Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-06-27
MUSHROOM CULTURE.
Experience and Suggestions Of a
Practical Grower

Most plants require the sunlight
there are few which prefer It's ab-
sence, but the mushroom alone loves
absolute night. Indeed. so fond is it of
obScurity that it fiouTiSheS best in tie
catacOmbs of Paris, the only living
thing in those tombS Of the dead.
Wherever cultivated it is necessary 70
supply darkness, heat and moisture,
room culture. There are a good many
other things. too, which are necessary
to success in this branch of farming.
"Once we'll started, mushroom grow
ing is a good-paying business re-
marked Mr. Piper, of Amityville, New
York, as he walked through his house
with a World representative, but in
its uncertainty it closely resembles
speculation in stocks. | make my
beds, plant my spawn, maintain the
necessary heat and moisture and
wait If three days before the nusn-
rooms are due l find the beds covered
with mould / sign a contract with a
hotel man for the daily shipment OF a
certain number of pounds of muSh-
rooms. l know that l ann safe and
that the spawn was good. If the
mould does not appear / have lost. l
wait a little while, and then there is
nothing for it but to order a fresh sup
ply of spawn, meantime relnaking my
BEDS
''Where does the fault lie?"
with the spawn. 1t is impossible
to tell beforehand whether it is good
or not. Little fine spores must be Wis
ible here and there in the brick, but
beyond that no one knows. English
spawn is the best ON the market, but
l propose hereafter to raise my own"
How do you plant it?''
Il first saw the brick in half-incn
pieces and place it about four inches
apart each way. The bed is covered
lightly with loan. In from six to
eight weeks I gather my first crop, and
thereafter pick over the beds every
twenty-four hours
"How deep do you plant the spawn
You will have to excuse me. Ihat
is my secret, and on it l depend TO
raise heavier, firmer and better flaw
ored mushrooms than those ordinarily
offered for sale"
"Small, heavy mushrooms, twelve
to fourteen to the pound. are the best.
They must be IN the hands of the
hotelkeeper within nine hours after
picking Any superfiuous ones l can.
'sWhy is not your mushroom house
entirely underground
THAT is owing to my vicinity to the
water. You will observe that [ over
come the difficulty by banking UP the
sides with earth. These walls are only
eight inchess in thickness. I intend to
make the next ones fully foot thick.
l shall get my horse-manure from New
York or Long Island City next time,
as the carload l purchased III Brook
lyn was mixed with great quantity
of straw
GLOW do you maintain the proper
degree of heat and moisture?"
III SuHl1UST kt6l) w" 'ChC WILL
perature by the aid of seaweed spread
over the floor of the garnet (the house
lis built with sloping roof on that &C
count, ana in winter l use a stove,
which heats the house by means OF
hot-water pipes running along the cell
ing. To prevent too high a tempera-
ture two ventilatorS are provided. As
to the moisture, there is no rule. |
Judge entirely by touch. Experience
alone can determine this point. Too
much water will kill"
''When should mushrooms be
picked?"
'On attaining a height of about
two and half inches they are fit for
picking. In this connection | would
remark that a lamp should never be
taken into a mushroom house, as ane
fumes will linger for days and injure
the mushrooms. All the work should
be done by the light Of candle. This
is a common error
Mr.. Piper, who acquired his knoWl-
edge of mushroom culture in Germany.
is all enthusiast on the subject. He
declares that there is more money and
less arduous labor in the business than
in any other branch of farming.