod merely rests upon the dung1 but so closely that the mycelium enters it freely4 ,a slight movement or displacement of the sod after the spawn enters it will break the threads of mycelium between the manure and the sod1 and this will destroy the immature mushrooms forming in the sod4 ,this gave me a good deal of trouble4 ,stepping on the sod would disturb it4 ,a clump of strong mushrooms formed under it sometimes displaces it in forcing their way to the surface4 ,sods are only fit for use on flat beds where they can lie solid2 on rounded or ridge beds they are too liable to be disturbed4 ,and the trouble and expense of procuring sods are too great to warrant their use1 even if they had any advantages4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,topdressing ,,with ,,loam4 ,in beds that are in full bearing or a little past their best we often find multitudes of very small or what we call pinhead mushrooms1 that seem to be sitting right on the top of the loam1 or clumps that have been raised a little above the surface by growing in bunches1 or what we term rocks2 now a topdressing of finely sifted fresh loam1 about one-fourth to one-half inch thick1 spread all over the bed1 will help these mushrooms materially without doing any of them harm4 ,but while this topdressing assists all mushrooms that are visible above ground1 no matter how small they may be when the dressing is applied1 ,i am not convinced that it induces greater fertility in the spawn1 or1 in other words1 induces the spawn to spread further and produce more mushrooms than it would were no topdressing applied4 ,i know that this is contrary to the opinions and writings of many1 at the same time it is according to my own observation4 ,go over the bed very carefully and pick out every soft or fogged-off mushroom1 no matter how small it may be1 and root out every bit of old mushroom stem or tough spongy material formed by it1 and in this way get the bed thoroughly cleaned4 ,then fill up all the holes caused by pulling the mushrooms or rooting out the old stumps1 and when the whole surface is level apply the topdressing evenly all over the face of the bed1 avoiding1 as much as possible1 burying the well advanced mushrooms4 ,while it would be very well to pack the dressing smoothly over the bed1 it is impracticable2 we may press it gently with the back of the hand on the bare spots between the mushrooms1 but we should not even do this over the mushrooms1 no matter how tiny they may be1 else many of the pinheads will be injured and cause fogging off4 ,but we can firm the dressing to the bed by watering it1 which may be done over the whole surface of the bed1 and without sparing the mushrooms1 large or small4 ,use clear water and apply it gently through a water-pot rose4 ,i always do this1 and have never known it to injure the young mushrooms4 ,in the case of mushroom beds in which black spot has appeared in the crop1 ,i have found that a topdressing of fine1 fresh earth applied evenly all over the bed acts1 to a certain extent1 as a preventive of further attack1 but of course has no effect upon any of the already affected mushrooms1 large or small4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,proper ,,temperature4 ,the best temperature at which to keep the mushroom house or cellar is #ee to #eg4 ,but much depends upon the method of growing the esculent2 the construction of the house or cellar1 and other circumstances4 ,mushrooms can be successfully grown in buildings in which the temperature may be as low as #bj or as high as #fe4 ,by covering the beds well with hay or other protecting material they can be kept warm1 even in sharp frosty weather1 as the ,london market gardeners do with their outdoor beds in winter2 but when the temperature in the structure in which the mushrooms are grown averages as high as #gj we can not hope for success2 indeed1 #fe is too high4 ,a high temperature in a close house or cellar is injurious2 it hurries in the crop and forces up the mushrooms weak and thin-fleshed and with ungainly1 long stems2 it soon exhausts the bed4 ,the time when its evil effects are least visible is early in the fall and late in spring when the outside temperature is high1 and when the beds are in somewhat airy rather than close quarters4 ,in the ,dosoris cellars there is a steady difference of about #e in the temperature between the end next the boiler1 which is kept at #fj precisely1 and that of the farther end1 which registers #ee steadily4 ,there is very little difference in the weight of crop produced on the beds at either end of these cellars1 but what little there is is in favor of the cooler end4 ,at #fj the crop begins to come in in six to seven weeks after spawning1 lasts for three to four weeks in heavy bearing and a week or more longer in light bearing1 and then it gradually dwindles4 ,in a temperature of #ee it may be seven weeks after spawning before the mushrooms appear4 ,in a temperature of #ej they may take a few days longer in appearing1 but1 as a rule1 they are firm1 heavy1 short-stemmed1 and perhaps a little furry on top and clammy to the touch1 and the beds last in good bearing for two months2 indeed1 often a whole winter long4 ,but ,i have failed to find that the whole crop from a bed in a #de to #ej temperature was any greater than that of a like bed in a #ee to #eg temperature2 it is merely a case of getting in six weeks from the warmer house what it takes ten weeks to get from the cooler one4 ,in a temperature of #ej it is not necessary to cover the beds to increase their warmth1 nor is it needful even in one of #de1 if there is a fair warmth in the body of the bed to keep the spawn working2 but if the warmth of the interior of the bed falls under #eg1 and the atmospheric temperature under #de1 the bed should be kept warm by covering with hay1 straw1 matting1 or other material1 or better still by boxing it over and laying this covering on the outside of the boxing4 ,when cold thicken the covering1 when warm lessen it4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,watering ,,mushroom ,,beds4 ,if the beds get dry they should be watered1 for mushrooms will not grow well in dry beds or in a dry atmosphere4 ,watering is an operation requiring much care4 ,in properly-made beds the manure should remain moist enough from first to last1 and whatever dryness is evident should be in the loam casing of the beds and the atmosphere4 ,in all artificially heated mushroom houses the beds and atmosphere are apt to get too dry at one time or another2 in underground houses or cellars this is less apparent than in above-ground structures2 in shaded north-facing houses dryness is less troublesome than in houses more openly placed4 ,endeavor by all fair means to lessen the necessity for watering the beds1 but when water is needed never hesitate to give it freely4 ,mulching the beds and maintaining a moist atmosphere are the best preventives4 ,after the beds are spawned and molded it is a good plan to cover them with a light coating of strawy litter or hay to prevent drying1 but this mulching should be removed when it is near time for the young mushrooms to appear4 ,a light sprinkling of water over this mulching every few days1 but never enough to reach the soil1 assists in preserving enough moisture in the bed under the mulch and also in the atmosphere of the house4 ,clean1 soft water at a temperature of #hj or #ij2 a little warmer or a little colder will not hurt1 but do not use water higher than #aaj1 as it might injure the little pinheads1 nor lower than the average temperature of the house1 as it would chill the bed1 and this should always be avoided4 ,use a small or medium-sized watering pot with a long spout and a fine rose sprinkler4 ,apply the water in a gentle shower over the bed1 mushrooms and all1 but never use enough to allow it to settle in pools or run off in little streams4 ,clean water sprinkled over the mushrooms does not appear to hurt them1 but they should never be touched with manure water1 as it stains them4 ,just as soon as the surface of the bed shows signs of dryness give it water1 the quantity depending upon the condition of the bed4 ,never let a bed get very dry before watering it4 ,to thoroughly moisten a very dry bed requires a heavy watering2 so much1 indeed1 that the sudden change might injuriously affect the young mushrooms and spawn4 ,give enough water at a time to moderately moisten the soil1 not to soak it1 but never sufficient to pass through the soil into the manure4 ,clean water only should be used until the beds come into bearing1 but after that time manure water may be employed with advantage2 however1 this is not at all imperative2 indeed1 excellent crops can be and are continually being produced without the aid of manure water at all4 ,in the case of beds in full bearing1 manure water is beneficial to the crop4 ,apply it from a small watering pot with a long narrow spout but no rose1 and pour the liquid on gently over the surface of the bed1 running it freely between the clumps but never touching any of the mushrooms4 ,for this reason a rose should not be used4 ,i have always used manure water for mushrooms more or less1 but during the past two seasons--'#hg-'hh and '#hh-'hi--;,i have experimented with it continuously and very carefully1 using it in some form or other on part of every bed1 and am satisfied that manure water made from fresh horse droppings is the best1 and the dark colored liquid1 the drainings from manure piles1 is the poorest2 in fact1 this latter is not as good as plain water1 for it seems to have a deadening rather than quickening effect upon the beds4 ,cow manure and sheep manure make a good liquid manure1 but still ,i prefer the horse manure1 and although having given hen and pigeon manure and guano fair tests ,i am not satisfied that they have benefited the crop1 and there is always a risk in their use4 ,liquid manure made from the contents of the barnyard tank has not done much good1 but fresh urine from the horse and cow stables diluted twelve to fifteen times its bulk has given favorable results4 ,mushrooms not only bear with impunity but appear to enjoy a stronger liquid manure more than do any other cultivated plants1 and ,i am satisfied that the weak liquids usually recommended for pot and garden plants would be barely more efficacious than plain water for mushrooms4 ,the manure water that has given me most satisfaction is prepared as follows3 ,dump two bushels of fresh horse droppings into a forty-five gallon barrel and fill up with water2 stir it up well and let it settle over night4 ,drain off the liquid the next day and add a pound of saltpeter to it4 ,for use1 to a pailful of this liquid add a pailful of warm water4 ,water of about #hj to #ij is best for mushroom beds4 ,saltpeter is an excellent fertilizer for mushrooms4 ,i use it in two ways1 namely3 ,first1 powdered and mixed in the soil for casing the beds1 at the rate of two ounces of saltpeter to the bushel of earth4 ,second1 dissolved in water at the rate of two ounces of saltpeter to eight gallons of water1 and sprinkled over the beds4 ,common salt ,i use as an insecticide and also as a fertilizer1 and am satisfied that it proves beneficial in both ways4 ,sometimes ,i sprinkle it broadcast on the surface of the beds1 always on the bare places1 never touching the mushrooms1 and leave it there for a day or two1 then with a fine1 gentle sprinkling of water wash it into the soil4 ,this is to help destroy the anguillul4 ,as a fertilizer only dissolve four ounces of salt in ten gallons of water1 and with this sprinkle the beds4 ,a too dry atmosphere can be remedied by sprinkling the floors1 walls1 or litter coverings on the beds with water1 not heavily or copiously1 but gently and only enough to wet the surfaces2 better moisten in this way frequently than drench the place at any one time4 ,but ,i very much dislike sprinkling the beds in order to moisten the atmosphere4 ,an experienced man can tell in a moment whether or not the atmosphere of the mushroom house is too dry4 ,the air in the mushroom house should always feel moist1 at the same time not raw or chilly1 and the floor and wall surfaces should present a slow tendency to dry up1 and the earth on the beds should retain its dark1 moist appearance4 ,the least tendency to dryness should at once be relieved by damping the wall and floor surfaces4 ,in houses heated by smoke flues1 or still more by ordinary stoves and sheet iron pipes1 it may be necessary to dampen the floors and walls once or several times a day to maintain a sufficiently moist atmosphere1 but where hot water pipes are used and the houses are tight enough to require but little artificial heat1 such frequent sprinkling will not be necessary4 ,in the case of beds in unheated structures the ordinary atmosphere is generally moist enough4 ,manure ,steam for ,moistening the ,atmosphere4--,the late ,james ,barnes1 of ,england1 a grand old gardener1 writing in the ,london ,garden1 ,vol4 ,,iii1 page #dhf1 describes his method of growing mushrooms sixty years ago1 and says3 ,in winter a nice moist heat was maintained by placing hot stable manure inside1 and often turning it over4 ,mr4 ,john ,g4 ,gardner1 of ,jobstown1 ,n4 ,j41 is one of ,mr4 ,barnes's old pupils and a most successful mushroom grower1 and he now practices this same method of moistening the atmosphere by hot manure steam4 ,see page #ba4 ,in damping the floors of the mushroom house1 as well as the beds1 ,i use a medium-sized watering pot and fine rose2 but in sprinkling the walls and other parts not readily accessible by the watering pot ,i use a common garden syringe4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,gathering ,,and ,,marketing ,,mushrooms4 ,this is an important point in the cultivation of this esculent1 and should be attended to with painstaking discretion4 ,when mushrooms are fit to pick depends upon several conditions2 for instance1 whether for market or for home use1 and if for the latter1 whether they are wanted for soups or stews4 ,for fresh and attractive appearance and best appreciation in the market1 pick them when they are plump and fresh and just before the frill connecting the cap with the stem breaks apart4 ,the ,french mushrooms should always be gathered before the frill bursts2 the ,english mushrooms also look best when gathered at this time1 but they are admissible if gathered when the frill begins to burst and before the cap has opened out flat4 ,if the mushrooms display a tendency to produce long stems pick them somewhat earlier1 soon enough to get them with short shanks1 for long stems are disliked in market2 so1 too1 are dark or discolored or old mushrooms of any sort4 ,sometimes we may not have enough mushrooms ready at one gathering to make it worth while sending them to market1 and are tempted to let them stay ungathered until to-morrow1 when they have grown larger and many more shall have grown big enough to gather4 ,this should never be done4 ,it will give an unfavored1 unequal lot1 some big1 some little1 some old1 some young4 ,far better pick every one the moment it is ready to gather1 and keep all safe in a cool place and covered until some more are ready for use1 and in this way have a uniform appearing lot of young produce4 ,mushrooms for soups should always be gathered before they burst their gills2 indeed1 they are mostly gathered when in a button state2 that is1 when they are about the size of marbles4 ,in this condition1 when cooked1 they retain their white appearance and do not discolor the soup4 ,immature mushrooms are deficient in flavor4 ,for home use1 for baking1 stewing1 broiling1 or for cooking in any way in which the tenderness of the flesh and the delicious aroma of the mushrooms are desirable in their finest condition1 let the mushrooms attain their full size and burst their frills1 as seen in ,fig4 #bd1 and gather them before the caps open out flat1 or the gills lose any of their bright pink color4 ,if you let them get old enough for the gills to turn brown before gathering1 the mushrooms will become leathery in texture1 and lose in flavor and darken sadly in cooking4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bd4 ,a ,,perfect ,,mushroom4 ,in picking1 always pull the mushrooms out by the root1 and never1 if practicable to avoid it1 cut them over with a knife4 ,in gathering1 take hold of the mushrooms and give them a sharp but gentle twist1 pressing them down at the same time1 and they generally part from the bed without any trouble2 then place them in the baskets1 root-end down1 so as