Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-24
Pursued With Profit in the Great
Caves Under Paris.
MAKING AND CARING FOR TEE BEDS
Description of a Visit to These
Underground Gardens.
SUPPLYING THE MARKETS


presented TO the average visitor, the gay,
bright. vivacious life so often pictured.
Few, however. know much of the UNDER
ground Paris. dark. solitary and damp,
with its many tragedies of life and death
and with none of the comedies. The cata-
combs that vast charnel house, that cham
her of bones. are known to some. but there
is not one in a thousand of the Inhabitants
of Paris let alone any of the million odd
visitors that pass through the gay capital
every year, that ever heard of the musn-
room caves of the city. Yet a vast area,
almost one-thrd of that of the entire
streets of the city, is covered by these
caves. and in them are raised thousands
and thousands of these fungi TO cater TO
the epicureaR tastes of the luxurious. 1t is
estimated 400 pounds OF mushrooms are
sent out to the market daily from these
caves, and that the entire industry means
millions of dollars.
1 had the opportunity to visit the caves,
the existence of which confess / did not
even know, the other day. / readily
scented. but regretted later that / had when
L reached the entrance, although having
conquered my fears and passed safely
through the experience. I would not have
missed il for anything.
The caves are many, varying In length
from half a mile to twenty miles each.
They are reached by a shaft like the mouth
of well. Out of this a long post stands,
10 winch are attached cross sticks at fairly
long intervals This primitive ladder is fas-
tened at the top only, and swings like 4
pendulum at the base. To descend IL under
ordinary conditions would be difficult
enough. and when one thinks in addition
that he Is entering an impenetrable dark
ness. passing to depth OF which he knows
nothing. 1t is enough to try the nerves Of
the stanchest. / had half mind to turn
back. but finally conquered my fears and
began the descent. Having accomplished ii
in certainty. 1 began to regain my equa-
nimity to an extent until was told that it
was but the first step, that there were two
Others to be negotiated before / reached
the caves.
Like Vast Rock Temples.
Finally rea ching the bottom I was able
to lock around me after striking a match
and lighting candle. Disused stone quar-
ries are utilized for the mushroom gardens
the interiors of which may he compared to
vast rock temples, with galleries radiating
in every direction. These caves are divided
among different owners and are under gov
ernment supervision, and are periodically
inspected. These inspections do not really
amount to much, for only the owners
themselves are familiar with the winding
passages, and without their direction ana
guidance no SUPERVISION would be possible.
Mushroom growing is very expensive at
first to the cultivators. The most perfect
cleanliness has to be observed near the
beds, which about twenty-five inches
high and about the same in diameter They
are covered over with silver sand and a
whitish clay. and run in parallel lines, with
only a narrow path between.
An important item in mushroom cultura
is fresh air. The farmer must know how
much oxygen is needed by the fungi Air
holes are bored here and there and coke
| fires are set beneath. This insures the nee
essary renewal of fresh air. Temperature
and moisture have also to be studied neces-
stating many doors to regulate the current
of air.
BE CAREFUL Bend your headsw calls the
GUIDE, as he leads the way up a cavern or
landing. OF course. this is too late and you
md yourself seated on the ground seeing a
dozen candles where there was but one
The narrow gallaries now become so low
that we have to creep along almost doubled
up in order to inspect the beds where the
mysterious process Of propagation is taking
place. The discomfort we endured while
traversing this section was great
We, with considerable difficulty, and in
the wake Of laborers who have TO lie fiat
on their barrows while pushing them along,
reach large hall hewn out of the rock by
the former tenants-the quarrymen
Follow me-" calls out the guide-as IL
we intended losing sight of him for a mo-
ment-"and see how the beds which are to
receive the spawn are prepared"
Interesting Methods.
To construct these beds evenly an inter-
esting method is adopted; each workman
sits astride his bed. as IL on horseback, fills
his arms with the manure and presses it
down between his legs. and thus they move
along the beds with the jolting motion of a
rider
When the beds attain the proper TEMPER
allure the spawn is sown. Small beds are
devoted to the propagation OF virgin spawn,
which Is more valuable than the spawn
which is found abundantly in the old beds
From the time Of the first preparation OF
the manure to the gathering of the harvest
Shy~axA IL
penses connected herewith amount, for
each four feet Of ground, to three francs
and a profit is only realized when this space
Yields more than four kilos of mushrooms.
The price of a kilo at the Central Market
in Paris Is about one franc.
To BE C0ntended Against,
A mushroom grower has to contend
against rats and parasites of various kinds.
AS remedy against the first evn, cats are
kept in these cloisters; but sometimes they
catch their prey but do not eat it, and the
mushrooms suffer from the decay of or
ganic matter Among the parasites, a cryp-
tcganic. rejoicing in the name OF myco-
gone rosesI, which peGetrates into the pores
of the fungi, causes a loss estimate at not
less than $40 900 per annum in the Partisan
caves alone.
The smallest particle OF iron in the beds
Of manure is avoided by the spawn; coal
has also the same effect, a large circle
rem. A spiteful employee wishing to injure
his master needs only to stick a rusty nail
here and there in the beds. and a very seri-
Gus. loss of crops will result.
The beds look very pretty when in full
bearing, the less advanced ones being dot
ted over with little white buttons about the
size of peas, other beds where the dazzling
ly white produce is ready for gathering
They are gathered roots and all; the beds
remain in bearing from two to six months.
Mushrooms for Export.
Besides supplying the markets OF Paris,
hundreds of pounds weight are exported
and large quantities preserved One grower
alone sends IA, 900 boxes OF preserved mush-
rooms to England annually. The total
value OF the mushrooms sold in the Halles
Centrales. exported or preserved, amounts
to f280 600 per annum. One thousand to
1 200 workmen are employed In the suburb
an caves which lie between Meudon and
Ivry.
Having seen one cave, they are all alike,
but they present an interesting phase OF
life In the great city known to few-a phase
which one must see 10 duly appreciate.