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 1859 inches
at their base, with an incline of from
| 11.S1 to 1878 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 IS
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 2o.6 inches, and a hight of about
2o.62 inches, and the incline should be
90 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
off. 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 a cake. These gardeners get
it from their old melon beds. If kept in
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 wall that has
All 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 1T with onefourth it's volume Of
! shortcut fine straw, say of the length
| or two inches. This is to give cohesion
| 10 the bricks when they are cut out
Then spread wheat chaff over the bot
tom of the ditch evenly to the depth of
b.o 7nches; then spread the prepared
manure over this to a depth of SO
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 sha ped 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 filament of a blush color.
| exhaling strong odor of mushrooms
| If 1t 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 a
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-calIe6D.
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 3 utumn the eastern
exposure The soil should be light. so
| that there may be no danger of too great
| dampness. On a bright clear day, cut
ditch about o. meter G91 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 3 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 a third, or fourth if necessary, to
raise the mound above the soil Then
cover the bed with sfted earth to the
depth of 63 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 other 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.