to keep them perfectly clean and free from grit4 ,sometimes when several mushrooms are joined together in one root-stock and it is impossible to remove one without disturbing the whole1 cut it over rather than pull it out4 ,in the case of clumps of young mushrooms1 where one can not be pulled out without displacing some of the others also1 cut it out rather than pull it4 ,there is a knack in pulling mushrooms1 easily attained by practice4 ,and even when they come up in thick bunches and it would appear impossible to pull out the full-grown ones without disturbing the others1 a practiced hand will give them a twitch and a pull--they often part from the bed by the gentlest touch--and get them out without unfastening any of the multitude of small buttons that may be growing around them4 ,the advantages of pulling over cutting are several3 ,it benefits the bed4 ,if we cut over a mushroom and leave its stump in the ground1 in a few days decay sets in and a fluffy or spongy substance grows around the old butt1 which destroys many of the little mushrooms around it1 as well as every thread of mycelium that comes in contact with it4 ,one should be particular to scoop out these stumps with a knife before this condition takes place1 and go over the beds every few days to fill up the holes1 made in scooping out the old stumps1 with fresh loam4 ,pulled mushrooms always keep fresh longer than do those that have been cut4 ,in the interest of the market grower they have another advantage4 ,mushrooms are bought and sold by weight1 and as the stems are always retained to the caps all are weighed together2 if part of the stems had been cut off the weight would have been reduced1 and1 in like proportion1 the price2 but if the stems are retained entire not only are the mushrooms benefited1 but the weight1 and with it the price1 is also increased4 ,gathering ,field or ,wild ,mushrooms4--,go in search of them in the morning before the sunshine gets warm and they become too open or old4 ,if you wish to gather and preserve them in their most perfect condition pull them up by the roots1 carefully remove any soil from them1 and then lay them orderly in the basket1 the root end down2 and by spreading a stout sheet of paper over the layer1 another may be arranged above it in the same way1 and so on until the basket is full4 ,but if you are not so particular and wish them for immediate use1 or for ketchup or drying1 the common way of cutting them off and carrying them home in bulk will answer well enough4 ,marketing ,mushrooms4--,most market growers who live immediately around ,new ,york ,city sell direct1 and deliver their mushrooms to hotels1 restaurants1 and fancy fruiterers4 ,but some of them1 also most of those who live at a considerable distance from the city1 sell their mushrooms through commission merchants in ,new ,york2 they1 in turn1 sell in quantities to suit customers4 ,mushrooms are sold by the pound1 and come into market in boxes made of strong undressed paper4 ,some growers have light wooden boxes made that hold from one to four pounds of mushrooms each1 and these make convenient and strong packages for shipping by express4 ,they may be sent singly1 or1 as is the case with the paper boxes1 several packed together in crates or boxes4 ,in sending directly to hotels1 cheap baskets1 holding one or several pounds--,mr4 ,gardner's baskets hold twelve pounds--are often used1 but in sending to commission merchants1 who have to deal them out in quantities to suit customers1 mushrooms should always be packed in one1 two1 three or four pound boxes or baskets1 preferably one pound4 ,mushrooms are not like potatoes or apples1 that can be handled1 remeasured1 and repacked without damaging them4 ,each rehandling will certainly discolor and perhaps break a good many of them1 rendering them unsalable1 if not worthless4 ,the utmost care in gathering and packing of mushrooms for shipping is of primary importance4 ,gather them the moment they are in best condition1 no matter whether or not they are to be packed and shipped the same day2 never let them blow open before gathering them2 and never cut off short stems4 ,long stems have to be shortened1 but not until everything is ready to pack them4 ,with a very soft hair brush dust off any earth that may stick to the cap of the mushroom1 and with a harder brush or the back of a knife rub the earth off of the root end of the stem4 ,then sort the mushrooms1--the big ones by themselves1 the middle-sized by themselves1 the small or button-sized ones by themselves1 and pack each kind by itself4 ,pack very firmly without bruising1 and so as to show the pretty caps to the best advantage4 ,never pack mushrooms more than two deep without using plenty of soft paper between the layers1 and never put a heavy bulk of them into one box or basket4 ,they discolor so easily that1 all things considered1 about a pound is enough in a box1 if we wish them to carry safely and retain their bright1 fresh skin without tarnishing4 ,mr4 ,barter1 of ,london1 writes me3 ,the punnets we use for marketing our mushrooms in are the same that are used for strawberries or peaches4 ,these hold just one pound1 but it is becoming more customary now to have little boxes made holding from three to five pounds1 as these are better for packing in larger cases for long journeys4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,re-,,invigorating ,,old ,,beds4 ,there is a wide-spread impression among horticulturists that worn out beds which have ceased to bear may1 by means of watering and certain stimulants and warming up again1 be so re-invigorated as to start into full bearing1 and yield a second and a good crop4 ,i have given this question much painstaking and practical consideration1 and have absolutely failed to revive a dead bed4 ,i have not been able to do it myself1 and any instance of its having been done has never come under my observation4 ,this may appear heresy anent the multitudinous writings to the contrary4 ,a mushroom bed may keep on bearing in a desultory way for many months1 and now and again show spurts of increased fertility2 but this is no second crop2 it is merely a prolonged dribbling of the first crop4 ,a bed1 by reason of cold or dryness1 may1 as it were1 stand still or partially stop bearing1 and soon after it is remoistened1 warmed1 and otherwise submitted to congenial conditions1 will display renewed energy2 but this is no second crop2 it is merely a spurt of the first crop caused by extra favorable cultural conditions4 ,but to show how vaguely this question which is so much written about is regarded1 let me quote from a letter to me by ,mr4 ,j4 ,barter1 who grows #ba1jjj lbs of mushrooms a year for the ,london market3 ,you ask me1 ',do you ever get a second crop8' ,my beds last in bearing1 on an average1 each three months1 and that ,i reckon to be three crops4 ,but whether it be three or six months1 the weight of mushrooms is about the same4 ,as there is in1 say a ton of manure1 only so much mushroom-producing power1 if you force it to produce that weight in two months you are a gainer1 as you thereby save in labor2 but when that producing-power is exhausted it will produce no more mushrooms4 ,a spent mushroom bed is one that has been kept in bearing condition under the most favorable circumstances at our command1 and it has borne a good crop1 lasted some two months in bearing1 and now it has stopped bearing 7except in a meagerly1 desultory way7 because the spawn or mycelium has exhausted itself and is dead4 ,then1 without living spawn in the bed how are we to get mushrooms8 ,some bits of mycelium are still alive and yield the desultory few1 but every mushroom that they yield is preying on their vitality1 and after a time they too shall die and the bed be completely barren1 for the mycelium is altogether dead1 and without mycelium mushrooms are an impossibility4 ,we can keep mushroom mycelium in active growth the year round1 and year after year1 providing we never let it bear mushrooms4 ,this is done by taking the mycelium1 just before it begins bearing1 from one manure bed and plant it in another1 and so on from bed to bed4 ,at every fresh transplanting the mycelium exerts itself into renewed growth1 for it must become a strong plant before it has strength enough to produce and support a mushroom4 ,our utmost efforts have never rendered mycelium in a mushroom-bearing condition perennial4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,insect ,,and ,,other ,,enemies4 ,the mushroom grower has his full share of insects to contend with1 and in order to overcome them one should acquaint himself with them1 and know what they are1 what they do1 whence they came1 and how to destroy them4 ,one should study the diseases and mishaps of his crop and endeavor to know their cause4 ,if we know the cause of failing health in plants1 even in mushrooms1 we can probably stop or devise a remedy for the disease or means to prevent its recurrence1 and if we can not benefit the present subject we are forewarned against future attacks4 ,but there is a deal of mysterious trouble in this direction in mushroom-growing4 ,we are likely to know something about the depredations committed by insects or parasitic molds above ground1 but ,i am sure there is a good deal of mischief going on under ground of which we know very little1 if anything4 ,the ills to which the mycelium is subject are not at all fully understood4 ,maggots4--,this is the common name among practical mushroom growers for the larv of a species of fly 7,diptera7 which from ,april on through the warm summer months renders mushroom-growing unprofitable4 ,it is unavoidable1 and so far has proved invincible4 ,it attacks the mushrooms in deep cellars1 above-ground houses1 greenhouses1 or frames1 and is often quite common in early appearing crops in the open fields4 ,we sometimes read that it does not occur in unheated cellars1 but this is a mistake1 for in our unheated tunnel cellars1 where the temperature in ,april does not exceed #ee1 maggots always appear about the end of this month4 ,but it is true that in the case of cool houses and where the beds are covered over with hay or straw maggots do not appear as early in the season as they do in warm houses and open beds4 ,while rigid cleanliness1 and care in keeping the house or cellar closed1 no doubt have much to do in lessening the trouble1 ,i have never been able to overcome it1 and know of no one who has4 ,we simply stop growing mushrooms in summer4 ,the maggots or larv are about three-sixteenths to four-sixteenths of an inch long1 white with black head1 and appear in all parts of the mushroom1 but mostly in the cap and at the base of the stem1 and perforate hither and thither leaving behind them a disgusting network of burrows4 ,the tiny buttons1 about as soon as they appear at the surface of the ground1 are infested1 but this does not check their growth1 and when they become mushrooms large enough for gathering1 unless it be for a dark looking puncture or tracing now and then visible on the outside of the caps and stems1 there are but few signs to indicate to the inexperienced eye the presence of maggots4 ,and this is why maggoty mushrooms are so often found exposed for sale in summer4 ,but in large or full-grown mushrooms1 and especially the white-skinned varieties1 their presence is visible enough4 ,although very repugnant1 however1 and utterly unfit for food1 maggoty mushrooms are not poisonous4 ,but all the mushrooms of summer crops are not maggoty1 only a large proportion of them2 the evil begins in ,april1 and increases as the summer advances1 until ,august1 when it decreases1 and in ,october completely stops--at least this is my experience4 ,a solution of salt1 saltpeter1 or ammonia sprinkled over the surface of the beds does not1 in this case1 do any good as an insecticide1 pyrethrum powder diffused through the atmosphere1 and tobacco smoke1 have been ineffectual4 ,burning a lamp set in a basin of water with a little kerosene floating on the surface is a most doubtful operation4 ,multitudes of flies are destroyed by this lamp trap1 but they are the poor little innocent manure flies1 and the atmosphere of the house is vitiated and rendered unhealthy for the crop4 ,i have tried these lamp traps season after season1 and never knew of their doing any good2 that is1 the maggots seemed just as numerous in the lamp-trapped cellar as in the other cellar in which no lamp trap had been used4 ,regarding this maggots question1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,f4 ,barter1 of ,london1 writes me3 ,during the summer months the outdoor mushrooms get maggoty before they are big enough to gather1 but of course they can be grown in cool cellars all the year round4444 ,i know of no sure cure for them 7the maggots72 of course a slight sprinkling of salt with manure or mold does prevent1 to a certain extent1 but it must be used very carefully4 ,now my experience is1 as ,i have already said1 that it is impossible to grow mushrooms here in summer1 even in cool cellars1 without having them more or less maggoty4 ,as regards the salt and loam preventive1 ,i have tried it lightly and heavily1 but without any apparent good effect4 ,black ,spot4--,all mushroom growers are familiar with this disease1 but unless it appears in pronounced form very little notice is taken of it1 even by market men1 for we see spotted mushrooms continually exposed for sale4 ,it appears as dark brown spots1 streaks1 or freckles1 on the top of the mushroom caps1 and increases in distinctness and breadth with age4 ,fig4 #be4 ,it is caused by eel worms 7,anguillul74 ,these minute creatures enter the mushrooms when the latter are in their tiniest pin form and before they emerge from the ground4 ,if a button arises clean it remains clean1 if diseased it continues to be diseased1 and it is a fact that if one mushroom in a clump has black spot we usually find that every mushroom in the clump has it4 ,but mushrooms growing from the same bit of spawn and that come up an inch or two away from the spotted ones may be perfectly clean4 ,black spot has never occurred with me in new beds1 and seldom in those in vigorous bearing1 but it generally appears in beds that have been in bearing condition for some weeks or are declining4 ,it does not confine itself to any particular spot or part of the bed1 and sometimes it is much more plentiful than at others4 ,between ,october and ,march we have very little black spot1 but as the spring opens this disease increases4 ,during the winter season1 with careful attention1 perhaps not so much as one per cent will show black spot1 but as the warm weather sets in the per centage increases until in ,may1 when as many as twenty per cent may be affected by it4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #be4 ,,mushroom ,,affected ,,with ,,black ,,spot4 ,black spot is a disease1 however1 that can be controlled4 ,keep everything in and about the mushroom houses rigidly clean1 and as soon as a bed has ceased to bear a crop worth picking clear it out1 lime-wash the place it occupied1 and make up another bed4 ,carefully observe that no old loam or manure is allowed to accumulate anywhere1 or green scum forms upon the boards1 paths1 or walls2 boiling water impregnated with alum poured over the boards1 walls1 and other scum-covered surfaces1 will kill the eel worms1 but it should not be allowed to touch the mushroom beds that are in bearing or coming into bearing4 ,much can be done to protect the bearing beds from the ravages of this pest3 ,in gathering the mushrooms remove every vestige of old stump and fogged-off mushrooms1 keep the holes filled up with fresh loam1 and when the bed has been in bearing condition for a fortnight sprinkle it over with a solution of salt1 and next day topdress with a half-inch coating of finely sifted fresh loam2 firm it to the bed with the back of the hand1 for it can not be pressed on with a spade on account of the growing mushrooms4 ,is black spot unwholesome8 ,i do not think so4 ,i have never known any ill effects from eating it4 ,the spotted parts are merely flavorless and tasteless4 ,but it is a very disgusting disease1 and no one1 ,i am sure1 would care to eat eel worms with their mushrooms4 ,until quite recently ,i used to regard the black spot as the mark of some parasitic fungus1 and1 acting under this impression1 sent affected mushrooms to ,dr4 ,w4 ,g4 ,farlow1 ,prof4 of ,cryptogamic ,botany at ,harvard ,university1 for his opinion4 ,he wrote me3 ,i find that the trouble is due to ,anguillul1 and ,i find