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particulars tho advantage of Oldaker’s plan over former modes chiefly consists, does not very clearly
appear. Beds made up in the usual way are much less compact, and are more damp ; compactness and
dryness may therefore be considered as important.” (E d . Encyc., art. Hort.) Rogers remarks that
th e quantity of mushrooms depends upon the manner in which they are nourished: if they are meagrely
fed, their flavour and substance will be poor in proportion. Hence, it is alleged by some, th a t artiflcial
mushrooms are, generally, richer and higher flavoured than those which grow n atu ra lly ; and again,
rtificial produce, those e aare b...e..s..t. ...w...h..i..c..h.. .a....... ' ’ - ^ ,
in Covent Garden market, mushrooms grown on ridges are greatly preferred to those grown on shelves,
or in boxes, in the German m anner: they are considered heavier and more juicy. (Hort. Trans., vol. iv.
p. 475.) Another German mode of cultivating the mushroom will be found described and illustrated by
figure in § 2183.
3394. ........... The French " mode qf cultivating the mushroom,' as practised
.. . • the neighbourhood of Paris, in the
subterranean stone quarries, and also in the gardens, will be found
n detail in § 269.
3395. Growing mushrooms, in pots, boxes,'^c. with dung, by Wales. “ Having given an account how
to procure the spawn, which is th e principal point, I shall next proceed to state how mushrooms are to
be raised from the spawn with dung. I raise the mushrooms in boxes, hampers, or, in short, in any
thing which will hold the dung and th e soil together. These boxes or vessels are placed in the back
sheds o fth e hothouses, or in any house whatever, where no damp nor frost can enter. There should be
several boxes, a p a rt only being filled a t a time, so as to keep a rotation of them, and have mushrooms
a t all times ready for the table. I shall suppose three boxes to be filled a t one time. Each box may
be 3 ft. long, 1^ ft. broad, and 7 in. in depth. L e t each box be half lilled with horse-dung from the
stables (the fresher the better, and if wet, to be dried for three or four days before it be put in the
b o x e s); th e dung is to be well beat down in the boxes After the second or th ird day, if any heat has
arisen amongst th e dung, it is then a fit time to spawn: break each spawn-brick into three parts as
equally as possible; then lay the pieces, about 4 in. apart, upon the surfaceof the dung in the box;
here they are to lie for six days, when it will probably be found th a t th e side of the spawn next to the
dung has begun to run in the dung below; they add an 1J in. of more fresh dung upon the top of the
spawn in the box, and beat it down as formerly. In th e course of a fortnight, the box will be ready to
receive th e mould on the top; this mould must be 24 in. deep, well beaten down with th e back of a
spade, and the surface made quite even. But before the box be earthed over, it will be proper to take
up a little of the dung, as far down as near the bottom of th e box, to see if the spawn has run through
tiie dung; if not, let the box stand unearthed for some days longer, for, were it to be earthed before
the spawn had run through th e dung, there would be but a poor crop. In th e space of five or six weeks
the mushrooms will begin to come u p ; if then the mould seem dry, give a gentle watering, the water
being slightly heated in any warm place before applied. This watering will make the mushrooms
s tart freely, and of a large size. I cut three myself, which weighed 184 oz. from a box treated as above.
T h e boxes will continue to produce for six weeks, and 1 have had them productive sometimes for two
months, if duly attended to, by giving a little water when dry, for they need neither light nor free air.
I have had thirty-two pretty well-sized mushrooms in one cluster. If cut as button-mushrooms, each
box will yield from six to twelve Scots pints (24 to 48 Eng. pints), according to th e season and other
circumstances. The plan now described, I prefer for yielding numbers of mushrooms, and where a
great many are required; but when reared without dung, they are best flavoured. They are not then
to be distinguished from those which grow naturally in the fields, but comparatively few are in this way
produced. 1 have lately found it very useful to add to every three barrow-loads of horse-dung, one of
perfectly dry cow-dung, beat down to powder as it were, and well mixed among the horse-dung, after
th e horse-dung has lain under cover for four or five days to dry. The reason I tried the cow-dung dry
was, that I still found the horse-dung to have a strong damp, after having lain in the boxes for some
tim e ; but the cow-dung, when beat down to powder, has the effect to dry up this damp, and also to make
th e horse-dung lie in the box more compactly; and the more it is pressed down, the finer th e spawn
will run amongst it.” (Wales, in Caled. Hurt. Mem.)
3396. Groioing mushrooyns, in pots, boxes, ^c . without dung. “ Take a little straw, and lay it carefully
in the bottom of the mushroom-box, about 1 in. thick, or ra the r more. Then take some of the spawn-
bricks, and break them down, each brick into ahout ten pieces, and lay the fragments upon the straw, as
close to each other as they will iie. Cover them up with mould, 3^ in. deep, and well pressed down.
