The Red Cloud chief., 1895-11-15
Mushroom Growing

Mushroom Growing.
An account is given by the Florsesy
Exchange Of successful and profitable
mushroom growing by Mr.. John Seut..,
a florist OF Brooklyn, ". Y.
Mr.. Scott grows his mushrooms ON ths
benches, under the benches, and 10 a
cellar, having in all about 1900 square
feet set apart for the purpose. One bed
OF a width of eight feet is under The
center bench Of an ordinary three
quarter span greenhouse, eighty-seycn
teet long and twenty feet wide. Here
the bed is formed on the ground: board
ing extends from the edge OF the bench,
on each side right down to. tho iloor.
NO heating pipes are nearer this he'd
than those which run under the side
Denches OF the greenhouse. The bot
tom OF this center bench, which Is
made of boards, is covered by a coating
OF ccment,-tbis prevents the possibil-
ity OF drip on the mushroom bed.
Plants are raised on this bench which
the temperature OF tho house will suit,
1t being kept from 80 degrees 10 GO de-
grees. which Mr.. Scott considers most
suitable for growing mushrooms.
In an even span greenhouse, sixty
feet long, Is a bed under a side bench
four feet wide, and under a side bench
OF another even-span house, Dinety-
Two feet long, Is another bed, the heat
ing pipes in both cases being boarded
on. The hot water system OF beating
is used.
Another place which Mr.. Scott bnz
ntfltvpI fo. x,,,,hrxor, .,tt,.~ a.. -
ridor which extends the entire width
OF the houses. some ia feet. Benches
were erected In this corridor, which has
a gradual incline toward the entrance.
At the lower half mushrooms were
grown on the benches to a distance OK
hfty-five feet. the beds extending over
one OF the two four-inch pipes which
supply heat for this part Of the estab-
lishment. the bench being about two
feet above the pipes. These beds were
prepared in the ordinary manner and
after spawning were covered by sash
which was shaded with n coating Of
whiting. Mr.. Scott says 1t Is imma-
terial how near the glass the beds are.
IN the winter the mushrooms will
stand all the light available, but to-
wards spring It is too strong for them.
The sash keeps the beds close and pre-
vents draughts and drying out. They
are placed on a gentle slant so as to
carry off any condensed moisture
which may gather on them. In this,
corridor the temperature last winter
was sometimes down as low as forty
five degrees, yet "A good crop of mUsh-
Fnnync Npno pt,1yal frar, N1D hDI
the remaining sixty feet of the corridor
beds were placed under the bench.
Towering plants being grown on the
bench itself.
Mr.. Scott obtains his supply Of horse
manure from nearby livery stables on
very favorable terms. AS 1t Is brought
to the establishment it is fHled in n
shed and then mixed ith-abouf n
fourth loan and turned every second
day. This gentleman believes in pael.-
Ing his beds. and the manurc with thsi1
quality Of loan In IL renders Il nidSy
available for that purpose, besides Oh
Waiting its tendency to overhead. THE,
loan also absorbing the ammonia In
the anurc When the compost il az
the consistency that Il will expand NJ
ter being squeezed in the hand 1. IL
ready for use. The beds are made up
TO a depth OF sever inches. ana
spawned when the temperature falls to.
SO degrees. After spawning the beds
are covered with about two inches nj
loan. Mr.. Scott begins the formation
Of his beds about the first week in Oc-
tober. and keeps on preparing them in
succession as often rs he can get the
manure, right along until March. Thus
no has mushrooms from Thanksgiving
to the fist week in June.
The spawn used is tho English Mill
track: 1t Is broken into pieces OF abOat
two inches square and placed In the
beds eight or nine inches apart, to .
depth OF two or three inches. The
beds are never watered until the mush-
rooms appear II 1t can possibly hs
avoided. Sometimes portions of them
will dry out and these are gone ovcE
with a watoring-can having a fine nose.
During tho winter water at q temporal
ture of 50 degrees to 30 degrees Is used.
and in May and June water is applied.
with u hose.
Mr.. Scott says he has picked mush.
IuobiS willy w uhs GilVI bnu nhLiK
but tho usual time when a crop can be
gathered Is from six to seven weeks.
The mushrooms are pulled from thS
beds. never cut; care being taken to 70
move the roots also, as II these arc al
lowed to remain In the bed they rns
decay and kill off many Of the mush-
rooms which are left, and every thread
Of mycelium which comes In contact
with them. The holes left by the re-
moval Of the roots are filed UP with
soil.
Mr.. Scott has ever calculated thu
yield to o square foot. Sometimes he
has gathered individual speclmens
which weighed three-Quarters Of 9.
pound. However. he finds mushroom
growing sufficiently ~remunerative Ia
warrant him continuing 1t. Two OF The