an abundance of these animals in the brown spots4 ,he advised me to submit them to an expert in worms4 ,i then sent samples to my kind friend1 ,mr4 ,william ,saunders1 of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 who submitted them1 for me1 to ,dr4 ,thomas ,taylor1 the microscopist to the ,u4 ,s4 ,department of ,agriculture1 and who replied3 ,i recommend that you use a sprinkling of scalding water thoroughly over the entire surface of the bed1 especially the portion next to the boxing4 ,the scalding water should be applied before the buttons appear1 but not penetrate more than one-eighth of an inch below the surface4 ,anguillul abound wherever decaying vegetable matter exists4444 ,the green alg on the outside of flower pots abounds in the anguillul4 ,manure ,flies4--,this is the name we give to the little flies 7a species of ,sciara7 that appear in large numbers in spring and summer in our mushroom houses1 or1 indeed1 in hotbeds or structures of any sort where manure is used1 as well as about the manure heaps in the yard4 ,on account of their habits they are regarded with much ill-favor4 ,they hop about the house and are continually running over the mushrooms1 beds1 and walls1 in the most suspicious manner4 ,but1 notwithstanding this1 ,i am inclined to regard them as perfectly harmless so far as injuring the mushroom crop is concerned1 except the fact that they soil the mushrooms somewhat by their traveling over them with their muddy feet4 ,in attempting to get rid of the maggot fly ,i have destroyed large numbers of these little innocents1 but without any apparent diminution in their numbers4 ,lachaume recommends3 ,these flies may be destroyed by placing about a number of pans filled with water to which a few drops of oil of turpentine have been added4 ,the flies are attracted by the odor and drown themselves4 ,they may also be caught with a floating light1 in which they will burn their wings and fall into the water4 ,i have found that pure buhach powder dusted into the air or burned on a hot shovel in the mushroom house has been more effective in destroying these flies than either the lamp or drowning process4 ,slugs4--,these are serious pests in the mushroom house1 especially in above-ground structures1 and they also occur in annoying numbers in cellars4 ,wherever hay or straw is used in covering the beds1 or there is much woodwork about the house1 slugs appear to be most numerous4 ,they are very fond of mushrooms and attack them in all stages1 from the tiny button just emerging from the ground to the fully developed plant4 ,in the case of the buttons or small mushrooms they usually eat out a piece on the top or side of the cap1 and as the mushroom advances in growth these wounds spread open and display an ugly scar or disfigurement4 ,they also bite into the stems4 ,but in the case of fresh1 full grown mushrooms they seem to have a particular liking for the gills1 and eat patches out of them here and there4 ,bullet or ,shot ,holes4--,my attention was first called to these by ,mr4 ,a4 ,h4 ,withington1 of ,new ,jersey4 ,they are little holes cut clear through the mushroom caps1 as if perforated by a buckshot1 and are evidently the work of some insect4 ,he had1 before then1 submitted some of these perforated mushrooms to ,prof4 ,s4 ,lockwood1 who sent them to ,prof4 ,c4 ,v4 ,riley for his opinion4 ,prof4 ,riley replied that3 ,it is quite likely that the damage was done by some myriapod1 possibly a ,julus1 or some of its allies4 ,only observation on the spot will determine this point4 ,as ,i never had any trouble with myriapods attacking mushrooms and had seen nothing of this bullet hole work in our own beds ,i was much interested in the question and determined to look out for it1 so ,i marked off a part of a bed and left that uncared for4 ,i soon found out the trouble4 ,these holes are the work of slugs which ,i have found and watched in the act of eating out the holes4 ,to find the slugs at work1 one has to take his lantern and go out and look for them at night4 ,and to find out about plant parasites--be they fungus1 or insect--one has to let them alone and watch them4 ,had we kept up our unsparing hunt for slugs1 probably we should not yet have known what caused these bullet holes1 for no slug would have been left alive long enough to eat a hole through a mushroom cap4 ,slugs must be caught and killed4 ,we can find them at night by hunting for them by lamp-light2 their slimy track glistens and reveals their presence4 ,a few small bits of slate or half rotten boards with a pinch of bran on them laid here and there about the beds are handy traps2 the slugs gather to eat the bran1 hide beneath the rotten wood1 and can then be caught and killed4 ,fresh lettuce leaves make a capital trap1 but lettuces in ,january or ,february are about as scarce as mushrooms themselves4 ,a dressing of salt is distasteful to slugs1 and not injurious to mushrooms4 ,strong1 fresh lime water may be freely sprinkled over woodwork1 pathways1 walls1 or elsewhere where slugs might gather and hide themselves2 but this solution should not be used upon the mushroom beds4 ,rigid cleanliness1 however1 about the mushroom house1 and an ever-alert eye for slugs1 should keep them under4 ,wood ,lice4--,these are sure to be more or less abundant in every mushroom house1 even in the cellars4 ,they crawl in through doors1 ventilators1 or other interstices1 and are brought in with the manure1 and find shelter about the woodwork1 manure1 or any bits of dry litter that may be around4 ,they attack the pinhead and small button mushrooms by biting out little patches in their tops and sides2 and although these patches are small to begin with1 the blemish spreads as the mushroom grows1 and is an objectionable feature4 ,trapping and killing the insects is the chief remedy4 ,put part of a half boiled potato 7for which no salt had been used7 into a little pasteboard box1 and cover the potato with some very dry swamp moss1 lay the box on its side1 and open at the end on the bed4 ,the wood lice will gather to eat the potato1 and remain after feasting because the dry moss affords them a cozy hiding place4 ,several of these little boxes can be used4 ,go through the house in the morning1 lift the little traps quickly1 and shake out any wood lice that may be in them into a tin pail 7an old lard pail will do71 which should contain a little water and kerosene4 ,these traps may be used for any length of time1 merely observing to change the potato now and again to have it in appetizing condition4 ,hot water or strong kerosene emulsion may be poured about the woodwork1 walls1 and pathways1 to destroy the wood lice1 but should not be allowed to touch the beds4 ,poisoned sweet apples1 potatoes1 and parsnips have been recommended as baits for these pests1 but ,i must discourage using poisons of any sort in the mushroom house4 ,six or eight inch square pieces of half rotten very dry boards laid in pairs1 one above the other1 also make capital traps2 the wood lice gather there to hide themselves2 these traps should be examined frequently and the insects shaken into the pail containing water and kerosene4 ,mites4--,two kinds of mites are very common about mushrooms in spring and summer2 one is whitish and smaller than a red spider 7one of the commonest insect pests among garden plants71 and the other is yellowish and as large as or larger than a red spider4 ,but ,i do not think that either of these mites is worth considering as a mushroom pest4 ,the yellow mite 7probably ,lyroglyphus infestans7 is extremely common in strawy litter on the surface of hotbeds1 and ,i have no doubt finds its way into the mushroom house as manure vermin rather than a mushroom parasite4 ,they are the effect and not the cause of injury to the crop4 ,when mushrooms are wounded or cracked1 particularly about the stem1 the crevices often become abundantly inhabited with these mites1 but they do no material damage4 ,mice and ,rats4--,these rodents are very fond of mushrooms1 and where they have access to the beds are troublesome and destructive4 ,both the common house mouse and the white-bellied fence mouse are mushroom destroyers1 but1 so far1 the nimble but timid field mouse 7among garden1 open air1 and frame crops generally7 has never yet troubled our mushrooms1 but ,i can not believe that this immunity is voluntary on its part4 ,the mice bite a little piece here and there out of the caps of the young mushrooms1 and these bite-marks1 as the mushrooms advance in growth1 spread open and become unsightly disfigurements4 ,in the case of open mushrooms1 however1 the mice1 like slugs1 prefer the gills to the fleshy caps4 ,rats are far more destructive than mice4 ,trapping is the only remedy ,i use1 and would not use poison in the mushroom houses for these creatures for obvious reasons4 ,but we should make our houses secure against their inroads4 ,toads4--,these are recommended as good insect traps to be used in mushroom houses1 but ,i do not want them there2 the cure is as bad as the disease4 ,the mushroom bed is a little paradise for the toad4 ,he gets upon it and burrows or elbows out a snug little hole for himself wherever he wishes1 and many of them1 too1 and cares nothing about whether1 in his efforts to make himself comfortable1 he has heaved out the finest clumps of young mushrooms in the beds4 ,fogging ,off4--,this is one of the commonest ailments peculiar to cultivated mushrooms4 ,it consists in the softening1 shriveling1 and perishing of part of the young mushrooms1 which also usually assume a brownish color4 ,these withered mushrooms do not occur singly here and there over the face of the bed1 but in patches2 generally all or nearly all of the very small mushrooms in a clump will turn brown and soft1 and there is no help for them2 they never will recover their plumpness4 ,some writers attribute fogging off to unfavorable atmospheric conditions1--the temperature may be too cold1 or too hot1 or the atmosphere too moist1 or too dry4 ,i am convinced that fogging off is due to the destruction of the mycelium threads that supported these mushrooms2 it is a disease of the root1 to use this expression2 the roots having been killed1 the tops must necessarily perish4 ,if it were caused by unfavorable conditions above ground we should expect all of the crop to be more or less injuriously affected2 but this does not occur2 the mushrooms in one clump may be withered1 and contiguous clumps perfectly healthy4 ,anything that will kill the spawn or mycelium threads will cause fogging off to overtake every little mushroom that had been attached to these mycelium threads4 ,keeping the bed or part of it continuously wet or dry will cause fogging off1 so will drip2 watering with very cold water is also said to cause it1 but this ,i have not found to be the case4 ,unfastening the ground by abruptly pulling up the large mushrooms will destroy many of the small mushrooms and pinheads attached to the same clump2 and when large mushrooms push up through the soil and displace some of the earth1 all the small mushrooms so displaced will probably waste away1 as the threads of mycelium to which they were attached for support have been severed4 ,a common reason of fogging off is caused by cutting off the mushrooms in gathering them and leaving the stumps in the ground2 in a few days' time these stumps develop a white fluff or flecky substance1 which seems to poison every thread of mycelium leading to it1 and all the mushrooms1 present and to come1 that are attached to this arrested web of mycelium are affected by the poison of the decaying old mushroom stump1 and fogg off4 ,any impure matter in the bed with which the mycelium comes in contact will destroy the spawn and fogg off the young mushrooms4 ,lachaume complains about the larv of two beetles1 namely ,aphodius fimetarius and ,dermestes tessellatus1 which cause great damage by eating the spawn1 thereby breaking up the reproductive filaments4 ,damage of this sort by these or any other insect vermin will cause fogging off4 ,but ,i have not noticed either of the above beetles or their larv about our beds4 ,flock4--,this is the worst of all mushroom diseases and common wherever mushrooms are grown artificially4 ,it is not a new disease2 ,i have known it for twenty-five years1 and it was as common then as it is now1 and practical gardeners have always called it ,flock4 ,i say worst of all diseases because ,i know that mushrooms affected by it are both unwholesome and indigestible1 and ,i can readily believe that in aggravated cases they are poisonous4 ,it is caused by other fungi which infest the gills and frills of the mushrooms1 and render them a hard1 flocky mass2 sometimes the affected mushrooms preserve their white skin1 color1 and normal form1 at other times the cap becomes more or less distorted4 ,the illustration1 ,fig4 #bf1 is from life1 and a good average of a flock-infested mushroom4 ,in gathering mushrooms the growers should insist that every flock-infested mushroom be discarded1 and consumers of mushrooms should familiarize themselves with this disease so as to know and reject every mushroom showing a trace of it4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bf4 ,a ,,flock-,,diseased ,,mushroom4 ,flock does not affect all the mushrooms in a bed at any time1 and ,i do not believe it spreads in the bed1 or1 to use the expression1 becomes contagious4 ,if one spot of mildew appears upon a cucumber1 rose1 or grape vine indoors1 and is not checked1 it soon becomes general all over the plant or plants1 and if one spot of mold occurs in a propagating bed and is not checked at once it soon spreads over a large space and destroys every cutting or seedling within its reach1 but this is not the case with flock in a mushroom bed4 ,if one mushroom is affected with flock every mushroom produced from that piece of spawn is affected1 but not one mushroom produced from the pieces of spawn inserted next to this one is affected by it2 not even if the mycelium from the several lumps of spawn forms an interlacing web4 ,if the flock is confined to the mushrooms produced from a certain bit of spawn some may ask1 will the other pieces of spawn broken from the same brick produce flock-infested mushrooms8 ,no4 ,i have given this point particular attention1 have kept the pieces of each brick close together1 and where flock has appeared ,i have failed to find that the other pieces of spawn from that brick are more liable to produce flock-infested mushrooms than are the pieces of the bricks that1 as yet1 have not shown any sign of diseased produce4 ,how general is this disease8 ,in a bed say three feet wide by thirty feet long and of two months' bearing one may get as few as five or as many as fifty flocky mushrooms2 one or two may occur to-day1 and we may not find another for a week or two1 when we may get a whole clump of them1 and so on4 ,it is not the large number of them that makes them dangerous1 for they never appear in quantity4 ,they sometimes appear among the earliest mushrooms in the bed1 but generally not until after the bed has been in bearing condition for a week or two4 ,what conditions are most favorable or unfavorable to the growth of this disease ,i do not know2 but it is certainly not caused by debility in the mushroom itself1 as the parasite attacks healthy1 robust mushrooms and debilitated ones indiscriminately4 ,this flocky condition is caused by one or more saprophytic and parasitic fungi of lowly origin1 whose various parts are reduced to mere threads1 simple or branched1 and divided into tubular cells at intervals1 or else they are long1 continuous microscopic tubes without any partitions1 except at those occasional points where a branch1 destined to produce spores1 is given off4 ,generally two or more species of these thread-fungi are present at the same time on the mushroom host1 and by the multiplied crossing and interweaving of their threads and branches produce1 through their great numbers1 the whitish1 felted mass of flock2 while as individuals the threads are so minute as to be scarcely or not at all visible to the naked eye4 ,similar thread-fungi may often be found in the woods among damp leaves1 under rotten logs1 and on those porous fungi which project1 shelf-like1 from the trunks of trees4 ,at present there is no way known for destroying the flock1 except to take up and destroy every clump of mushrooms attacked by it4 ,fortunately the disease is not very serious if proper precautions are observed2 for1 in our own cellars1 where mushrooms have been grown year after year