When th e surface appears dry, give a little tepid water, as directed for th e last way of raising them ;
but this method needs about double the quantity of water that the former does, owing to having no
moisture in th e bottom, while the other has the dung. The mushrooms will begin to start in a month
or five weeks, sometimes sooner, sometimes later, according to th e heat of the place whore the boxes
are situated. They do not rise so thick or of so large a size, nor do they continue to be produced so
long, as in the other plan with dung.” (Wales.)
3397. Compost or mould fo r growing mushrooynsin boxes. “ Take a quantity of horse-dung from the
stable-yard fresh, and for every layer of dung, 6 in. in depth, lay 3 in. of fine earth from any light soil:
these alternate layers may be repeated till th ere be as much as wil! probably be wanted for the course
of a year. After this mixture has lain about six months or so, th e dung will be sufficiently rotten:
it should then be well broken with a spade, and passed through a garden-sieve. 2 in. of this compost
laid upon the top of the box, and well pressed down with the back of a spade, will be found to
answer. It is to be understood, that th e same compost, made of the dung and earth, is used for going on
the top o fth e beds formed with dung, as well as on those without it, observing to have it sifted fine, and
well dried, for if it be damp, th e spawn would not run freely amongst i t .” (Oldaker, in Horticultural
Transactions.)
3398. Culture ofthe mushroom in melon-beds. The following mode has been practised by th e Rev. W.
Williamson, for several years, with great success. He considers it more economical and generally
practicable than th e plan of Oldaker. “ Having made my melon-bed in th e usual manner, when the
burning heat is over, and the bed is ready to be earthed to a sufficient thickness, I place spawn on the
sides of the hills, and also on th e surface of th e bed, and then cover the whole with mould, as usual
managing the melons exactly in th e same manner as if the spawn were not there, not omitting even to
tread it, as I find that a compact loam is more congenial to th e growth of the mushroom than th e light
rich compost of the cucumber-bed. T h e heat will soon cause the spawn to run, and extend itself through
th e dung, to the surface of th e ground. In September or October following, when th e melon-bine is
decaying, the bed is carefully cleaned, th e glasses are put on, and kept close; and when the mould be-
corae.s dry, it must be frequently watered, but not immoderately, as too much wet would destroy the
spawn; advantage should also be taken of every gentle shower, for the same purpose. T h e moisture
coming up on the dry earth produces a moderate heat, which soon causes the mushrooms to appear in
every part o f" t■h’ e bbeedd,, iinn such■ a’b und’ance as even to prevent each other’s growth. I have frequently,
a t one*time, gathered two bushels from a frame 10 ft. by 6 ft., and have produced individual mushrooms
of nearly two pounds' weight. The mould being kept warm by th e glasses, and properly watered, the
mushrooms will continue to spring till the frost of winter prevents th eir further growth. I then leave
th e bed, frame,&c. ju st as they are, and early in spring, as soon as the frost maybe supposed to be over, I
take off th e frame and glasses, and cover the bed lightly w ith straw ; when the warm enlivening showers
of spring cause the mushrooms to be again produced in every part, till th e drought of summer renders
it difficult to keep the bed sufficiently moist for their growth. Sometimes I suffer the bed to remain,
in order to produce a crop in the second autumn, but more generally take the bed to pieces, for the sake
of the dung, and also for the purpose of procuring and drying th e spawn, against the return of spring.
817
When I first thought of raising mushrooms in tho manner above described, I was apprehensive lest the
y aw n by rnnnmg among the roots of the melons, might Injure their growth, I th e r e f o r r p i lf e d It m
one light only, but the result convinced me that it did no injury, as, on the only plant in that licht I
kind, weighing ^ lbs., for the first crop, and afiSther 64 lbs for the
L h ? ? i have ahv/ys placed the splwn over th?
ft t?i fo ^ to produce a good crop of both melons and mushrooms. Should
/fo tjiought advisable to have a supply of mushrooms during the depth of winter, I am confident
i i t e i Y y / / that they might be obtained, a t a trifling eipense, by i S g
« n o '*®®lf’ » « s i p ? other precautions to keep out the cold a ir.” (lloy-i. Trans, v iii ) ^
33JJ. Oldakfr, at the end ot his paper on growing mushrooms on shelves, &c., says, “ thev mav be
grow® also plentifully, m hofoed frames, by the same process as is recommended for the sheds. In this
fohfc ®^‘‘thed, they should be covered with hay or litter under the
hghts, until they are in full bearing, then remove the covering to the outside of the lights to exclud?
as possible. In cold weather, if they advance slowly in their growth’, the frames
may be covered with hot dung, winch will greatly encourage them. It must be recollected that when
tfisc . beds are made in hot weather, air must be admitted as freely as possible into the frames durine
tho time of snawnine. as directed ffoorr’ tthhfet m•ma,nnnna<gyef'mTnei‘nnit ooff tt-hhiisa lpua,rrtft «off th e process, ji_n_ c_e«ll_a_rs_'o r'shèdsré’ ®
34UÜ. I n old hotbeds. A good crop of mushrooms is sometimes obtained without making a bed on
of late cucumber ridges, ju st into the top of the
mould. 1 his may be done from March to May. (Abercrombie.)
