Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-04-10
IN THE MUSHROOM BEDS.
A Dainty Edible Cultivated In New
York aud Vicinity.

A Dainty Edible Cultivated In New
York aud Vicinity.
Every year thousands Of quart cans
containing champigrons, or fairy-ring
mushrooms, are imported here from
Franee,and eaten In the leading hotels,
clubs, restaurants, and such households
a can afford to use them They are
costly, often selling for 81 per pound.
In Europe they are called ''fsiry-ring
mushrooms because of the circles OF
from a few feet TO several yards in di-
ameter of an intensely bright green
color, which are found here and there
on the lawns and pastures of England.
Ireland and France. They are caused
by the myccllium or spawn of the mush-
room. which, having exhausted the soil
within the ring, is constantly spreading
and enlarging the circle. France is the
great mushroom-producing country OF
the world. For nearly half o century
the communes Of Grand Montrouge.
Arcueil, Chatillon. Bagneaux. Fitry.
Maisons- Abort, and No-sy-le-See. all
within reaching distance from Paris,
have been devoted almost exclusively to
mushroom culture. The soil in these
districts is poor and would produce
nothing but short grass and stunted
fruit trees. Forty-seven years ago a
country genius hit upon the idea of util-
ling the galleries of the worked out
and dsused quarries with which the en-
tire district is undermined. These
1uarries are now tho greatest mushroom
beds in the world, and the once strug-
Cling champignOnists are millionaires
in their way.
The galleries, as rule, are from
forty to seventy feet below the surface,
and a uniform temperature Of from 80
TO 60 degrees is maintained in them.
The beds are made of horse manure,
which undcrgoes special treatment
before being used. 1t is thrown in
heaps on the sides Of the country road
ways and turned over day after day I'M
til it is thoroughly sun-dried. From it
the beds are constructed. The manure
is laid down from the walls to the center
of the gallery, being higher by several
inches next the walls. At regular in
tervals small footpaths run from tho
center aisle to the walls. so that grow
ers may gather the mushrooms without
spelling the beds. which are IL feet deep
nearest the walls. On these beds the
spawn is scattered. How this spawn
or seed is gathered is the secret Of the
mushroom grower. The beds are then
kept at q temperature of 20 degrees.
Three or four weeks later the beds are
covered with layer of fine loan to the
depth Of half an inch, and a fortnight
later the mushrooms begin to appear,
and are gathered every morning or
evening, according to the demands of
the trade. The men who work in the
mushroom galleries begin their toll at
b O'Clock in the morning, and do not
cease until late in the evening. They
are paid from to 81 francs daily. As
an instance of the enormous fecundity
of the French mushroom beds, 1t may
be mentioned that one bed at Arceuil,
when in full bearing, sent three thou
sand pounds of champignons to the
Paris market daily. In gathering, the
stalks of the mushrooms are never cut,
but twisted. as cutting Injuries the flavor
and spoils the beds.
While. of course, the delicattessen
market Of this country is, and will he
for years, supplied by France with
champignons in the dry canned form,
still mushroom-culture has been adopted
as a profession BY different parties in
this city and the surrounding suburbs
with varied degrees Of success, and
some Of the experiinenters have kept
on and are now making money. The
freshly-gathered American champignon
is certainly superior to the French dry
canned article in every way, but it will
take years before the general prejudice
against the native production will be
overcome. OF course, the professional
cooks and acknowledged know the
difference and buy the American mush-
room. The only professional mushroom
raiser on Long island owns large farm
outside Jamaica, and raises his mush-
rooms in hothouses especially con-
structed for the purpose and in dark
cellars. He packs his freshly-gathered
mushrooms in thin compressed-wood
baskets. and supplies number Of Full
ton market dealers every morning. A
Frenchman who has small mushroom
farm outside of Stapleton, S. l., carries
round his baskets Of fresh-raised mush-
rooms every day, and enjoys an almost
complete monopoly Of the downtown
restaurants and those establishments
where the chief cooks are Frenchmen.
Some years ago a small colony of
frenchmen squatted in the unoccupied
arches of the old acqueduct works and
began the artificial raising of cham
pignens. One by one they gave up the
effort and now there are none left. The
greatest mushroom farm near this CITY
is that located behind Weehawken.
n. j. 1t supplies Washington market
and dealers all over the city.-NeU York
Mail and Express.