for the past eleven years1 we get but few flocky mushrooms in any bed's bearing4 ,the disease is not more common to-day than it was in any former year4 ,but we give our cellars a thorough cleaning every summer4 ,cleaning the ,mushroom ,houses4--,after the season's cropping is finished the mushroom houses and cellars should be thoroughly cleaned4 ,clear out the old beds1 and bring outside all the movable floor and shelf boards1 scrape up every bit of loose litter or dirt in the place and throw it out1 broom down the walls and whatever boarding is left4 ,whitewash the walls with hot lime wash1 and paint every bit of woodwork liberally with crude oil or kerosene4 ,this is to destroy anguillul and other insect and fungus parasites4 ,if you wish to use again the boards brought outside1 broom them over and paint them copiously with kerosene4 ,and if your cellar or house has a dirt floor1 a heavy sprinkling of very caustic lime water all over it will do good in ridding it of vermin4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,growing ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,ridges ,,out ,,of ,,doors ,,around ,,london4 ,in the preface to ,kitchen and ,market ,gardening 7,london7 is the following3 ,mr4 ,w4 ,falconer and ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,shaw made1 in connection with the ,london ,garden1 what we believe to be the first attempt at long and systematic observation of the best culture as it is in ,london market gardens4 ,this is mentioned to indicate that the writer speaks on this subject from experience4 ,and although it is now seventeen years since ,i became disconnected with the ,london market gardens1 by revisiting them a few years ago1 and by correspondence and the horticultural press1 ,i have endeavored to keep informed of all changes of methods and improvements in culture as practiced there4 ,at that time ,steele1 ,bagley1 ,broadbent1 ,dancer1 ,pocock and ,myatt were among the largest and best gardeners around ,london1 and since then several of these grand old gentlemen have passed away and their fields have been cut up and built upon4 ,at that time mushrooms were one of the general crops1 as were snap beans or cauliflower1 and in their season were planted as a matter of course4 ,to-day they have become a specialty1 and some gardeners devote their whole energy to mushroom-growing alone1 and make from #bjjj to #ejjj a year clear profit from one acre of mushrooms1 and that1 too1 from ridges in the open field6 ,there is no other field crop that yields such a large profit4 ,there they get twenty-four to forty-eight cents a pound for their fresh mushrooms1 here we get fifty cents to a dollar a pound for ours4 ,but as mushroom-growing there is confined to fall1 winter and spring1 those gardeners who restrict themselves to mushrooms only devote the summer months to making mushroom spawn for their own use1 and also for sale4 ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,barter1 of ,lancefield street1 ,london1 the king of ,london mushroom growers1 writes me under date of ,dec4 #aj1 #ahhh3 ,i employ men for mushroom bed-making from ,august to ,march2 then1 in order to keep on the same staff1 ,i get about #aj1jjj bushels of brick spawn made up for sale4444 ,by the sale of spawn ,i make just half of my living4 ,now let us see3 #aj1jjj bushels #afj1jjj bricks1 and each brick weighs a pound1 thus we have #afj1jjj pounds4 ,at ten cents a pound 7retail price7 the total is #af1jjj2 at five cents a pound 7supposed wholesale price7 #hjjj1 or at three and a half cents a pound 7supposed manufacturer's price7 #efjj4 ,the manure is obtained from the city stables and hauled home by the gardeners on their return trips from market4 ,the manure collected after midsummer is used for mushrooms1 and an effort is made to save the very best horse manure for this purpose4 ,when enough has accumulated for a bed the manure is turned and well shaken1 removing only the rougher part of the straw1 and thrown into a large pyramidal pile to heat2 this shape is adopted as being better than the flat form for keeping out rain4 ,in three or four days the manure is again turned1 shaken out and piled up as before2 after this it is turned every second day1 unless it rains1 until it has been turned six or seven times in all4 ,it should then be ready for making into ridges4 ,the site for the beds should be a warm1 well-sheltered piece of ground1 either in the open field or orchard2 much pains should be exercised to protect it from cold winds4 ,although a great many mushroom ridges are made under the partial shade of apple and pear trees1 ,i always preferred making them in the open ground4 ,the land should be dry and of a slightly elevated or sloping nature1 so that no pools of water can possibly collect on the surface4 ,having the ground cleared1 leveled1 and ready1 mark it off into strips two feet wide and six feet wide alternately4 ,the two feet wide space is for the mushroom bed1 the six feet wide one for the space between the beds2 but after the ridges are built1 earthed over and covered with straw1 they are almost six feet wide at the base4 ,the common sizes of ridges are two feet wide by two feet high1 and two and one-half feet wide by two and one-half feet high1 and taper to six or eight inches wide at top4 ,the manure being ready and the site for the beds lined off1 the manure is carted to the place and wheeled upon the beds4 ,in making the bed shake out the manure well and evenly to cause it to hold together1 tamp it with the back of the fork as you go along1 and two or three times before the ridges are completed walk upon and tread the manure down solidly with the feet1 and trim down the sides to turn the rain water4 ,two days after the bed is made up some holes should be bored from the top to nearly the bottom with a small iron bar to let the heat off and prevent the inside of the bed from becoming too dry4 ,make them about nine inches apart all along the center of the bed4 ,the old gardeners did not use the crowbar4 ,they were very particular not to build their ridges before the chances of overheating were considered past2 but notwithstanding all their care some of their beds would get overwarm1 when1 without a moment's hesitation1 they tossed them over1 part to the right and part to the left1 and left the manure thus exposed for a day or two to cool1 and then make up the beds again on the same site4 ,brick spawn is always used4 ,some of those who make a specialty of mushrooms also make spawn for sale as well as for their own use2 but the majority of the gardeners prefer to buy rather than make their own spawn4 ,when the heat has fallen to between #hj and #ij the ridges are spawned1 the pieces inserted in three rows along each side1 leaving about nine inches between the pieces4 ,a dibber should not be used on any account4 ,the spawn is put in tightly with the hand and the manure pressed down4 ,it should be put in level with the face of the bed1 so that the mold may just touch it when the bed is cased4 ,in the event of cold or wet weather1 just as soon as the beds are spawned a slight covering of rank litter is laid over them4 ,after a few days this is removed and the beds are molded over with mold from ground to which manure has not been applied for some time4 ,but the general market gardeners do not make this distinction2 they use the earth from between the ridges1 which has been manured regularly every year for a couple of hundred years or more4 ,the mold is put on evenly with the spade and is about two inches thick at the base of the ridge and one inch thick at top1 and well firmed by beating with the back of the spade2 indeed1 the ridges are now commonly watered through a water-pot rose1 again beaten very firmly and the surface left smooth and even4 ,this smooth surface readily sheds rain water1 but ,i question if it has any advantage over a well-firmed unglazed surface4 ,after molding the beds are covered with litter1 that is1 the rankest straw that had been shaken out of the manure1 to a depth of four1 six1 eight1 or ten inches1 according to the state of the bed and weather2 if the bed is inclined to be cool or if the weather is cold1 thicken the covering4 ,drenching or long drizzling rains are more injurious to the beds than is cold1 and in order to ward them off old ,russia mats and any other sort of cloth or carpet covering obtainable is laid over the litter on the beds and weighted down with poles1 boards1 stones1 or anything else that is convenient4 ,do not disturb this covering for about four weeks1 and then on a dry day strip it off and shake up the litter loosely so as to dry it4 ,if there is any white mold on the surface of the soil take a handful of straw and rub it off4 ,if the bed is rather cold put a layer of clean1 dry hay next the bed1 and on top of this replace the littery covering4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bg4 ,,the ,,covered ,,ridges4 ,the first beds are made in ,august1 and one or more every month after till ,march1 just as time1 convenience and material permit4 ,summer beds are not attempted unless in exceptional cases4 ,the bulk of the beds are generally put in in ,september and ,october4 ,in early fall1 also in spring1 beds yield mushrooms in about six weeks after spawning2 in winter they take eight or nine weeks or more1 much depending on the weather4 ,in cold weather the mushrooms are gathered at noon-day2 if the weather is windy and it is possible to postpone gathering for another day this is done1 as the litter can not be replaced satisfactorily in windy weather4 ,in gathering the mushrooms one man carefully pulls the straw down from the top of the bed1 rolling it toward him2 another gathers the mushrooms 7pulling them out by the roots1 never cutting them7 into baskets1 and a third man covers up the bed4 ,in this way the three men go up one side of the ridge and down the other1 and the work is done expeditiously and well1 without exposing any part of the bed more than a minute or two at a time4 ,it is necessary that the uncovering be done by rolling the straw down from the top of the ridge2 if it were rolled up the covering on the other side of the ridge would be sure to slip down a little1 and break off many small mushrooms4 ,the mushrooms as gathered are of three grades2 the large or wide-spread ones are called broilers1 the full-sized ones whose neck frill is merely broken about half an inch wide are cups1 and the small white ones whose frills are not broken at all are termed buttons4 ,all of these are kept separate4 ,they are marketed in different ways1 but the growers who make mushrooms a specialty assort and pack them in chip baskets1 boxes1 or otherwise1 as the metropolitan and provincial markets demand or suggest4 ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,barter1 writing to me from ,london1 says3 ,as to punnetts1 we use the same as for strawberries or peaches 7the abundance of peaches we have in ,america is unknown over there71 they hold just one pound4 ,but it is getting more general now to have little boxes made to hold say three to five pounds each2 these are better for packing in larger cases for long journeys4 ,the first cutting is a light one4 ,after this the bed is cut twice a week for three weeks in mild weather1 or once a week in inclement weather4 ,the last two or three pickings are thin and only secured once a week4 ,altogether ten or eleven good pickings are gathered from each bed4 ,i never knew of a single instance in which any attempt was made to renovate an old or worn-out bed4 ,but when the beds become so dry as to need watering a small handful of salt is dissolved in a large pailful of water and with this solution the beds are freely watered over the straw covering1 but never1 to my knowledge1 under it4 ,my old friends1 ,george ,steele and ,mr4 ,bagley1 of ,fulham ,fields1 used to run part of their beds east and west1 not only for convenience sake so far as the beds themselves were concerned1 but with the view of growing early tomatoes against the south side of these beds in summer1 and here they got their finest and earliest crops1 for the ,london gardeners can not grow tomatoes out of doors in the open fields as we can in ,america4 ,other gardeners clear away the manure for use elsewhere in their fields1 and as it is so well rotted it is in capital condition for cauliflower1 lettuces1 snap beans1 and other crops4 ,but as the mushroom growers who restrict themselves entirely to mushrooms1 and who1 after the mushroom beds have finished bearing1 have no further use for the manure in the spent beds1 are always able to dispose of it at one-half the cost price4 ,it is excellent for garden crops and as a topdressing for lawns1 on account of its fineness and freedom from all rubbish as sticks1 stones1 old bottles1 old shoes1 and the like1 is in much demand4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,mushroom ,,growing ,,in ,,the ,,paris ,,caves4 ,in caves and subterranean passages underneath the city of ,paris and its environs1 thousands of tons of mushrooms are artificially produced every year4 ,these underground caves and tunnels are abandoned quarries from which white building stone and plaster have been excavated1 and as the veins of stone permeated through the bowels of the earth1 #dj to #abe feet deep1 so were they quarried1 and the blocks brought to the surface through vertical shafts4 ,it is these tunnels1 varying in height and width as the veins of stone varied1 that are now used for mushroom-growing4 ,m4 ,lachaume1 in his book1 ,the ,cave ,mushroom1 tells us3 ,in the ,department of the ,seine there are #cjjj quarries2 those which have been abandoned and which are situated close to ,paris at ,montrouge1 ,bagneux1 ,vaugirard1 ,mry1 ,chtillon1 ,vitry1 ,honilles1 and ,st4 ,denis1 are used by the #bej mushroom-growers of the ,department4 ,there are several of these quarries with horizontal galleries driven into the calcareous rock from the level of the road1 which are mostly large enough to accommodate a good sized cart1 but the majority can only be entered1 like many coal mines1 by vertical shafts #ajj to #abe feet deep1 down which everything has to pass4 ,the laborers climb up and down a ladder1 and the fresh manure is shoveled down the shaft from above1 the waste stuff and mushrooms being hauled up in baskets from beneath by means of a windlass4 ,the manure used is obtained from the ,paris stables and furnished by contractors1 with whom the mushroom growers make special bargains because they are very particular about the kind and quality of the manure they use4 ,some of these growers use as much as #bjjj to #cejj tons of manure each a year for their mushroom beds4 ,to the caves in the immediate neighborhood of ,paris the manure is hauled out in carts1 but to ,mry and other places too far distant to be within easy carting distance it is sent by rail4 ,the mushroom growers consider that the manure from animals that are worked hard and abundantly fed on dry1 good food is the best2 the droppings from these are always dry and rich in ammonia1 nitrogen and phosphates4 ,the manure from entire horses that are worked hard they regard as the best1 and1 next in value1 that from mules4 ,the manure from horses kept for pleasure1 such as carriage and riding horses1 is regarded as poor1 notwithstanding the high feeding of these animals1 and the manure from horses fed on grass or roots1 also that of cows1 as worthless4 ,stress is laid on the importance of having a good deal of urine-soaked straw in the manure1 and this is another reason why manure from draught horses is preferred to that from animals kept for pleasure1 as the bedding of the former is not apt to be kept so clean as that in aristocratic stables4 ,the preparation of the manure is conducted near the mouth of the caves or shafts on a level1 dry piece of ground1 and altogether out of doors4 ,as soon as sufficient manure for a pile is obtained it is forked over1 thoroughly shaken up and intermixed1 divested of all extraneous matter such as sticks1 stones1 bottles1 scrap iron1 old shoes1 and the like we find in city stable manure1 and any dry straw is moistened with water4 ,it is then squared off into a heap forty inches high and trodden down to thirty inches high4 ,in this state it is left for about six days1 when it is turned1 shaken up loosely1 the outside turned to the inside1 and all dry parts watered2 the same shallow square form is retained1 and it is again trodden down firm4 ,in about six days more it is again turned1 shaken up1 watered1 squared off1 and