The record-union., 1896-06-28

have lost it's original color The inte-
rior of the bed will be deep brown in
color, with white spots indicating where
fermentation was most active. AT this
stage precisely the same process must
be gone through with as in the first
turning, and the mass must be allowed
to rest three days. 1t should then be
soft to the touch, but leave no trace of
moisture on the hand.
The beds should be about 1869 inches
at their base, with an incline of from
11.S1 to 1873 inches toward the apex
The distance between them should be
about 9.S4 inches, not less. The beds
| are now patted down smooth with the
hand. For this work men are paid 81 1S
per day.
THE MUSHROOM IN CELLARS.
| There is very little more to be said
about the cultivation of mushrooms in
cellars than has already been described
Here each cone should have a base of
about 23.6 inches, and hight of about
%. .62 inches, and the incline should be
so degrees c. The preparation of the
cones, two turnings. time, etc, are the
same as in the ''carrieres," or caves.
The temperature, both in caves and
cellars, must be watched, and. it will not
do to plant the blanc or spawn, if the
fermentation be too active. The first
heat must always be allowed TO pass
of. When the beds show signs of dry
ing they should be evenly watered or
spr1nkled; the finer the sprinkler the
better the result. The best cellars are
the deepest, with high ceilings
| Forty days after the blanc or
spawn, has been evenly planted over
the beds, the mushrooms will appear
and cones or beds prepared as above di-
rected will produce a continuous crop
for three months, provided the holes left
by the extracting of the mushrooms are
filled again and patted over, but not
otherwise.
THE SEED.
| The seed, spawn, ''semence," or
blanc" (mycelium), is usually supplied
by market gardeners, or ''maraichers," !"
in France. 1t is sold in the shape of a
brick or cake. These gardeners get
it from their old melon beds. If kept in
a dry, ventilated place it will not spoil
for several years. There are three
methods of procuring the spawn, viz:
Between April and September cut a.
| ditch along the base of a wall that has
an eastern exposure. This ditch should
be 1882 inches wide and 1869 inches
deep. The length is determined by the
quantity of spawn it is desired to pro-
duce. Having first prepared five or six
wheelbarrowfuls of manure as above
directed. and being sure that the first
| heat of fermentation has passed off.
mix it with one fourth it's volume of
shortcut fine straw, say of the length
OF two inches. This is to give cohesion
to the bricks when they are cut out
Then spread wheat chaff over the bot
tom of the ditch evenly to the depth of
6.o inches; then spread the prepared
manure over this to depth of 6.3
inches; then sprinkle the bed lightly;
then alternate with wheat chaff and
prepared manure, sprinkling lightly
each time. until the ditch is overfiowing
The mass must then be shaped into
conical form and covered with pulver-
lied earth to the depth of 63 inches.
Tc prevent too rapid decomposition of
the mass, in case of continued rain.
cover it with old bedding from the sta
bles. About the 1st of September ex-
anime the middle and the ends of the
spongeous f1lament of a blush color.
exhaling a strong odor of mushrooms.
If it be not ripe allow three or four
weeks to pass before reopening the
| mound. The bed should be so planted
that it will ripen before frost. On open
| ing, all parts of the mound having
dark brown color must be thrown away
This spawn" will not reproduce, but
will spoil the rest; decomposition has
set In. If the bed is ripe, cut the mass
| into bricks. Put these in a dry, cool
place at once. Do not pile one upon
| the other; do not let them touch.
In the foregoing method the spawn
has formed spontaneously (so-called).
| The second method is the one usually
followed by growers, and the germs
Qevain) from former old melon beds.
| etc, are used. The most favora BILE
times are spring and early autumn. AS
in the first method, select the side of a
wall or stone fence, but if the bed is to
be made in spring choose the northern
exposure; if in early autumn the eastern
exposure. The soil should be light. so
that there may be no danger of too great
dampness. On bright, clear day, cut
ditch about 0.2 meter G.91 inches)
from the WALL and make it 1915 inches
wide and 0.4 meter deep. Length is
determined by the amount of spawn
| it is desired to produce. Make the bed
| precisely as in the first method but
| leave a space of about 81 D inches at one
end of the trench. Begin here and work
| down the bed to the other end, thor
oughly mixing the mass with the hands,
| then pressing it with the knees. When
| it is about 6.3 inches deep place rows of
the little bricks of germ along the sides,
gently pressing them into the mass
They should be about 11.S1 inches apart
| Then repeat the process of covering
with the prepared manure and sifted
earth, and when it has reached a hight
| of 6.3 inches above first row of bricks,
plant second lot in the same manner,
| then third, or fourth if necessary, to
raise the mound above the soil. Then
cover the bed with sifted earth to the
depth of 6.3 inches. The bricks must be
perfectly dry AT the end Of six weeks
or two months, the blanc" or spawn,
should be perfectly developed. Cutting
! into the bed will determine this Per
haps little mushrooms will appear about
this time. Then remove the covering of
earth and cut and preserve the bricks as
above described, This method cf secur-
| ing spawn has no otner advantage over
| the first except that it requires less time
Make the mixture of manure as in
the first method; to it add one third
pigeon or chicken droppings. Make the
bed, ETC., in the same way. AT the end
of two months one may expect to be
able to cut bricks of excellent quality.
| If the above instructions be followed,