The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-07-10
MUSHROOMS IN A MINE.
Very Successful Place to Grow
Thorn.

A very Successful Place to Grow
That mushrooms can be successfully
grown in coal mines has been proved
and a new industry has been estab-
lished on the south side, says the
Pittsburg Commercial Gazette. Mush-
room experts have held it impossible
to grow the spawn in abandoned mines,
although they have been successfully
cultivated in v and quarries for
hundreds of years. Henry Dietrich is
a glass moldmaker by trade. He is
an intelligent man about so years of
age. He resides on Woodville avenue,
Mount Washington, not far from. Vir-
ginia avenue. In the rear of his house
is an abandoned coal mine. More than
two years ago he began the experiment
of growing the spawn, and raised some
choice mushrooms last year. Mr.. Diet
rich has about 700 square feet of soil
under cultivation in the dark passages.
This he has boxed up, some in hunks,
one above another. He has expert
mented with different varieties and is
now engaged in trying to raise the lit
tie French mushroom. which is canned
and used to such a great extent in res
taurants and hotels, although the can
ned article is not nearly SO palatable
as the fresh mushroom. Mr.. Dietrich
had great trouble in clearing out and
draining the mine before he attempted
to cultivate the mushroom. He put in
sewer pipes to carry away the large
flow of water, also the sewage from the
hill above him. as most of the resi-
dences on Mount Washington are sew
cred into the abandoned mines. The
passageways in the mine are high
enough to walk in, standing erect, and
are about four feet wide. The tenn
perature is the same the whole year,
which makes the cultivation of the
fungus 70 successful. Mr.. Dietrich
showed the writer beds with the mush-
oom in various stages of growth, from
the pinhead, as the first shoots are
called, to the full grown, the latter
creamy white with pink gills. under
meath. In these beds 1000 pounds Of
the fungus were grown last year. The
price averaged about so cents a pound,
while during the Christmastide and
midwinter it advanced to rs cents a
pound. Manure had to be hauled into
the mine in great quantities and mixed
with earth. The water running contin-
ually in the mine cannot be used on
account of the sulphur and other min
erals which injure the growth. Su-
%perintendent William Falconer Of
Schenley Park is an expert on mush-
room growing. He made a report to
the government on their growth, which
the government adopted as its report,
and is the standard for all mushroom
growers. Mr.. Falconer also wrote a
book on the subject. which is recog-
nized as a standard work. When MI.
Dietrich first attempted to raise the
fungus in the mine he asked Mr. Fal.
coner's opinion on the subject. Mr..
Falconer had never heard that mush.
room growing had been successful in
coal mines and he did not give much
encouragement as to the experiment.
Mr.. Falconer yesterday said he had
q LlaC muSurOOIuS udO O0CA 4oao0o
successfully in abandoned quarries and
other caverns. but not in coal mines
He also said that growers of mush-
rooms were the most. secretive people
he had ever known. Mr.. Falconer said
that mushrooms must be eaten while
the gills are pink. To do this they
must be cooked the same morning
they have been picked. French canned
mushrooms are like 80 much putty,
without taste or any redeeming quality.
while the fresh mushroom, right from
the field or bed. is a dainty Of dainties.
MI. Dietrich said he had not attempted
to market his product in Pittsburs
among the hotels, as his neighbour
took all he could raise. He had ne
intention of extending his beds. al
though at times he had q greater mum
Der under cultivation than others. Mr.
Dietrich said to hts knowledge. and hi
had read everything he could on thu
subject, mushrooms had never beel
grown successfully in q coal mine b.
FORE
MIA kFsltHWtN 4.IEs aEAi.lr3h EATFt ~ Aqal