The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-06-25
Mushrooms in a Cavern.

Mr.. II. c. Hovey has an interesting paper
in the last issue Of the Scientific American on
mushroom farming in caves. lie says novel
proposal has lately been laid before the trus
tees of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, and that
it is now held under consideration by them
with some prospect of favorable answer.
An enterprising Frenchman, who has already
had experience in mushroom culture IN the
vicinity of New York city, complains that he
finds no cellars sufficiently large for his IN
creasing business, and also that the condi
tions of temperature and moisture are not
uniform enough to insure the best results,
and therefore seriously offers to rent por-
ton of the cave for the purpose OF raising
such varieties of edible fungi as may be found
best suited to the locality.
This will not in the least interfere with the
exhibition of the wonders of the great cavern
to visitors Many square miles of it are never
seen by tourists at all, for the reason that their
time is usually limited, and they have enough
to do to follow the guides through the selected
routes. The portion mentioned as possibly
to be devoted to mushroom beds is what is
known as Audubon Avenue the first pas
sage to the right after entering the cave, and
therefore quite convenient of access. 1t con
tains little of special interest, unless 1t be the
swarms of bats that hibernate in what is for
that reason called "The Great Bat Room. y
The rich deposits OF bat guano that have been
accommodating for centuries lie as yet undis-
turbed, and if properly mixed with other fer
tilizers might no doubt be used to facilitate
tn e propagation of fungi.
The soil, which at present Is extremely
dry, might be easily moistend TO any desired
degree, as was done in working the saltpetre
mines in former days, by conducting water
through pipes from the cascade at the m outh
rtb,. IT,, ;lao IF tbps +rru pov-
ems to profitable account for the cultivation
of mushrooms, though new in America, has
long been familiar one in France, and has
been demonstrated TO be entirely practicable.
One of these caves, at Montrouge, is said to
have six or seven miles run of mushroom
beds, and the daily yield of marketable fungi
is about 400 pounds weight.
Another such cave, near Erepillon is report
ed as sending, on favorable days, as many as
5000 pounds of mushrooms to the Paris
market, from beds aggregating sixteen miles
in length Still another, at Merry, and belong
ing to NJ. Rcnaudot, is said to have had under
cultivation in 1869 over twenty-one miles at
once, aud afforded employment to a large
class of labOrers, who devoted themselves
wholly to the business of raising mushrooms,
not only for the French markets, but also for
expectation. One house alone reports H.
600 boxes of preserved mushrooms as sent to
England in year.
The special advantage Of subierranean over
open-air culture lies in the fact that, owing to
the uniformity OF temperature, which in Nam
moth Cave hardly varies from 560 Fahrenheit
Ell Their winter or summer, the business can be
pursued with equal success ut all seasons of
the year and in all kinds of weather. 1t is
the supposition that when choice mushrooms
are known to be raised by responsible parties,
and with every guaranty Of freedom from the
admixture Of poisonous fungi, they would find
a ready market in Louisville, Cincinnati and
other Western aud Southern citles or, if not,
they could be Theoretically sealed or made in
to eatsup and easily sent 70 more distant mar
keis, where such esculents are appreciated.
The business has become highly remuneratiye
in England. as well as France a fact brought
out lately in the trial Of the Metropolitan
Railroad Company for taking possession OF a
mushroom nursery, showing that this curious
branch Of horticulture yields from 80 to 21O
per cent, One witness is quoted as saying
that ST $3.50 were expended IN twelve or pos
siby six months, the sum Of : 200 would be
realized