Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20

Dr. Thomas Taylor Tells How They May Re
drown with small Expense and Trouble.
NHE USEFULNESS OF MUSHROOMS AS
- An article OF diet is very earnestly sdvo-
Gated by the Department Of Agriculture. pr.
Thomas Taylor will contribute q few remarks
on the subject TO the forthcoming report Of the
Secretary. He says
In the most progressive of all countries
mushroom growing, one of the simplest and
most remunerative of industries. is almost I'M
known. Mushrooms are a healthful food. No
one can grow them better or more economically
than the farmer. He has already the cellar
room, the fresh manure and the loan. and all
he needs is some spawn with which to plant the
beds Nothing is lost The manure. after
having been used in mushroom beds. il not ex-
nausted OF its fertility. but is well rotted and
In better condition to apply to the land than it
was before being used for the fungus crop. The
farmer will not feel the little labor il takes.
mere Is no secret whatever connected with
mushroom culture and skilled labor is not nee
essary to make 1t successful The common
iarm land can do the work, which consists IN
turning the manure once every day or two for
about three weeks and then building it into a
bed planting it with spawn and covering il
with mold. Nearly all the labor for the next ten
OF twelve weeks is expended in maintaining an
even temperature and in gathering and mar
keting the crop. Many women are searching
Tor remunerative and pleasant employment on
the farm What can be moro interesting and
profitable work for them than mushroom
growing?
After the farmer has made up the mushroom
oed bis wife or daughter can attend to its man
agement with scarcely any tax upon her time
and without interfering with other domestic
duties Ii is clean work, too. No lady in the
land would hesitate TO pick mushrooms in the
open. Held. How much less, then should she
hesitate to gather the fresh fungi from the
clean beds IN her own clean cellar. Mushrooms
are winter crop; they come when they are
most needed. The supply of eggs in the cold
season Is limited aud pin money often proper
uonately short The market amand for mush-
rooms all winter long is Unsuitable at good
prices. so that no farmers wife need caro-
wnether the hens lay eggs at Christmas or not.
nheh mushroom growing is intelllgently con-
Quoted there Is more money in it than in hens
with less trouble.
The cellar of a dwelling house is a capital
place for mushroom beds. A private family
winch desires to grow only few of the fungi
LOT It's own use may partition part of the Gel
Lar with boards and maize the bed within the
lnclosure, or a bed may lie constructed along
the wall and boxed in to protect 1t from cold
drauShts and from mice and rats Bear in
mind that mushrooms thrive best in a tenn
perature Of from fifty to sixty degrees, and If
you can give them this in your house cellar you
ought to get plenty of good mushrooms. Sup
posing that the natural temperature of the eel
lar Is not warm enough, the necessary heat
may be supplied by boxing up the bed or by
spreading piece of old carpet or mating over
the boxing.
The beds may be made upon the floor, fat
or banked against the wall ten or twelve
inches deep, in a warm cellar. three feet wide
and any length desired. Boxing may consist
OF any kinds Of boards for sides and ends,
being built about six TO ten inches higher than
the top OF the beds. SO TO give the mush-
rooms plenty of room The top of the boxing
may be lid, hung on hinges or straps and
made of light lumber, say of half-inch boards.
In this way, by opening The lid. the mushrooms
are under observation and can be gathered
without any trouble. When the lid is shut
they are secure from cold and vermin. With
this protection supplied the cellar can be ven
tliated without interfering with the welfare of
the mushrooms.
"lhe notion of manure beds in q dwelling
house may seem queer TO many people, but
when rightly managed they emit 10 bad odors
Manure should be prepared away from the
house and, when ready tor making into beds,
should be spread out thin, SO as to become per-
fectly cool and free from steam. When it has
been for two days in this condition il may be
brought into the cellar and made into beds
After few days it will warm up little and
may then be planted with spawn and covered
over with a thin layer of earth. Do not bury
the spawn in the manure, but merely set it in