The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-04
How to Grow Mushronms.

How to Grow Mushrooms.
The cultivation of mushrooms is at
tracing a great deal of attention in this
country at the present time, and there is
no doubt they will be more extensively
grown when their peculiarities are better
understood, says Thomas Griffin, a New
York market gardener. Like everything
else II IS very easy to grow them when
you know how
A man may be able to grow mushrooms
and may prepare his beds all right, but if
the spawn should be of inferior quality
all the trouble he has taken will be lost
so 1t is very essential that he should work
very carefully and do everything, in the
best possible manner to attain success.
There are sevaral places where mush-
rooms can be grown where it would not
be possible to grow anything else, for in
stance, under the benches of greenhouses
when the temperature does not exceed
60 degrees, or even in cold pits outside
where the frost does not reach them.
In the latter case the beds must be made
up not later than October or it would be
too cold for the spawn to run. For my
self, Il do not think there is a better place
than a cellar. and that is where we grow
them here. The cellar should not be less
than seven feet deep, which gives plenty
OF room for two beds deep. The beds
should not be wider than four or five feet,
which enables us to pick them without
breaking the young ones. A pathway
should be left between each line of beds,
for emptying and refilling them, not less
three feet wide wide. If there is no heat
there should be sufficient pipe put in to
keep temperature of 60 degrees in the
coolest weather. OF course, a cellar does
not require the pipe of a greenhouse as it
is so much, more protected from the
weather, end the less fire heat used the
etter for the mushrooms, for they grow
much more sturdy and consequently
weigh heavier when they are grown with
out it.
Manure should be procured as fresh
from the stables as possible and should
have the longest straw shaken from it.
We procure ours from the city by the
carload and have very good success with
it. The manure should be thrown into
ridges about three feet high and four feet
wide, and be turned over thoroughly and
well shaken up every two or three DAYS;
it should not be let turn white and if it
gets dry it should be moistened. but 1t
must not be saturated by heavy rains or
other causes. An open shed is a good
place to turn it in, but it can be turned
outside and covered up from heavy rains.
The chief thing is to get the rank smell
anything that is foul. In about two or
three weeks it will be ready for making
up into beds These should be about ten
inches deep. Some growers mix about
one-fourth soil with manure, but, as a
general thing, have not had such good
success with that mixture l think it
may be more satisfactorily used for beds.
that are made up about September when
the weather is warm, for it certainly
70 bn
hot. f ..-
In about a week the beds should be ex-
amined to ascertain if they are fit for
spawning If the temperature should be
above 80 degrees, with a tendency to rise
higher, the bed is too warm, and should be
left a few days longer. AT the same
time, particular notice should be taken
that the beds are not getting too dry; if
that should happen they should be turned
over and moistened and made up again
When the temperature has gone down to
about 85 degrees the beds can be spawned
English brick spawn l consider the best
pieces should be broken up about two
inches square and inserted about two
inches deep; the whole should be well
beaten together. | omitted to say the
beds should be made very firm before
spawning. In about ten days or a fortnight
the beds will require to be covered with
perature they are in. If it be not above
20 degrees the soil can be put on to a
depth of one inch and beaten on firmly
1t should be just moist enough to stick to-
gether when pressed with the hand. The
manure for making the beds should be
in the same condition as regards moist
ure.
They should now have light covering
of litter or hay to prevent evaporation,
fnta ftaAxr met OF hn oil No.
dry. In about six weeks the mushrooms
should begin to appear. Sometimes they
come quicker than that Keep now an
even temperature of about SIS degrees;
this | consider the best for them. If you
have occasion to use fire heat you will
need to dampen the walls and paths occa-
for mushrooms dislike dry at
The beds viii continue to
bear for two months if made up right
and properly attended to.
The mushrooms should be pulled up and
not cut off, for if the roots are left they
decay and kill the spawn around. o.,
Should the beds require watering it
should be done very carefully and lightly,
for too much water will be certain to kill
the spawn. Ventilation should be given
very carefully; they dislike draughts;
even a slight covering of hay makes
great difference to them in helping keep
lGOH. Iuey SnOuiu ne CUT Wnen Une It'll
begins to break before they get open
wide. They thenweigh the heaviest be-
sides selling the best, though some people
prefer them for broiling when they are
very large.
The new mushroom, Agaricus subrufes-
Gems, does not seem adapted for winter
culture think it is a summer variety.
The spawn of it seems to run very readi-
ly in the beds; those that were spawned
last December are just full of spawn run
ming in all directions, but as vet have de
veloped no mushrooms. l think it will
take the heat of summer to bring them
out. 1t is different from A. campestris
and time will tell whether it will be
profitable variety; l am going to make
up b3ds outside shortly and test its mer-
its thoroughly.
Successful Farming.