The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-17
CELLAR FARMING.
Mushrooms Are an Easy and Profit.
able Crop to Raise in the House.


able Crop to Raise in the House.
It is astonishing to learn that the de-
mand for a native food product exceeds
the supply in Americas commercial
world: yet it is fact as regards mush-
rooms. Not because the facilities are
lacking; city. country and suburb offer
excellent advantages for the growing of
those toothsome delicacies Nor is the
supply deficient by reason of the eX-
pense of raising them, for there is prob
ably no palatable product of the soil more
| cheaDly cultivated.
The only excuse for the poverty of this
industry is that Americans have not yet
there is in a crop. Said an expert French
grower lately: 1T seems strange that
IN a country of 70,0O0000. where double
the price is paid for mushrooms over any
market. the SIMPLEST industry in I'M
known. He was also astonished that
city folks-especially the poor-do not
! utilize the cellars of tenement houses.
| This is not a bad idea. for the rental to
poor creatures of these unwholesorne liv-
| ing abodes cannot possibly reap the in
come that a plentiful mushroom crop
would insure.
It's cellar industry need not be con-
| fined to the very poor" although it
-culd seem to them livelihood under
any other circumstance; and multitudes
| of cit. people who never use the cellar
for aught but the furnace or odds and
ends of rubbish might go in for grow
! inc vegetable that requires small care
and brings good unwavering price. No
objection need be raised as to the I'M
cleanliness of the experiment. The odor
of the manure necessarily used in making
the beds can be done away with. and the
! hygienic effect of the earth is not in the
! least unfavorable.
The cost of such a winter garden is
| slight All the manure required can be
bought for % cents the cart load. The
English brick spawn (Which is better
tl-an the French flake) is secured for 10
cents or 81 a pound. The beds yield
most prolific and continuous harvest.
which brings in a return of 20 to 80 cents
pound. That grower can always find
market for his garden. there is no
shadow of doubt
Those who do not wish to go into the
business extensively need not give up
the entire cellar to the cultivation of
mushrooms. if the space is valuable for
other reasons. The mistress of the house
can experiment in boxes that will be less
trouble to her than the fern she grows
at her window. the tin cans of green
cry the tenement dwellerS are taught by
Her artistic sense may not be equally graf
flied. but her pocket book will feel the
result. and. as for her interest. there are
few city women, / wager. who do not
yearn to dig around in the warm earth
and personally look after a great bed
of living. growing things.
PROFESSIONAL GROWERS.
For these women who would like to ex-
pertinent the advantages of such a
lucrative profession these practical hints
as to the requirements Tor success IN the
industry may be interesting. especially
as they come from Mr.. Falconer. whose
master garGeningShiD has made Charles
Dana s mushroom caves at Dosoris. l.. l.,
one of the most perfect IN the states.
1t is requisite that the cellar have
consistent low temperature. the moisture
abetting more than hindering success.
Mushrooms will not thrive where there
are draughtS, so the usual city cellar
whose only ventilation is obtained /
through the stairway that leads from
the basement is just right
The cellar should be thoroughly cleaned
and lime washed in the late soring and
the walls washed down with kerosene to
kill germs of insects. In July the manure
should be prepared for deterioration. This
condition is not particularly desired by
suburban growers for they plant away
summer sun beating down on thinly
laid plot OF manure. relieves the sub
stance of any understandings. This is
can probably make terms for having this
done where she purchases the soil.
Beds three or four feet in width should
between. Then shelf beds can be built
up to the height of the cellar to utilize
all available space. II the furnace is in
the cellar It should be boxed in by a
thin brick wall and larger body of
material be used in preparing the beds /
A heated cellar properly arranged fur /
hlSlIeS a more promo crop nut the muSn- !
rooms are neither so large nor so solid I
as when the air is cool and moist. A
temperature of 60 degrees is the best /
But if the cellar is colder than this the /
boxed beds. covered with old bits of !
carpet or mating. generate their own /
heat and preserve favorable conditions.
If the room becomes so moist that drip !
pings are continuous from the ceiling. I
spread oiled paper over the entire place. [
so the moisture run off the sides
These preparations should be finished at I
slight expense for August planting. /
Spawn can be bought al any reliable seed .
store. Be sure to get new spawn, for I
planting the old will be time thrown
small pieces. set it in the surface of
tie manure don't bury it, for this saves
it from too much heat. after two or
three days earth should be lightly spread
over the beds and the work is done.
TIE spawn planted in August bears in
November SO "A part of wisdom is to
provide for a continuous supply from
October to May by planting each crop a
month later After May the cellar should
be entirely cleaned out. for the heat gen.
crates too much uncleaniness.
As to the product of such growing,
some convincing figures are presented by
n person who has tried this scheme and
fron, two cellars had yield of LOO to
2. 800 pounds of mushrooms. This was a
but not remarkable harvest.
and one to be obtained by any woman
who brings judgment and enterprise into
the venture. AS is easily seen it does
not require either capital or time In
city where the hotels are crying for fresh
supplies daily. woman would find no
in disposing at a good cash
pr:ce or every bushel her cellar would
yield.
This is a decidedly new industry and it
would be wise woman who experiments
HENRY STERLING