trodden as before4 ,in about three days after this it should be fit for use and may be turned1 shaken up loosely1 and dumped down the shaft into the cave and carried to the spot where the beds are to be formed4 ,of course these operations must be modified according to circumstances and the condition of the manure4 ,in making the beds the ground is first marked off4 ,the first bed is made alongside of the wall1 and rounded to the front2 the other beds run parallel with this and may be straight1 crooked1 or wavy1 as the interior of the cave may suggest4 ,the beds are all ridge-shaped1 eighteen to twenty inches wide at the base1 eighteen to twenty inches high in the middle1 six inches wide at top1 and the sides sloping4 ,pathways twelve inches wide run between the beds4 ,the workmen build the beds by piece-work and receive one-half cent per running foot4 ,a good workman can make #bdj feet a day 7,lachaume74 ,the beds are built neatly and firmly and with much nicety as regards size and proportions4 ,but the workmen do not use a fork or any other tool in the construction of the beds2 they lift1 shake up1 spread and build the manure with their naked hands and pack it firm with their knees4 ,the spawn is obtained from the working beds and is what the mushroom growers there call virgin spawn1 though not at all what we know by that term4 ,as a succession of beds is kept up all the year round it is an easy matter for the growers to get their spawn at any time4 ,the best time to get the spawn is when the young mushrooms are first appearing4 ,a bed or part of a bed in capital working order is selected and broken up and the cakes of manure thoroughly matted up with the active mycelium are selected for spawning the fresh beds4 ,it is asserted that from this active spawn crops of mushrooms appear in twenty days' less time than if dry spawn were used4 ,the ,french spawn is used4 ,somewhere between the seventh and fourteenth day after making the bed it will be in condition for spawning4 ,break the spawn into pieces between two and three inches long1 two inches wide1 and three-fourths of an inch thick1 and insert these pieces in two rows along the sides of the ridges2 the first row eight inches above the ground1 the second row eight inches above the first1 and the pieces put in quincunx fashion eight inches apart in the row4 ,the manure is firmly packed in upon the spawn1 the surface left smooth and even and without being further disturbed until earthing time4 ,much stress is laid upon stratifying the spawn before using1 when dry spawn is employed4 ,about eight days before a bed is to be spawned the dry spawn is spread out in a row on the floor of the cave or cellar so that it may absorb moisture and the mycelium begin to run4 ,at spawning time these cakes or flakes are broken up and used in the ordinary way1 and1 it is claimed1 with a week's difference in favor of the early appearing of the mushrooms4 ,but no more spawn than is necessary for immediate use should be stratified1 for it will not bear being dried and damped again4 ,the chips and powder of the stone which has been taken out of the quarry and which can be had in abundance on the floor of the quarry or on the surface of the ground around the shaft1 are sifted1 and the finer part saved and mixed with earth in the proportion of three parts of stone dust to one of earth1 and with this the beds are molded over4 ,the powdered stone is strongly impregnated with salts1 so advantageous to the mushrooms4 ,in seven to nine days after spawning1 the beds are ready for earthing over4 ,this depends upon the condition of the spawn and how well it has run in the manure4 ,before being earthed over the outside surface of the beds should be covered with white filaments radiating in all directions which give to the beds a bluish appearance4 ,when the bed is in the proper state for being covered with earth the mold is laid on equally and firmly over the surface about three-fourths of an inch deep4 ,it is then thoroughly watered through a fine-rosed watering pot and allowed to settle until the next day1 when it is beaten solid by the back of a wooden shovel4 ,the bed now needs no further care until the young mushrooms appear1 except a light occasional watering should it get dry4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bh4 ,,in ,,the ,,mushroom ,,caves ,,of ,,paris4 ,in spacious1 high-roofed caves the mean temperature is about #eb ,f41 while in narrow1 low-roofed ones it is about #fh4 ,of course this makes a wide difference in the time of bearing and duration of the beds made in the different caves2 those in the warm caves come into bearing sooner and stop bearing quicker than do those in the high-roofed caves4 ,on an average the first mushrooms appear in about forty days after the beds are spawned1 and the beds continue bearing for forty or sixty days1 but toward the end of that time the yield diminishes very rapidly4 ,they are gathered once a day1 usually about midnight1 so that they may reach the ,paris market early in the morning4 ,in size the mushrooms range from three-fourths to one and five-eighths inches in diameter of top1 and are pure white in color4 ,the workmen always gather the mushrooms by plucking them out by the roots1 and never by cutting them2 the gatherers have two baskets1 carried knapsack fashion on their back2 one is to receive the mushrooms as they are picked1 the other contains mold with which to fill in the little holes made by pulling the mushrooms out of the bed4 ,in some caves one man gathers the mushrooms and leaves them in little piles on the bed as he goes along1 a woman comes after him and places them in a basket1 and a man follows her and fills up the holes with earth4 ,before bringing the mushrooms up out of the caves they are covered over with a cloth to avoid contact with the outer air1 which is apt to turn them brown4 ,they are then placed in baskets that contain twenty-three to twenty-five pounds and sent to market1 where they are sold at auction as they arrive4 ,or they may be sent to preserved-vegetable manufacturers1 who contract for them at an all round price4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #bi4 ,,gathering ,,mushrooms ,,in ,,the ,,paris ,,caves ,,for ,,market4 ,proper ventilation is regarded as being of great importance1 not only for the sake of the workmen1 but also for the mushrooms1 which will not thrive in an impure atmosphere4 ,ventilation is afforded by means of narrow shafts surmounted by tall wooden chimneys whose upper ends are cut at an angle so that the beveled side faces north4 ,in order to avoid sudden changes of temperature and strong draughts1 fires1 trap doors1 and other means employed in assisting the ventilation of coal mines are adopted4 ,to stop strong draughts1 too1 in the passages1 tall1 straw-thatched hurdles are set up4 ,in narrow caves the breath of the workmen1 the gases given off by fermentation1 and the products of combustion of the lamps would soon so vitiate the atmosphere as to render the caves uninhabitable were they not properly ventilated4 ,indeed1 it frequently occurs that caves in which mushrooms have been grown continuously for some years have to be abandoned for a year or two because the crop has ceased to prosper in them4 ,but after they have been thoroughly cleared of all beds and the surface soil that would have been likely to be touched or affected by the manure1 and ventilated and rested for a year or two1 mushrooms can again be grown in them successfully4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,cooking ,,mushrooms4 ,fresh mushrooms1 well cooked and well served1 are one of the most delicious of all vegetables4 ,if we grow our own mushrooms we can gather them in their finest form1 cook them as we please1 and enjoy them in their most delightful condition4 ,if we are dependent upon the fields we should be careful to gather only such mushrooms as are young1 plump1 and fresh1 and reject all that are old or discolored1 or betray any signs of the presence of disease or insects4 ,and in the case of store mushrooms1 that is1 the ones we get at the fruiterer's or other provision store1 we should examine them critically before using them to see that they are perfectly free from flock1 black spot1 maggots1 or other ailment1 and discard all that have any symptoms of disease4 ,the small1 short-stemmed1 white-skinned mushrooms offered for sale are of the variety known as ,french mushrooms1 and on account of their white appearance are preferred by many2 the longer-stemmed1 broader-headed1 and darker-colored kind that we also find offered for sale is what is known as the ,english mushroom4 ,the ,french mushrooms are the most attractive in appearance and preferred in the market1 but the ,english variety is the best flavored and generally the most liked for home use4 ,as soon as the frill around the neck breaks apart the mushroom is fit to gather2 keeping it longer may add to its size a little1 but surely will detract from its tenderness4 ,the gills of the mushrooms will retain their pink tinge for a day after the frill breaks open1 but they soon grow browner and blacker1 until in a few days they are unfit for food4 ,in gathering1 the mushrooms should be pulled and never cut1 and kept in this way until ready to prepare them for cooking4 ,by retaining the stem uncut the mushroom holds its freshness and plumpness much longer than it would were the stems removed4 ,keep them in a cool1 dark place1 and in an earthenware vessel with a cover or a thick1 damp cloth thrown over it2 this will preserve their plumpness4 ,if the frill is broken wide apart when the mushrooms are gathered1 the caps are apt to open out flat in a day or two1 and the gills darken and spread their spores1 just as if the mushrooms were still unsevered from the ground4 ,carefully inspect the mushrooms before cooking them4 ,if the gills are black and the mushrooms are too old do not use them2 if the cap is perforated by insects discard it1 as it is very likely there are maggots inside2 or if there are dark brown spots 7black spot7 on the top of the caps throw the mushrooms away4 ,old mushrooms are tough1 ill-looking1 bad-tasting and indigestible1 and those infested by insects1 although not poisonous1 are very repugnant1 and should not be used4 ,but the dangerous mushroom is the one affected by ,flock4 ,mushrooms should be gathered free from grit2 if at all gritty they require washing1 which spoils them4 ,all large mushrooms should be peeled before they are cooked2 the skin of the cap parts freely from the flesh1 but the skin of the stem must be rubbed or scraped off4 ,the gills should not be removed as they are the most delicate meat of the mushroom1 but if the mushrooms are old and intended for soup the gills should be scraped out with the view of getting rid of their darkening influence in the soup4 ,in the case of small button mushrooms1 which can not be readily skinned1 they should be rubbed over with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar1 so as to remove the outer part of the skin4 ,while the stems may be retained with the buttons1 they should always be removed from the full-grown mushrooms4 ,mushrooms should always be served hot1 and they should be eaten as soon as cooked4 ,in the case of baked mushrooms and others prepared in a somewhat similar way they should be covered in the oven by an inverted dish1 soup plate1 basin1 or the like1 and if possible brought to the table in this way and without the cover removed4 ,set the tin upon a mat or cold plate upon the table1 then uncover and serve on hot plates4 ,by this means the delicious aroma is preserved4 ,baked ,mushrooms4--,peel and stem the mushrooms1 rub and sprinkle a little salt on the gills1 and lay the mushrooms1 gills up1 on a shallow baking tin and put a small piece of butter on each mushroom4 ,place an inverted saucer or deep plate over them in the tin1 and put them into a brisk oven for about twenty minutes4 ,then take them out and serve upon a hot plate1 without spilling any of the juice that has collected in the middle of each mushroom4 ,send to table and eat at once4 ,this is the common way of cooking mushrooms1 and by it is secured the true mushroom aroma and taste in their perfection4 ,stewed ,mushrooms4--,peel and stem the mushrooms4 ,take an enameled saucepan1 put a lump of butter in it and melt it1 then put in the mushrooms1 and season with salt and pepper and a small piece of pounded mace 7if you like it71 then cover the saucepan tightly and stew the mushrooms gently until they are tender1 which will be in about half an hour4 ,have ready some toast1 either dry or fried in butter1 as preferred2 spread out upon a hot dish1 place the mushrooms upon the toast1 with the gills uppermost1 pour the juice over them1 and serve hot4 ,button mushrooms are the ones usually selected for stewing1 but while nicer and whiter they are not so finely flavored as the full sized ones4 ,another way of preparing stewed mushrooms is to stem and peel them2 dip in water containing lemon juice 7this is to prevent their becoming dark-colored in cooking1 or giving a dark color to the stew71 and drain them dry4 ,put them into a stewpan1 with a good-sized lump of butter and some nice gravy1 and let them stew for about ten minutes4 ,take a little stock or cream1 beat up some flour in it quite smooth1 and add a little lemon juice and grated nutmeg4 ,add this to the mushrooms and cook briskly for about ten minutes longer1 or until tender4 ,soyer's ,breakfast ,mushrooms4--,place some freshly-made toast1 divided1 on a dish1 and put the mushrooms1 stemmed and peeled1 gills upward upon it2 add a little pepper and salt and put a small bit of butter in the middle of each mushroom4 ,pour a teaspoonful of cream over each1 and add one clove for the whole dish4 ,put an inverted basin over the whole4 ,bake for twenty or twenty-five minutes1 and do not remove the basin until the dish is brought to the table1 so as to preserve the grateful aroma4 ,a delightful dish4 ,mushrooms la ,crme4--,peel and stem the mushrooms1 roll a lump of butter in flour and put it into the saucepan1 then add the mushrooms and some salt1 white pepper1 a little sugar and finely chopped parsley4 ,stew for ten minutes4 ,take the yolks of two eggs beaten up with two large spoonfuls of cream1 and add the mixture gradually to the stew2 cook for a few minutes longer1 and serve hot4 ,this is a delicious dish1 but the fine mushroom flavor is not as pronounced in it as it is in the plain bake or stew4 ,curried ,mushrooms4--,peel and stem a pound of mushrooms1 sprinkle with salt1 add a little butter1 and stew gently for fifteen or twenty minutes in a little good stock or gravy4 ,then add four tablespoonfuls of cream and one teaspoonful of good curry powder previously well mixed with two teaspoonfuls of wheat flour4 ,mix carefully and cook for five or ten minutes longer1 and serve on hot toast on hot plates4 ,a capital dish much enjoyed by those who like curry4 ,broiled ,mushrooms4--,select large1 open1 fresh mushrooms1 stem and peel them4 ,put them on the gridiron1 stem side down1 over a bright but not very hot fire1 and cook for three minutes4 ,then turn them and put a small piece of butter in the middle of each1 and broil for about ten minutes longer4 ,put them in hot plates1 gills upward1 and place another small piece of butter on each mushroom1 together with a little pepper and salt1 and flavor with lemon juice or ,chili vinegar1 and put them into the oven for a minute or two4 ,then send them to table4 ,mushroom ,soup4--,take a quantity of fresh young mushrooms1 and peel and stem them4 ,stew them with a little butter1 pepper and salt1 and some good stock1 till tender2 take them out and chop them up quite small2 prepare a good stock1 as for any other soup1 and add it to the mushrooms and the liquor they have been stewed in4 ,boil all together1 and serve4 ,if white soup is required use white button mushrooms and a good veal stock1 adding a spoonful of cream or a little milk as the color may require4 ,this is a nice soup and tastes good4 ,if the mushrooms are very young they have but little flavor2 if they are full grown they darken the soup1 and if they are brown in the gills when used the soup will be disagreeably dark4 ,if1 after preparing1 but before cooking the mushrooms1 you pour some boiling water over them and into this drop a little vinegar or lemon juice1 then drain them off through a colander1 you can prevent1 to a great extent1 their darkening influence on the soup1 but always at the expense of their flavor4 ,mushroom ,stems4--,the stems of young1 fresh mushrooms are excellent to eat1 but those of old or stale mushrooms are unfit for food4 ,in the case of plump1 fresh1 full-sized mushrooms1 the upper part of the stem1 that is1 the portion between the frill and the socket in the cap1 is used1 but the portion below the frill1 that is1 the root end1 is discarded4 ,any part of the stem that is discolored or tough or woody should be rejected1 and only the portion that is succulent and brittle and of a clean white color at any time used4 ,the stems are nearly always retained in button mushrooms when they are cooked1 and the upper or succulent parts of the stems of plump1 fresh1 full-grown mushrooms are often cooked along with the caps1 but when cooking full-grown mushrooms we prefer1 in all cases1 to completely remove the stems from the mushrooms1 and cook both separately4 ,the stems are not so tender or deliciously flavored as are the caps1 but are excellent for ketchup1 or flavoring1 or a sauce for eating with boiled fowl4 ,in cooking the stems they should be peeled by scraping1 for they can not be skinned like the caps4 ,potted ,mushrooms4--,select nice button or unopen mushrooms1 and to a quart of these add three ounces of fresh butter1 and stew gently in an enameled saucepan1 shaking them frequently to prevent burning4 ,after a few minutes dust a little finely powdered salt1 a little spice1 and a few grains of cayenne over them1 and stew until tender4 ,when cooked turn them into a colander standing in a basin1 and leave them there until cold2 then press them into small potting-jars1 and fill up the jars with warm clarified butter1 and cover with paper tied down and brushed over with melted suet to exclude the air4 ,keep in a cool1 dry place4 ,the gravy should be retained for flavoring other gravies1 sauces1 etc4 ,gilbert's ,breakfast ,mushrooms4--,get half grown mushrooms1 peel them and lay them1 gills-side upward1 on a plate2 put to each a small piece of butter1 but only one layer thick2 pepper and salt to taste2 add two tablespoonfuls of ketchup and one of water2 press round the rim of the plate a strip of paste1 get another plate of the same size pressed firmly in the paste2 put the whole in a brisk oven for twenty-five minutes4 ,the top plate should be left on until served4 ,baked ,mushrooms4--7,a breakfast1 luncheon1 or supper dish47 ,ingredients3 ,sixteen or twenty mushroom flaps1 butter1 pepper to taste4 ,mode4 ,for this mode of cooking the mushroom flaps are better than the buttons1 and should not be too large4 ,cut off a portion of stalk1 peel the top1 and wipe the mushrooms carefully with a piece of flannel and a little fine salt4 ,put them into a tin baking dish1 with a very small piece of butter placed on each mushroom2 sprinkle over a little pepper1 and let them bake for about twenty minutes1 or longer should the mushrooms be very large4 ,have ready a very hot dish1 pile the mushrooms high in the center1 pour the gravy round1 and send them to table quickly on very hot plates4 ,broiled ,mushrooms4--7,a breakfast1 luncheon1 or supper dish47 ,ingredients3 ,mushrooms1 pepper and salt to taste1 butter1 lemon juice4 ,mode4 ,cleanse the mushrooms by wiping them with a piece of flannel and a little salt2 cut off a portion of the stalk and peel the tops2 broil them over a clear fire1 turning them once1 and arrange them on a very hot dish4 ,put a small piece of butter on each mushroom1 season with pepper and salt and squeeze over them a few drops of lemon juice4 ,place the dish before the fire1 and when the butter is melted serve very hot and quickly4 ,moderate sized flaps are better suited to this mode of cooking than the buttons2 the latter are better in stews4 ,mushrooms la ,casse1 ,tout4--,ingredients3 ,mushrooms1 toast1 two ounces of butter1 pepper and salt4 ,mode4 ,cut a round of bread one-half an inch thick1 and toast it nicely2 butter both sides and place it in a clean baking sheet or tin2 cleanse the mushrooms as in preceding recipe1 and place them on the toast1 head downwards1 lightly pepper and salt them1 and place a piece of butter the size of a nut on each mushroom2 cover them with a finger glass and let them cook close to the fire for ten or twelve minutes4 ,slip the toast into a hot dish1 but do not remove the glass cover until they are on the table4 ,all the aroma and flavor of the mushrooms are preserved by this method4 ,the name of this excellent recipe need not deter the careful housekeeper from trying it4 ,with moderate care the glass cover will not crack4 ,in winter it should be rinsed in warm water before using4 ,stewed ,mushrooms4--,ingredients4 ,one pint mushroom buttons1 three ounces of fresh butter1 white pepper and salt to taste1 lemon juice1 one teaspoonful of flour1 cream or milk1 one-fourth teaspoonful of grated nutmeg4 ,mode4 ,cut off the ends of the stalks and pare neatly a pint of mushroom buttons2 put them into a basin of water with a little lemon juice as they are done4 ,when all are prepared take them from the water with the hands1 to avoid the sediment1 and put them into a stewpan with the fresh butter1 white pepper1 salt1 and the juice of one-half a lemon2 cover the pan closely and let the mushrooms stew gently from twenty to twenty-five minutes1 then thicken the butter with the above proportion of flour1 add gradually sufficient cream1 or cream and milk1 to make the sauce of a proper consistency1 and put in the grated nutmeg4 ,if the mushrooms are not perfectly tender stew them for five minutes longer1 remove every particle of butter which may be floating on the top1 and serve4 ,broiled ,beefsteak and ,mushrooms4--,ingredients3 ,two or three dozen small button mushrooms1 one ounce of butter1 salt and cayenne to taste1 one tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup4 ,mode4 ,wipe the mushrooms free from grit with a piece of flannel1 and salt2 put them in a stewpan with the butter1 seasoning1 and ketchup2 stir over the fire until the mushrooms are quite done4 ,have the steak nicely broiled1 and pour over4 ,the above is very good with either broiled or stewed steak4 ,to ,preserve ,mushrooms4--,ingredients3 ,to each quart of mushrooms allow three ounces of butter1 pepper and salt to taste1 the juice of one lemon1 clarified butter4 ,mode4 ,peel the mushrooms1 put them into cold water1 with a little lemon juice2 take them out and dry them very carefully in a cloth4 ,put the butter into a stewpan capable of holding the mushrooms2 when it is melted add the mushrooms1 lemon juice1 and a seasoning of pepper and salt2 draw them down over a slow fire1 and let them remain until their liquor is boiled away and they have become quite dry1 but be careful in not allowing them to stick to the bottom of the stewpan4 ,when done put them into pots and pour over the top clarified butter4 ,if wanted for immediate use they will keep good a few days without being covered over4 ,to rewarm them put the mushrooms into a stewpan1 strain the butter from them1 and they will be ready for use4 ,mushroom ,powder4--7,a valuable addition to sauces and gravies when fresh mushrooms are not obtainable47 ,ingredients3 ,one-half peck of large mushrooms1 two onions1 twelve cloves1 one-fourth ounce of pounded mace1 two teaspoonfuls of white pepper4 ,mode4 ,peel the mushrooms1 wipe them perfectly free from grit and dirt1 remove the black fur1 and reject all those that are at all worm-eaten2 put them into a stewpan with the above ingredients1 but without water2 shake them over a clear fire till all the liquor is dried up1 and be careful not to let them burn2 arrange them on tins and dry them in a slow oven2 pound them to a fine powder1 which put into small dry bottles2 cork well1 seal the corks1 and keep it in a dry place4 ,in using this powder1 add it to the gravy just before serving1 when it will require one boil up4 ,the flavor imparted by this means to the gravy ought to be exceedingly good4 ,this should be made in ,september1 or at the beginning of ,october1 and if the mushroom powder bottle in which it is stored away is not perfectly dry it will speedily deteriorate4 ,mushroom ,powder4--,this is for use as a condiment4 ,the finest full-grown mushrooms--which are the best flavored--should be selected and prepared for drying1 and dried as stated under the heading of ,dried ,mushrooms1 except that it is better to dry them in an oven or drying machine so that they may be dried quickly and become brittle4 ,grate or otherwise reduce them to a fine powder1 and preserve this in tightly-corked bottles4 ,to ,dry ,mushrooms4--,wipe them clean1 take away the brown part and peel off the skin2 lay them on sheets of paper to dry1 in a cool oven1 when they will shrivel considerably4 ,keep them in paper bags1 which hang in a dry place4 ,when wanted for use put them into cold gravy1 bring them gradually to simmer1 and it will be found that they will regain nearly their usual size4 ,dried ,mushrooms4--,in the flush of the pasture-mushroom season gather a large number of mushrooms of all sizes and see that they are thoroughly clean2 remove and discard the stems and peel the caps4 ,stir them around for a few minutes in boiling water to which a little lemon juice or vinegar has been added to prevent them from turning dark colored4 ,some people use plain cold water1 or cold water with lemon juice or vinegar in it4 ,but never use salt in preparing mushrooms for drying1 or else the salted mushrooms will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and spoil4 ,take the mushrooms out of the water and drain them on a sieve1 then string them and hang them up to dry and season in an open1 airy shed1 as one would strings of drying fruit4 ,they may also be dried in a drying machine or oven as one would do with apples or peaches4 ,they are used as a substitute for fresh mushrooms when the latter can not be obtained4 ,in preparing dried mushrooms for use steep them in tepid water or milk until they become quite soft and plump1 then drain them dry and cook them in the same way as fresh mushrooms4 ,while they are a good substitute for the fresh article they are deficient in flavor4 ,mushroom ,ketchup4--,to each peck of mushrooms add one-half pound of salt2 to each quart of mushroom liquor one-half ounce of allspice1 one-half ounce of ginger1 two blades of pounded mace1 one-fourth ounce of cayenne4 ,choose full-grown mushroom flaps1 and be careful that they are perfectly fresh-gathered when the weather is tolerably dry2 for if they are picked during rain the ketchup made from them is liable to get musty1 and will not keep long4 ,put a layer of them in a deep pan1 sprinkle salt over them1 then another layer of mushrooms and so on alternately4 ,let them remain for a few hours1 and break them up with the hand2 put them in a cool place for three days1 occasionally stirring and mashing them well to extract from them as much juice as possible4 ,measure the quantity without straining1 and to each quart allow the above proportion of spices1 etc4 ,put all into a stone jar1 cover it up very closely1 put it in a saucepan of boiling water1 set it over the fire and let it boil for three hours4 ,have ready a clean stewpan2 turn into it the contents of the jar1 and let the whole simmer very gently for half an hour2 pour it into a pitcher1 where it should stand in a cool place until the next day2 then pour it off into another pitcher and strain it into very dry clean bottles1 and do not squeeze the mushrooms4 ,to each pint of ketchup add a few drops of brandy4 ,be careful not to shake the contents1 but leave all the sediment behind in the pitcher2 cork well1 and either seal or rosin the cork1 so as to exclude the air perfectly4 ,when a very clear1 bright ketchup is wanted the liquor must be strained through a very fine hair sieve or flannel bag after it has been very gently poured off2 if the operation is not successful it must be repeated until you have quite a clear liquor4 ,it should be examined occasionally1 and if it is spoiling should be reboiled with a few peppercorns4 ,seasonable from the beginning of ,september to the middle of ,october1 when this ketchup should be made4 ,mushroom ,ketchup4--,this flavoring ingredient1 if genuine and well prepared1 is one of the most useful store sauces to the experienced cook1 and no trouble should be spared in its preparation4 ,double ketchup is made by reducing the liquor to half the quantity2 for example1 one quart must be boiled down to one pint4 ,this goes further than ordinary ketchup1 as so little is required to flavor a good quantity of gravy4 ,the sediment may also be bottled for immediate use1 and will be found to answer for flavoring thick soups or gravies4 ,mushroom ,ketchup4--,in making ketchup use the very best mushrooms1 full grown but young and fresh1 as it is highly important to secure fine flavor1 and this we can not get from inferior mushrooms4 ,take a measure of fine fresh mushrooms and see that they are clean and free from grit2 stem and peel them2 cut them into very thin slices and place a layer of these on the bottom of a deep dish or tureen2 sprinkle this layer with fine salt1 then put in another layer and sprinkle with salt as before1 and so on until the dish is full4 ,the white succulent part of the stems may also be used in the ketchup1 but never any discolored1 tough or stringy part4 ,on the top of all strew a layer of fresh walnut rind cut into small pieces4 ,place the dish in a cool cellar for four or five days1 to allow the contents to macerate4 ,when the whole mass has become nearly liquid pass it through a colander4 ,then boil down the strained liquor to half of its bulk and add its own weight of calf's-foot jelly2 season with allspice or white pepper and boil down to the consistence of jelly4 ,pour into stoneware jars and keep in a cool place4 ,pickled ,mushrooms4--,use sufficient vinegar to cover the mushrooms2 to each quart of mushrooms two blades of pounded mace1 one ounce of ground pepper1 salt to taste4 ,choose young button mushrooms for pickling1 and rub off the skin with a piece of flannel and salt1 and cut off the stalks2 if very large take out the red gills and reject the black ones1 as they are too old4 ,put them in a stewpan1 sprinkle salt over them1 with pounded mace and pepper in the above proportion2 shake them well over a clear fire until the liquor flows1 and keep them there until it is all dried up again2 then add as much vinegar as will cover them2 let it simmer for one minute1 and store it away in stone jars for use4 ,when cold tie down with bladder and keep in a dry place2 they will remain good for a long time1 and are generally considered delicious4 ,make this the same time as ketchup1 from the beginning of ,september to the middle of ,october4 ,the above recipes are furnished by ,mrs4 ,george ,amberley1 of ,new ,york ,city4 ,,index4 ,ammonia ,arising1 #ed ,anguillul1 #abd ,in ,decaying ,vegetation1 #abf ,scalding ,water to ,kill1 #abf ,to ,destroy1 #aad ,apparatus1 ,hot ,water1 #cc ,atmosphere1 ,manure ,steam for ,moistening1 #aad ,remedying a too ,dry1 #aad ,barn ,cellars1 #aj ,bedding1 ,wetted with ,urine1 #eh ,beds1 #af ,alongside of ,wall1 #ah ,banked ,against a ,wall1 #ec ,bearing in ,november1 #be ,black ,spot in the1 #ajh ,boring ,holes in1 to ,reduce ,temperature1 #gf ,bottom of1 #ag ,box1 #ag ,casing1 after ,spawning1 #ajj ,casing the1 #ajd ,earthing ,over the1 #ajc ,experiments as to ,proper ,time to ,case1 #ajd ,fifteen ,inches ,thick1 #bb ,firmly ,built1 #gf ,flat1 #ej ,flat1 ,sods fit only for1 #ajg ,floor1 #ai ,flooring for the1 #bh ,green ,sods1 ,method of ,casing1 #ajf ,killing the ,mycelium in1 #if ,loam for1 #ajj ,manure1 #bj ,maximum ,heat of ,best1 #ge ,midwinter1 #ci ,mulching1 #bc ,mushroom1 #ab ,never ,spawn1 when ,heat is ,rising1 #if ,odorless1 in ,dwelling ,house ,cellars1 #ba ,of ,low ,temperature1 #gg ,on the ,floor1 #ac ,outside1 #ab ,parching ,effect ,visible on1 #bf ,picking ,fogged-off ,mushrooms from1 #ajh ,rack1 #ac ,re-,invigorating ,old1 #abj ,renovating ,old1 in ,england1 #adb ,ridge1 #ag ,second ,crop from1 #abj ,shelf1 #af1 #bi ,spawned at #ff to #gj1 #ig ,spawning and ,molding1 #ad ,spawning the1 #if ,spent ,mushroom1 #aba ,stale1 #gf ,tamping ,surface of1 #bc ,temperature of a ,twelve ,inch ,thick ,bed1 #if ,ten or ,twelve ,inches ,deep1 #ai ,tending the1 #ag ,three ,feet ,deep1 #be ,to ,keep1 ,warm1 #aji ,topdressed1 #bc ,under ,greenhouse ,benches1 ,to make1 #ec ,watering1 #bd ,watering the1 #ajh ,watering ,mushroom1 #aaa ,when ,dry to be ,watered1 #aaa ,wide1 ,with ,pathway ,above199 #dd ,worn ,out1 #abj ,beetles1 ,larv of ,two1 ,destroying ,mycelium1 #acb ,benches ,covered1 #dj ,black ,spot1 #abd ,a ,disease1 #abe ,in ,beds in ,vigorous ,bearing1 #abe ,in ,new ,beds1 #abe ,is ,unwholesome1 #abf ,to ,prevent1 #abe ,boards1 ,stepping1 #ag ,boiler and ,pipes1 #cb ,boilers1 ,hitching's ,base-burner1 #ca ,boxing1 #ai ,lid for1 #ai ,old ,carpet or ,matting ,over1 #ai ,bullet or ,shot ,holes in ,mushrooms1 #abh ,bugs1 ,mealy1 #ab ,calico1 #ah ,caves1 #ag ,caves of ,paris1 ,in the199 #adg ,paris1 ,description of1 #adc ,french ,spawn ,used in1 #adf ,gathering ,mushrooms for ,market in the1 #adi ,making ,beds in the1 #ade ,manure ,used in the1 #add ,material ,used for and ,method of ,earthing ,over in1 #adf ,methods of ,regulating ,draughts in the1 #aej ,preparation of ,manure for the1 #add ,paris1 ,spawn ,used in the1 and ,how ,obtained1 #ade ,stratifying ,spawn ,before ,using in the1 #adf ,temperature in ,spacious1 ,high ,roofed1 #adg ,ventilation in the1 #adh ,when and ,how ,mushrooms are ,gathered in the1 #adh ,ceiling1 ,flat1 #cg ,sloping1 #cf ,wet1 #ah ,cellar1 ,barn1 #ac ,cleanliness in the ,mushroom1 #bf ,cool1 #ai ,cross-section of the ,dosoris ,mushroom199 #bg ,dosoris ,mushroom1 #bg ,divided1 #cj ,ground ,plan of the ,dosoris199 #bh ,height of1 #ag ,house1 #ac ,interior ,arrangements of1 #af ,mushroom1 ,under a ,barn199 #af ,of ,dwelling ,house1 #ah ,ordinary1 #ba ,outhouse1 #ah ,pent-up1 #ag ,unheated1 #ag ,vegetable1 #ab ,warm1 #ai ,wholly ,devoted to ,mushroom ,growing1 #ae ,cellars1 #aj ,artificial ,heating1 #ag ,cool1 ,airy1 #bj ,flat ,roofed ,mushroom1 #ah ,mushrooms in1 #be ,potato1 #ah ,underground1 #ae1 #bg ,cistern1 ,large ,underground1 #ah ,coal1 ,nut and ,stove1 #cc ,cold and ,vermin1 #ai ,cooking ,mushrooms1 #aej ,crop1 ,common ,average1 #cj ,gathering the1 #ag ,marketing the1 #ad ,yielding1 #ca ,crops1 ,capital1 #ag ,cut ,flower ,season1 #aa ,dirt1 ,roadside1 #aja ,doors1 ,double1 #af ,outside1 #ce ,single1 #af ,drip1 ,cold1 ,falling upon ,beds1 #cf ,crop ,suffering ,from1 #ea ,from ,benches1 the ,effects of1 #ea ,in ,commercial ,greenhouses1 #eb ,plan for ,warding off1 #eb ,dust and ,noxious ,gas1 #ag ,entrance1 #af ,entrance ,pits1 #cj ,economy1 ,false1 #cg ,families1 ,private1 #ah ,farmers1 #ac ,flies1 ,manure1 #abf ,manure1 ,ill-favor of1 #abf ,manure ,perfectly ,harmless1 #abg ,fire1 ,danger of1 #cc ,flock1 #acb ,how ,general is1 #acd ,the ,cause of1 #acc ,the ,habits and ,manner of ,growth of1 #acc ,the ,worst ,mushroom ,disease1 #acb ,what it ,looks ,like1 #acd ,what is1 #acc ,floor1 ,a ,dry1 ,necessary1 #dg ,common ,earth1 #dg ,dry1 #ce1 #ci ,earthen1 #ba ,flooring1 #bi ,fogging ,off1 #ajf1 #aca ,favorable ,conditions for1 #acb ,the ,cause of1 #aca ,florists1 #aa ,florists' ,greenhouses1 #aj ,frame1 ,boxed-up with ,straw ,covering199 #ai ,covered with ,calico1 #bj ,covered with ,oiled ,paper1 #bj ,common ,hotbed ,box1 #de ,preparing ,beds in the1 #df ,shading the1 #dg ,spawning in1 #df ,frost1 ,hoar1 #ce ,to ,exclude1 #dj ,fruit ,room1 #ab ,furnace1 ,boxed off1 #ag ,gardens1 ,private1 #cg ,grapery1 ,beds and ,frames ,inside the1 #ac ,greenhouse ,bench1 ,boxed ,mushroom ,bed ,under199 #da ,greenhouse ,benches1 ,among ,other ,plants on1 #dh ,greenhouse ,benches1 ,on1 #db ,greenhouse ,benches1 ,under1 #dg ,greenhouses1 ,beds in ,open1 ,airy1 #ec ,cool1 #da ,growing ,mushrooms in1 #da ,in ,frames in1 #dd ,steam-heated1 #dh ,growers1 ,parisian1 #fj ,heat1 ,artificial not ,absolutely ,necessary1 #ag ,fire1 #ag ,parching1 #ag ,heater1 ,base-burning ,water199 #cb ,vertical ,section199 #cb ,heating ,apparatus1 #bh ,hoe1 ,angular-pointed1 #bc ,hops1 ,spent1 #fh ,spent1 ,cost ,nothing1 #fi ,horses1 ,those who ,keep1 #ac ,hotbed ,frames1 #dd ,house1 ,a ,mushroom1 #cd ,cow1 #ac ,ground ,plan of ,mrs4 ,osborne's ,mushroom199 #cf ,in ,dwelling1 #ah ,interior ,arrangement of ,mushroom1 #cg ,interior ,view of ,mr4 ,henshaw's ,mushroom199 #cc ,mr4 ,samuel ,henshaw's1 #cg ,mushroom1 ,built ,against ,north-facing ,wall199 #cd ,section of ,mrs4 ,osborne's199 #ce ,houses1 ,fruit-forcing1 #ab ,growing ,mushrooms in ,rose1 #di ,lettuce1 ,mushrooms in1 #ej ,tomato-forcing1 ,mushrooms in1 #di ,well-sheltered in ,winter1 #cd ,insecticide1 ,common ,salt as an1 #aac ,leaves1 ,condition of1 to ,heat1 #fh ,fermenting1 ,beds ,composed of1 #fh ,oak1 the ,best1 #fg ,quick-rotting1 #fg ,tree1 #fg ,lettuce ,house1 ,moisture of1 #aj ,lice1 ,wood1 #abi ,loam and ,manure1 #aa ,mixed1 #gb ,mixed1 ,temperature of1 #gg ,mixed1 ,to ,prepare1 #gc ,loam1 ,coating1 #bj ,common1 for ,casing1 #ajj ,containing ,old ,manure1 #aja ,fibrous1 ,mellow1 ,best for ,earthing ,over1 #ajc ,fresh ,sod1 #ajj ,heavy1 ,clayey1 #aja ,ordinary ,field ,soil1 #bf ,sod1 ,reasons for ,use of1 #gc ,topdressing with1 #ajg ,lot1 ,village or ,suburban1 #ac ,manure1 #ac ,baled1 #fd ,cellar1 #fb ,city ,stable1 #fc ,common ,horse1 #ba ,cow1 #fe ,cow1 ,necessary in ,manufacture of ,spawn1 #ff ,drying by ,exposure1 #ga ,fermenting ,fresh ,horse1 #bd ,fire-fanged1 #fb ,firmly ,packed1 #gj ,flies1 #abd1 #abf ,fresh1 #ab ,fresher the ,better1 #eh ,from ,city ,stables1 #bf ,german ,peat ,moss ,stable1 #ff ,handling1 #ce ,homemade1 #fj ,horse1 #eg ,hog1 ,mycelium ,evades1 #fc ,liquid1 #aac ,liquid1 ,cow and ,sheep1 #aac ,of ,entire ,horses1 #fj ,of ,horses fed with ,carrots1 #fa ,of ,mules1 #fb ,preparation of the1 #fi ,preserve the ,wet and ,strawy ,part1 #fj ,proper ,condition of1 #gb ,sawdust ,stable1 #ff ,selected1 #fc ,steaming ,hot1 #bd ,the ,best1 #eg ,to ,prevent fire-fang in1 #gj ,turning the1 #ad1 #ga ,warm1 #ac ,well-rotted1 #ad ,without ,preparatory ,treatment1 #bb ,market1 ,a ,good1 #be ,gardener1 #i1 #ae ,gardening near ,new ,york1 #i ,markets1 ,brooklyn1 #bf ,in ,winter1 #aj ,materials1 ,exhausted1 #af ,for ,beds1 ,fresh1 #af ,waste of1 #ag ,method1 ,mr4 ,denton's1 #be ,mr4 ,gardner's1 #ba ,mr4 ,van ,siclen's1 #bg ,methods1 ,avoiding ,complicated1 #ba ,mice and ,rats1 #acj ,different ,kinds of1 #acj ,fond of ,mushrooms1 #acj ,mice1 ,how they ,disfigure ,mushrooms1 #acj ,mites not a ,mushroom ,pest1 #acj ,the ,home of1 #acj ,two ,kinds of1 ,common1 #acj ,moisture1 ,condensation of1 #df ,mold on ,beds1 ,how ,deep to ,put1 #aje ,money1 ,pin- #ad ,mushroom1 ,a ,perfect199 #aaf ,affected with ,black ,spot199 #abe ,bed ,built ,flat on the ,ground199 #eb ,bed ,five ,feet ,wide1 ,profit from1 #ab ,bed1 ,rigid199 #ec ,beds1 #aa ,beds in ,england1 ,how made1 #acg ,beds1 ,making up the1 #gd ,beds1 ,manure-fatted ,loam in1 #bf ,beds1 ,manure for1 #eg ,beds1 ,mr4 ,wilson's199 #ea ,beds on ,greenhouse ,benches1 ,objection to1 #db ,beds1 ,sites for ,around ,london1 #acg ,cellar1 ,perspective ,view of the ,dosoris199 #eh ,crop1 #ac ,flock-,diseased199 #acc ,food1 #bd ,growing in the ,paris ,caves1 #adc ,growing ,out of ,doors a ,specialty1 #acf ,growing1 ,profit of1 ,around ,london1 #acf ,growing1 ,success in1 #ab ,house1 ,a ,regular1 #ab ,house1 ,best ,kind of1 #aa ,house1 ,cellar ,everybody's1 #ae ,house1 ,damping ,floors of1 #aae ,houses1 ,cleaning the1 #ace ,houses1 ,growing ,mushrooms in1 #cd ,houses1 ,ideal1 #ae ,houses1 ,whitewashing1 #ace ,season ,closed1 #ca ,spawn1 #gh ,the ,horse1 #dh ,a ,winter ,crop1 #ad ,advantages of ,pulling over ,cutting1 #aag ,after a ,dry ,summer1 #ee ,and ,grapevines1 #ac ,black ,spot in1 #abd ,cause of ,black ,spot in1 #abd ,english1 #aae ,filling ,stump ,holes with ,fresh ,loam1 #aag ,five ,inch ,diameter before ,expanding1 #dg ,for ,family ,use1 #ac ,for ,soups1 ,when to ,pick1 #aaf ,fresh1 #ab ,from ,natural ,spawn1 #dh ,from ,october ,until ,may1 #cj ,gathering and ,marketing1 #aae ,gathering ,field and ,wild1 #aah ,gathering in ,cold ,weather1 #adj ,good1 #ai ,growing in ,cellars1 #ae ,growing in ,fields1 #ed ,growing1 in ,narrow ,troughs1 #ei ,growing in ,ridges ,around ,london1 #acf ,growing in ,sawdust1 #fg ,grown on ,greenhouse ,benches199 #dc ,growth of from ,spawning under ,different ,temperatures1 #aaj ,head ,room1 #ai ,importance of ,care in ,gathering and ,packing for ,shipment1 #aai ,in ,august and ,september1 #ef ,in ,crates and ,baskets1 #aah ,in the ,fields1 ,plan of ,growing1 #ee ,insect and ,other ,enemies of1 #abb ,knack in ,pulling1 #aag ,maggots in1 #abb1 #abd ,maggots in1 appear in ,april1 #abc ,maggots1 ,size of1 in1 #abc ,marketed in ,paper ,boxes1 #aah ,marketing1 #aah ,not a ,bulky ,crop1 #aa ,on ,greenhouse ,bench ,under ,tomatoes1 #de ,packed in ,punnets for ,london ,market1 #aai ,picking so as not to ,disturb ,buttons1 #aag ,pin-,head1 #ajg ,profit on1 ,clear ,gain1 #ea ,proper ,manner of ,picking1 #aaf ,pulled1 ,keeping ,qualities of1 #aag ,scooping ,out the ,stumps1 #aag ,sold by the ,pound1 #aah ,sorting and ,packing for ,market1 in ,england1 #ada ,summer ,crops of1 #abc ,under the ,benches1 #aa ,when ,fit to ,pick1 #aae ,who ,should ,grow1 #i ,wild1 #ee ,mulching1 ,when to ,remove1 #db ,mycelium1 ,liquid to ,encourage ,spread of1 #gg ,odor1 ,bad1 #bj ,outbuildings1 #ab ,paper1 ,building1 #eb ,oiled1 #ah ,passage-ways1 #ah ,pathways1 #af ,peat ,moss1 ,bale of ,german1 #ff ,pipes1 ,heating1 #ag ,hot1 ,injury from1 #dh ,hot ,water1 #bc ,sheet ,iron1 #bg ,smoke1 #cc ,private ,gardeners1 #ab ,rats1 ,more ,destructive than ,mice1 #aca ,recipes for ,cooking and ,preserving ,mushrooms1 #aej ,a la ,casse1 ,tout1 #aeg ,a la ,crme1 #aed ,baked1 #aeb1 #aef ,broiled1 #aed1 #aef ,broiled ,beefsteak and1 #aeh ,cooked1 ,general ,directions for ,serving1 #aeb ,cooking1 #aej ,cooking1 ,general ,preparation of1 for1 #aea ,curried1 #aed ,dried1 #afj ,gilbert's ,breakfast1 #aef ,ketchup1 #afj1 #afa1 #afb ,kind of1 to ,select for1 #aej ,pickled1 #afb ,potted1 #aee ,powder1 #aei ,soup1 #aed ,soyer's ,breakfast1 #aec ,stems1 #aee ,stewed1 #aec1 #aeg ,to ,dry1 #aei ,to ,preserve1 #aeh ,ridges1 #ag ,casing the1 #aci ,covering the1 #adj ,covering with ,litter1 #aci ,drenching ,rains ,injurious to1 #aci ,first made in ,august1 #adj ,for ,growing ,mushrooms in ,open ,field1 #ach ,method of ,gathering ,mushrooms from1 #ada ,smoothing the1 #aci ,the ,covered199 #adj ,watering the1 #aci ,roof1 #ce ,roofs water-tight1 #ci ,of ,tin1 #ch ,with ,coating of ,salt ,hay1 #ch ,salad ,plants1 #aj ,sashes1 #df ,secret1 ,no1 #ad ,shading on ,sunny ,days1 #db ,shaft1 ,chimney-like1 #af ,shaft1 ,tall1 ,wooden1 #bh ,shed1 ,open on ,south ,side1 #ci ,potting1 #ab ,warm ,potting1 #dj ,the ,term ,applied1 #dj ,tool1 #ab ,wood1 #ab ,sheds1 ,growing ,mushrooms in1 #ci ,unheated1 #dj ,shelves1 ,temporary ,structures1 #be ,shutters1 ,light ,wooden1 #ec ,slugs1 #abg ,attack ,mushrooms in all ,stages1 #abg ,biting into ,stems of ,mushrooms1 #abg ,fond of ,mushrooms1 #abg ,how to ,catch and ,kill1 #abh ,salt ,distasteful to1 #abh ,the ,cause of ,bullet or ,shot ,holes1 #abh ,soil1 ,conditions of for ,casing1 #aje ,firming the1 #ajf ,from ,slopes and ,dry ,hollows in ,woods1 #aja ,ordinary ,garden1 #aja ,peat1 or ,swamp ,muck1 #aja ,sandy1 #aja ,sifting1 for ,casing1 #aje ,southern ,states1 #aj ,spawn1 #ac ,american-made1 #hf ,amount of ,imported1 #hj ,another ,method by ,lachaume1 #id ,black ,colored to be ,avoided1 #hf ,breaking1 #bc ,brick199 #hj ,brick1 ,cut in ,pieces for ,planting199 #ig ,brick1 ,how to ,make1 #hg ,brick1 the ,best1 #ie ,depth to ,plant1 #ih ,effect of ,heat and ,moisture ,upon1 #hc ,effect of ,severe ,frost ,upon1 #hc ,english1 #ha ,english ,brick1 #bc ,flake1 #hb1 #ii ,flake1 ,does ,best under ,cover1 #ie ,flake or ,french199 #hb ,french1 #hb ,french ,flake1 #bd ,homemade ,around ,london1 #acg ,how to ,distinguish ,good from ,poor1 #hd ,how to ,get1 #gi ,how to ,keep1 #hc ,how to make ,french 7,flake71 #ia ,imported from ,europe1 #gi ,in ,leaf ,beds1 #fh ,in ,manure1 ,do not ,bury1 #aj ,inserting ,french or ,flake1 #ih ,inserting more than ,three ,inches ,deep1 #aje ,insuring ,development of1 #di ,lachaume's ,method of ,making1 #ic ,making1 ,distinct ,branch1 #hg ,making ,french ,virgin1 #ib ,mill-track1 #ha ,mr4 ,j4 ,burton's ,method of ,making1 #ij ,natural1 #ha ,new ,versus ,old1 #hc ,never use ,dibber in ,planting1 #ih ,other ,recipes for ,making1 #hi ,planting of in ,open ,fields1 #ed ,preparing the1 #ig ,principal ,american ,growers of1 #hf ,relative ,merits of ,flake and ,brick1 #id ,signs of ,sterility in1 #he ,simplest ,way of ,making1 #hh ,steeped1 #ii ,the ,way in which it ,comes1 #ha ,to tell ,quality by ,smell of1 #he ,transplanting ,pieces of ,working1 #ii ,very ,dead1 #hd ,very ,living1 #hd ,virgin1 #hb1 #ia ,what is ,mushroom1 #gh ,where ,obtained1 #gi ,spiders1 ,red1 #ab ,spores1 ,myriads of1 #gh ,spurious ,fungi1 #ajb ,stable1 ,empty ,stall in ,horse1 #ac ,staging1 ,erecting ,temporary1 #df ,stairway1 #af ,in ,pit1 #cb ,standard ,crop1 #i ,stoke-hole1 #ab ,stove1 ,common ,iron1 #bf ,straw1 ,rye1 #dg ,sunlight1 ,protection from1 #aj ,temperature1 #aj ,at ,night1 #da ,about #eg ,suitable1 #bc ,fluctuations of1 #ae ,from #ej to #fj1 #ah ,high1 #ai ,in ,dosoris ,cellars1 #aji ,in ,midwinter1 #cc ,low1 #ae ,proper1 #ge1 #aji ,sudden ,changes to be ,avoided1 #dg ,too ,high1 ,guard ,against1 #gf ,winter1 #fj ,necessary1 #ch ,thrips1 #ab ,toads1 #aca ,not to be ,recommended1 #aca ,upheaving ,clumps of ,mushrooms1 #aca ,toadstools1 #ajb ,on ,hotbeds1 #ajb ,on ,manure ,piles1 #ajb ,trapping ,rats and ,mice1 #aca ,traps for ,wood ,lice1 #abi ,tunnel1 ,subterranean1 #bg ,ventilation1 ,assisting1 #ag ,ventilator1 ,chimney-like1 #bb ,ventilators1 #af1 #bh ,side ,window1 #ce ,window and ,doors1 #ba ,village ,people and ,suburban ,residents1 #ac ,wall1 ,cold1 not ,injurious #cj ,walls #ce ,warmth1 ,artificial1 #ag ,steady1 #ag ,water1 ,manure1 for ,beds in ,full ,bearing1 #aab ,space and ,double ,casing1 #cb ,watering1 ,endeavor to ,lessen ,necessity of1 #aaa ,for1 use ,clean1 ,soft ,water1 #aaa ,over ,mulching1 #aaa ,pot1 ,size to use1 #aab ,wife1 ,farmer's1 #ad ,windows1 #af ,winds1 ,piercing1 and ,draughts1 #ci ,women ,searching for ,remunerative ,employment1 #ad ,wood ,lice1 #abi ,abundant in ,mushroom ,houses1 #abi ,eating ,potato1 #abi ,how to ,trap1 #abi ,work1 ,clean1 #ad ,a ,valuable ,periodical for everybody in ,city1 ,village1 and ,country4 ,the ,american ,agriculturist4 7,,established #ahdb47 ,,the ,,leading ,,international ,,publication ,,for ,,the ,,farm1 ,,garden1 ,,and ,,household4 ,illustration ,a ,,monthly ,,magazine of from #dh to #fd pages in each number1 containing in each volume upward of #gjj pages and over #ajjj original engravings of typical and prize-winning ,horses1 ,cattle1 ,sheep1 ,swine1 and ,fowls2 ,new ,fruits1 ,vegetables1 and ,flowers2 ,house and ,barn ,plans2 ,new ,implements and ,labor-saving ,contrivances2 and many pleasing and instructive pictures for young and old4 ,,the ,,standard ,,authority in all matters pertaining to ,agriculture1 ,horticulture1 and ,rural ,arts1 and the oldest and most ably edited periodical of its class in the world4 ,,best ,,rural ,,periodical ,,in ,,the ,,world4 ,the thousands of hints and suggestions given in every volume are prepared by practical1 intelligent farmers1 who know what they write about4 ,the ,household ,department is valuable to every housekeeper1 affording very many useful hints and directions calculated to lighten and facilitate indoor work4 ,the ,department for ,children and ,youth is prepared with special care1 to furnish not only amusement1 but also to inculcate knowledge and sound moral principles4 ,subscription ,terms3 #a4ej a year1 postage included2 sample copies1 #ae;c4 each1 ,,try ,,it ,a ,,year6 ,address1 ,,american ,,agriculturist1 #eb #ed ,lafayette ,place1 ,new ,york4 ,,sent ,,free ,,on ,,application4 ,,descriptive ,,catalogue --3 ,,of 3-- ,,rural ,,books1 ,containing #aaf #hvo pages1 profusely illustrated1 and giving full descriptions of nearly #fjj works on the following subjects3 ,farm ,and ,garden1 ,fruits1 ,flowers1 ,etc41 ,cattle1 ,sheep1 and ,swine1 ,dogs1 ,etc41 ,horses1 ,riding1 ,etc41 ,poultry1 ,pigeons1 and ,bees1 ,angling and ,fishing1 ,boating1 ,canoeing1 and ,sailing1 ,field ,sports and ,natural ,history1 ,hunting1 ,shooting1 ,etc41 ,architecture and ,building1 ,landscape ,gardening1 ,household and ,miscellaneous4 ,,publishers ,,and ,,importers4 ,,orange ,,judd ,,co41 #eb #ed ,lafayette ,place1 ,new ,york4 ,,standard ,,books4 ,mushrooms4 ,how to ,grow ,them4 ,for home use fresh ,mushrooms are a delicious1 highly nutritious and wholesome delicacy2 and for market they are less bulky than eggs1 and1 when properly handled1 no crop is more remunerative4 ,anyone who has an ordinary house cellar1 woodshed1 or barn can grow ,mushrooms4 ,this is the most practical work on the subject ever written1 and the only book on growing ,mushrooms ever published in ,america4 ,the whole subject is treated