3401. In pits. Jeeves has adopted this practice, and thus describes it. “ To make mv bed the dnno-
1 ■ ®®‘^ rammed tightly down, to about the thickness of 18 in • the
®officie®t heat to set the spawn running, after it had been introduced in the iisual
manner. 1 he ¿ d was made up last September, and came into bearing in six weeks ; it has continued
fo® the present time, and requires no more heat than is collected by tbe effect of the
sun on the air within th e house, except on frosty nights, when a little fire is put into the flue I ’he
mi^hrooms come up u n if¿m ly over every part of the bed, which is covered very slightly with straw (not
®®^Lo®®7® e^°Mde the light) for the purpose of preserving moisture on the súrfarée ” ^
34U2. In dark frames. Nicol says, “ if you have no mushroom-house, and yet are anxious to have
mushrooms m winter, a cover or frame, capable of defending the bed from ruin, snow, or frost mav be
made a t a small expense, thus : first make a frame of 1 | in. deal, 9 in. or 10 in. deep 6 ft wide an?l of
any c^ v e n ic n t length from 10 ft. to 20 ft. Then fit a rooi to it, 3 ft. in th e pitch?m&e of thin ? S th ? r
®®'J "'ith two or three coats of pitch or paint. T h e roof part should be
ft fo i 7 i wooden frame by hooks and eyes, or by bolts, so that it may be removed at pleasure
í®/ I on each side, of about 1 ft. square, to slip aside for the admisió
n (M air. This sort of frame being placed in a dry warm situation, and being insulated bv a drain or
trench, w ¿ d completely defend the bed from wet ; and, if covered with straw or mats, from frost If
the ground be not perfectly dry, a sole or floor must be formed of ashes, gravel, or stoèe-chips for the
■àfii situation which is the least damp, either within or out of doors.”
» 1 „ ® ‘ Mushrooms may likewise be produced in a cellar, or any other vaulted place with
-® P ’ t h - - Í ^hed. or other" S S d fo g l
erved as directed
water, the appliortiH
irtfoJTi.----------— says he has devised an easy m odeof growing mushrooms under shelter
and tried It one s e ¿ o n with great success. “ The exterior form of my bed resembles the oid ones as’
wall fo i ,h®V'¿r?® buiklmg I t solid, it is hollow ; strong stakes are inclined against the
¿ fortL ®®§*® of ^hout 65°. on which are placed hurdles to support the bed. By this mean? a cavft?
under the stakes, between them and the wall and floor, for the purpose of receiving d u n /
th e l i d fo f fo / / ‘s thus afforded o f keeping up a permanent moist he?t in
Ih t fl /h i c h together with an insufficient depth of mould for th e spawn to ru n in is
u 1« ?i®® ? of raising mushrooms with which I am acquainted. On this structure
ÍíneA?L"®“ fl®® ®®*^ ^l®- of loamy earth were laid, and beat firm, a /d the spawning and S h ? ?
¿ o c e s ¿ s and results were the same as usual.” (Hort. Trans., vol. v. p. 305.) We fear two things
i s foèy a¥ T o overdrying; either of which is as ruinous to the mushroom
the mushroom differs from all th e others which have been mentioned
¿ / f o . ‘*’-® ^®®8 fo‘- heating the air of the mushroom-house. The state of
¿ ¿ S L / i n / f l M fhe air of a mushroom-house is kept, Mr. Callow observes, though it has hitherto
fifo L escaped the noticeof gardeners, is nevertheless of the first importance. Every countryman knows
w f o i¿ ^ are most abundant in close, foggy, or what, in some parts of the country, is called “ mush-
imMOft • The dimensions of Mr. Callow’s mushroom-house may be 20 ft. or 30 ft. in length
he ta-ii h«? *® /® h h , on adry foundation (fig. 774.). When a large supply is wanted, there should
towiT d /« 4 ??® fol sloping to the N. or N.E., aud the other for winter use, sloping
towards S. or S.W. The back and end walls may be built of stone or brick; but the front wall Mr
/ i 'i -A - 20
Callow prefers having made of boards on the outside, and plastered on the inside, as being clieaner
than open brickwork; and affording less shelter to wood-lice or other small vermin. The roof should
be thickly covered with th a tc h ; and there should be apertures a t each end, such as windows, and air
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