The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-19
FRENCH MUSHROOM CULTURE
Some Curious Facts About How the Dainty
IL Grown aud Sent 20 Market.

flp1 ne inHtpH b"FNeh
The epicuro who enjoys so much q croute
a,u champions does not dream OF the amount
of work which has been gono through in order
to crafty his tastes. There are in the neigh
borhood Of Paris from $50 to 300 mushroom
growers, who live under ground 1T n depth OF
from 60 feet TO 100 feet below the surface. This
subtcrrancan world is reached by shafts fur
nishcd with upright ladders. up and down
which the lubOrrrS ure constantly passing. II
Il also down these shafts that the manure for
the beds is thrown, and. when spent 1t Is sent
up again in buckets by means oil rope ana
In some Of the galleries the laborers can work
upright, but there are O.nere Will H. 1rb vareis
obliged to work hall doubled or on his knees
pushing his wheelbarrow full OF soil or manure
before Him in the same posture. He also mas 70
look inter the beds and gather the mushrooms
lamp in hand. and work his way cleverly along
the narrow paths between the beds. many OF
which are barely eight inches or ten inches Ia
width. without once strengthening hmsem-
When the beds are made. trimmed ana SOIL,
ed l." the watering has to he regularly performed
mo easy task when it is remembered that every
drop Of water has TO be brought to the loot q
along Mo galleries. often to the distance OF 600
iect or 800 teet.
The Ike " the mushroom grower Is really q
| hard one. and the mushroom cater VIII lie swal-
sun lent credit Tor his cforis. Ii Is not all
| profit. either. for his employer First OF all. he
| mas 20 pay heavy rent Tor his quarry-frou W.
| to ;l2Q per month-according TO It's size. The
|
| large item oi expenditure. and mis- crops very
| often fail through ono or other Of the causes de-
| tailed above. Luckily for him the Partisan epi-
cur" is excessively fond Of mushrooms 80 that.
! prOllting 10y this amiablc weakness, the mush-
| room grower often manages to bring up and
cducat" large family, and yet be able To lay
something Dy for old age. We know one mush-
room grower who owns property in Paris. but
| all his brethren are not SO Fortunate
The daily production Of mushrooms In and
around Parts may be reckoned at 25:000 kilo.
grammes tnbOui % tonsl which. at franc per
kiogramme. gives $1,000 francs. or $4,000 q
| day. or close upon s2.0OO.OOO per annum. The
| whole produce goes to the market, to the pre-
served veg. table manufacturers. or to the prov
| urrs. Formerly musNroeme We're sold n the
markets in siev.s mall Hat baskets. NJ. Bour.
| get of the Rue dc In Putt Truuuderie. agent
! ana mnnumcturer Of preserved provisions was
the rst tO intruuuc" the system % selling them
| by weight. His arm us,s over 200 tons Of mush-
| rooms per unnum. either for preserving or
sending into the country. His country orders
| for fresh mushrooms often reach as much az
Growers max. specinl arrangements with
! preserved vegetable manufacturers at price
AL round % from about slU 10 sll per cwt. the
contracts being for siy month or year. In the
markets they srs sold by auction. rs they ar
rive Mushrl Oms are sent into the provinces
in baskets. They are carefully packed in hay
o. straw. 50 rs 20 keep them from breaking or
vans. which travel the whole distance, 80 that
there is no need to disturb the baskets during
4 lew figures will give an idea OF tho lmpor-
tan'r o! the mushrooms growing trade Of Paris
ANA Ne nri1hborhood. VI. Gerard, 3 grower at
| hNulils5 anu llt gUlfflf~ near ~. Denls, eIu-
pOys nineteen horses and hity lahorers. His
daily EXPENSES amount 10 500. He has over
four miles run OF mushroom beds in his diff.
f"regt Quurres. NJ. Renau1ot of Mery-sur-
| Disc occupies the most important mushroom
quHrrirs OF this district. H. receives from Pa-
| rs van iul OF manure every day. or about
| three huudr"N tons prr month. He has n little
| oyer two mics run of hH's. and sends Is tons
Of mushrooms t. the Paris mark every month.
! WfnuyG's mention Y. Ppussurt. at Gouvieux.
! in Pianrdy. VINO rmploys ten horses and thirty
workmcu. Vi. Noun. az LIS Moulineaux. ten
horses AMI tn wnrEmen; NJ Briqne, Paris
| two horses uud eight wlrtmcn; NJ. Moulin
Paris. Tn horses and thirty workmen; VI.
! Vi tor Grill (. 90 Nitry. has two horses and six
| workme lie hus about six miles run OF beds
in his three queries. NM Garden. Mt Ven.
| dome: Duss" ~ Saumur: Balo.he. nj Caen, and
Dupuis. al Lille. produced large quantities fol
the supply ot tn air own districts.
In Or! -r not 10 he troubled with the details o
the daily sales. the larger mushroom growers
make contracts for six months or year will
one OF the agents OF the markets. The agen
engages 20 tnkc the whole crop nj from $40 Il
s12 per cwt. according to the senson. for thu
price Of mushrooms falls sensibly when the
new years vegetables beg n TO arrive in the
market The mushroom grower. on his side
guarantees q certain inmum OF production
and binds himself not 70 sell to other agents.
There ure in Paris fifty agents who have tn
! monopoly Of this trade, VINO supply the green
grocers' shots ana restaurants. the stalls in tn
, mark ets. the nanufu 'turers OF preserved vege
tables and. TO a certain extent, the provinces.