in detail1 minutely and plainly1 as only a practical man1 actively engaged in ,mushroom growing1 can handle it4 ,the author describes how he himself grows ,mushrooms1 and how they are grown for profit by the leading market gardeners1 and for home use by the most successful private growers4 ,the book is amply and pointedly illustrated1 with engravings drawn from nature expressly for this work4 ,by ,wm4 ,falconer4 ,is nicely printed and bound in cloth4 ,price1 post-paid4 #a4ej ,allen's ,mew ,american ,farm ,book4 ,the very best work on the subject2 comprising all that can be condensed into an available volume4 ,originally by ,richard ,l4 ,allen4 ,revised and greatly enlarged by ,lewis ,f4 ,allen4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4ej ,henderson's ,gardening for ,profit4 ,by ,peter ,henderson4 ,new edition4 ,entirely rewritten and greatly enlarged4 ,the standard work on ,market and ,family ,gardening4 ,the successful experience of the author for more than thirty years1 and his willingness to tell1 as he does in this work1 the secret of his success for the benefit of others1 enables him to give most valuable information4 ,the book is profusely illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,fuller's ,practical ,forestry4 ,a ,treatise on the ,propagation1 ,planting1 and ,cultivation1 with a description and the botanical and proper names of all the indigenous trees of the ,united ,states1 both ,evergreen and ,deciduous1 with ,notes on a large number of the most valuable ,exotic ,species4 ,by ,andrew ,s4 ,fuller1 author of ,grape ,culturist ,small ,fruit ,culturist etc4 #a4ej ,the ,dairyman's ,manual4 ,by ,henry ,stewart1 author of ,the ,shepherd's ,manual1 ,irrigation1 etc4 ,a useful and practical work by a writer who is well known as thoroughly familiar with the subject of which he writes4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,truck ,farming at the ,south4 ,a work giving the experience of a successful grower of vegetables or grain truck for ,northern markets4 ,essential to any one who contemplates entering this promising field of ,agriculture4 ,by ,a4 ,oemler1 of ,georgia4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,harris on the ,pig4 ,new edition4 ,revised and enlarged by the author4 ,the points of the various ,english and ,american breeds are thoroughly discussed1 and the great advantage of using thoroughbred males clearly shown4 ,the work is equally valuable to the farmer who keeps but few pigs1 and to the breeder on an extensive scale4 ,by ,joseph ,harris4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,jones's ,peanut ,plant--,its ,cultivation and ,uses4 ,a practical ,book1 instructing the beginner how to raise good crops of ,peanuts4 ,by ,b4 ,w4 ,jones1 ,surry ,co41 ,va4 ,paper ,cover1 4#ej ,barry's ,fruit ,garden4 ,by ,p4 ,barry4 ,a standard work on fruit and fruit-trees2 the author having had over thirty years' practical experience at the head of one of the largest nurseries in this country4 ,new edition1 revised up to date4 ,invaluable to all fruit-growers4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,the ,propagation of ,plants4 ,by ,andrew ,s4 ,fuller4 ,illustrated with numerous engravings4 ,an eminently practical and useful work4 ,describing the process of hybridizing and crossing species and varieties1 and also the many different modes by which cultivated plants may be propagated and multiplied4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,stewart's ,shepherd's ,manual4 ,a ,valuable ,practical ,treatise on the ,sheep for ,american farmers and sheep growers4 ,it is so plain that a farmer1 or a farmer's son1 who has never kept a sheep1 may learn from its pages how to manage a flock successfully1 and yet so complete that even the experienced shepherd may gather many suggestions from it4 ,the results of personal experience of some years with the characters of the various modern breeds of sheep1 and the sheep-raising capabilities of many portions of our extensive territory and that of ,canada--and the careful study of the diseases to which our sheep are chiefly subject1 with those by which they may eventually be afflicted through unforeseen accidents--as well as the methods of management called for under our circumstances1 are here gathered4 ,by ,henry ,stewart4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,allen's ,american ,cattle4 ,their ,history1 ,breeding1 and ,management4 ,by ,lewis ,f4 ,allen4 ,this ,book will be considered indispensable by every breeder of live stock4 ,the large experience of the author in improving the character of ,american herds adds to the weight of his observations1 and has enabled him to produce a work which will at once make good his claims as a standard authority on the subject4 ,new and revised edition4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4ej ,fuller's ,grape ,culturist4 ,by4 ,a4 ,s4 ,fuller4 ,this is one of the very best of works on the culture of the hardy grapes1 with full directions for all departments of propagation1 culture1 etc41 with #aej excellent engravings1 illustrating planting1 training1 grafting1 etc4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,white's ,cranberry ,culture4 ,,contents3--,natural ,history4-- ,history of ,cultivation4-- ,choice of ,location4-- ,preparing the ,ground4-- ,planting the ,vines4-- ,management of ,meadows4-- ,flooding-- ,enemies and ,difficulties ,overcome4-- ,picking4-- ,keeping4-- ,profit and ,loss4-- ,letters from ,practical ,growers4-- ,insects ,injurious to the ,cranberry4 ,by ,joseph ,j4 ,white4 ,a practical grower4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 ,new and revised edition4 #a4be ,herbert's ,hints to ,horse-,keepers4 ,this is one of the best and most popular works on the ,horse in this country4 ,a ,complete ,manual for ,horsemen1 embracing3 ,how to ,breed a ,horse2 ,how to ,buy a ,horse2 ,how to ,break a ,horse2 ,how to ,use a ,horse2 ,how to ,feed a ,horse2 ,how to ,physic a ,horse 7,allopathy or ,homoepathy72 ,how to ,groom a ,horse2 ,how to ,drive a ,horse2 ,how to ,ride a ,horse1 etc4 ,by the late ,henry ,william ,herbert 7,frank ,forester71 ,beautifully ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ge ,henderson's ,practical ,floriculture4 ,by ,peter ,henderson4 ,a guide to the successful propagation and cultivation of florists' plants4 ,the work is not one for florists and gardeners only1 but the amateur's wants are constantly kept in mind1 and we have a very complete treatise on the cultivation of flowers under glass1 or in the open air1 suited to those who grow flowers for pleasure as well as those who make them a matter of trade4 ,the work is characterized by the same radical common sense that marked the author's ,gardening for ,profit1 and it holds a high place in the estimation of lovers of agriculture4 ,beautifully illustrated4 ,new and enlarged edition4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,harris's ,talks on ,manures4 ,by ,joseph ,harris1 ,m4 ,s41 author of ,walks and ,talks on the ,farm1 ,harris on the ,pig4 etc4 ,revised and enlarged by the author4 ,a series of familiar and practical talks between the author and the deacon1 the doctor1 and other neighbors1 on the whole subject of manures and fertilizers2 including a chapter specially written for it by ,sir ,john ,bennet ,lawes1 of ,rothamsted1 ,england4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ge ,waring's ,draining for ,profit and ,draining for ,health4 ,this book is a very complete and practical treatise1 the directions in which are plain1 and easily followed4 ,the subject of thorough farm drainage is discussed in all its bearings1 and also that more extensive land drainage by which the sanitary condition of any district may be greatly improved1 even to the banishment of fever and ague1 typhoid and malarious fever4 ,by ,geo4 ,e4 ,waring1 ,jr4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth #abmo4 #a4ej ,the ,practical ,rabbit-,keeper4 ,by ,cuniculus4 ,illustrated4 ,a comprehensive work on keeping and raising ,rabbits for pleasure as well as for profit4 ,the book is abundantly illustrated with all the various ,courts1 ,warrens1 ,hutches1 ,fencing1 etc41 and also with excellent portraits of the most important species of rabbits throughout the world4 #abmo4 #a4ej ,quinby's ,new ,bee-,keeping4 ,the ,mysteries of ,bee-keeping ,explained4 ,combining the results of ,fifty ,years' ,experience1 with the latest discoveries and inventions1 and presenting the most approved methods1 forming a complete work4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,profits in ,poultry4 ,useful and ,ornamental ,breeds and their ,profitable ,management4 ,this excellent work contains the combined experience of a number of practical men in all departments of poultry raising4 ,it is profusely illustrated and forms an unique and important addition to our poultry literature4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4jj ,barn ,plans and ,outbuildings4 ,two ,hundred and ,fifty-seven ,illustrations4 ,a most ,valuable ,work1 full of ,ideas1 ,hints1 ,suggestions1 ,plans1 etc41 for the ,construction of ,barns and ,outbuildings1 by ,practical writers4 ,chapters are devoted1 among other subjects1 to the ,economic ,erection and ,use of ,barns4 ,grain ,barns1 ,house ,barns1 ,cattle ,barns1 ,sheep ,barns1 ,corn ,houses1 ,smoke ,houses1 ,ice ,houses1 ,pig ,pens1 ,granaries1 etc4 ,there are likewise chapters upon ,bird ,houses1 ,dog ,houses1 ,tool ,sheds1 ,ventilators1 ,roofs and ,roofing1 ,doors and ,fastenings1 ,work ,shops1 ,poultry ,houses1 ,manure ,sheds1 ,barn ,yards1 ,root ,pits1 etc4 ,recently published4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,parsons on the ,rose4 ,by ,samuel ,b4 ,parsons4 ,a treatise on the propagation1 culture1 and history of the rose4 ,new and revised edition4 ,in his work upon the rose1 ,mr4 ,parsons has gathered up the curious legends concerning the flower1 and gives us an idea of the esteem in which it was held in former times4 ,a simple garden classification has been adopted1 and the leading varieties under each class enumerated and briefly described4 ,the chapters on multiplication1 cultivation1 and training are very full1 and the work is altogether one of the most complete before the public4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4jj ,heinrich's ,window ,flower ,garden4 ,the author is a practical florist1 and this enterprising volume embodies his personal experiences in ,window ,gardening during a long period4 ,new and enlarged edition4 ,by ,julius ,j4 ,heinrich4 ,fully ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 4#ge ,liautard's ,chart of the ,age of the ,domestic ,animals4 ,adopted by the ,united ,states ,army4 ,enables one to accurately determine the age of horses1 cattle1 sheep1 dogs1 and pigs4 4#ej ,pedder's ,land ,measurer for ,farmers4 ,a convenient ,pocket ,companion1 showing at once the contents of any piece of land1 when its length and width are known1 up to #a1ejj feet either way1 with various other useful farm tables4 ,cloth1 #ahmo2 4#fj ,how to ,plant and ,what to ,do with the ,crops4 ,with other valuable hints for the ,farm1 ,garden and ,orchard4 ,by ,mark ,w4 ,johnson4 ,illustrated4 ,,contents3 ,times for ,sowing ,seeds2 ,covering ,seeds2 ,field ,crops2 ,garden or ,vegetable ,seeds1 ,sweet ,herbs1 etc42 ,tree ,seeds2 ,flower ,seeds2 ,fruit ,trees2 ,distances ,apart for ,fruit ,trees and ,shrubs2 ,profitable ,farming2 ,green or ,manuring ,crops2 ,root ,crops2 ,forage ,plants2 ,what to do with the ,crops2 ,the ,rotation of ,crops2 ,varieties2 ,paper ,covers1 post-paid4 4#ej ,your ,plants4 ,plain and ,practical ,directions for the ,treatment of ,tender and ,hardy ,plants in the ,house and in the ,garden4 ,by ,james ,sheehan4 ,the above title well describes the character of the work--,plain and ,practical4 ,the author1 a commercial florist and gardener1 has endeavored1 in this work1 to answer the many questions asked by his customers1 as to the proper treatment of plants4 ,the book shows all through that its author is a practical man1 and he writes as one with a large store of experience4 ,the work better meets the wants of the amateur who grows a few plants in the window1 or has a small flower ,garden1 than a larger treatise intended for those who cultivate plants upon a more extended-scale4 ,price1 post-paid1 paper covers4 4#dj ,husmann's ,american ,grape-,growing and ,wine-,making4 ,by ,george ,husmann of ,talcoa vineyards1 ,napa1 ,california4 ,new and enlarged edition4 ,with contributions from well-known grape-growers1 giving a wide range of experience4 ,the author of this book is a recognized authority on the subject4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,the ,scientific ,angler4 ,a general and instructive work on ,artistic ,angling1 by the late ,david ,foster4 ,compiled by his ,sons4 ,with an ,introductory ,chapter and ,copious ,foot ,notes1 by ,william ,c4 ,harris1 ,editor of the ,american ,angler4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4ej ,keeping ,one ,cow4 ,a collection of ,prize ,essays1 and selections from a number of other ,essays1 with editorial notes1 suggestions1 etc4 ,this book gives the latest information1 and in a clear and condensed form1 upon the management of a single ,milch ,cow4 ,illustrated with full-page engravings of the most famous dairy cows4 ,recently published4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4jj ,law's ,veterinary ,adviser4 ,a ,guide to the ,prevention and ,treatment of ,disease in ,domestic ,animals4 ,this is one of the best works on this subject1 and is especially designed to supply the need of the busy ,american ,farmer1 who can rarely avail himself of the advice of a ,scientific ,veterinarian4 ,it is brought up to date and treats of the ,prevention of ,disease1 as well as of the ,remedies4 ,by ,prof4 ,jas4 ,law4 ,cloth1 ,crown #hvo4 #c4jj ,guenon's ,treatise on ,milch ,cows4 ,a ,treatise on the ,bovine ,species in ,general4 ,an entirely new translation of the last edition of this popular and instructive book4 ,by ,thos4 ,j4 ,hand1 ,secretary of the ,american ,jersey ,cattle ,club4 ,with over #ajj ,illustrations1 especially engraved for this work4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4jj ,the ,cider ,maker's ,handbook4 ,a complete guide for making and keeping pure cider4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,trowbridge4 ,fully ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #a4jj ,long's ,ornamental ,gardening for ,americans4 ,a treatise on ,beautifying ,homes1 ,rural ,districts1 and ,cemeteries4 ,a plain and practical work at a moderate price1 with numerous illustrations1 and instructions so plain that they may be readily followed4 ,by ,elias ,a4 ,long4 ,landscape ,architect4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,the ,dogs of ,great ,britain1 ,america and ,other ,countries4 ,new1 enlarged and revised edition4 ,their breeding training and management1 in health and disease2 comprising all the essential parts of the two standard works on the dog1 by ,stonehenge1 thereby furnishing for #b what once cost #aa4be4 ,contains ,lists of all ,premiums given at the last ,dog ,shows4 ,it ,describes the ,best ,game and ,hunting ,grounds in ,america4 ,contains over ,one ,hundred ,beautiful ,engravings1 embracing most noted ,dogs in both ,continents1 making together1 with ,chapters by ,american ,writers1 the most ,complete ,dog ,book ever published4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,stewart's ,feeding ,animals4 ,by ,elliot ,w4 ,stewart4 ,a new and valuable practical work upon the laws of animal growth1 specially applied to the rearing and feeding horses1 cattle1 diary cows1 sheep and swine4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth1 #abmo4 #b4jj ,how to ,co-operate4 ,a ,manual for ,co-operators4 ,by ,herbert ,myrick4 ,this book describes the how rather than the wherefore of co-operation4 ,in other words it tells how to manage a co-operative store1 farm or factory1 and co-operative dairying1 banking and fire insurance1 and co-operative farmers' and women's exchanges for both buying and selling4 ,the directions given are based on the actual experience of successful co-operative enterprises in all parts of the ,united ,states4 ,the character and usefulness of the book commend it to the attention of all men and women who desire to better their condition4 #abmo4 ,cloth4 #a4ej ,transcriber's ,notes3 #a4 ,changed ,page #a to ,page #i in ,table of ,contents ,chapter ,i4 #b4 ,asterisks are used in the index to refer to illustrations4