Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-10-14
Mushroom Culture
Is Easy and Profitable.

VI uS4-L OJAI NuAtulC
Is Easy and Profitable.
What can | do to earn money at
home" is the question of many women.
who are not free TO go out in the world
to work, but who yet feel the necessity
Of earning at least enough money to pre-
vent them from entire dependence on
someone else.
1t Is always difficult matter to an
swer that question. So much depends
ON the woman herself-what she likes to
do. what she is capable of doing, and
what the surroundings are.
There is one occupation that many
women have taken up with profit. Its
advantages are that it can be carried on
in city or country, takes little time, and
there is always demand for the prod
net. This is the growing of mushrooms.
Mushroom culture can be carried on
successfully in the cellar, if no other
place offers. All that is required is dark
ness. a good bed, fresh and reliable
spawn, and the exactly right conditions
of temperature aud moisture. The beds
can be on a ground floor, or on shelves,
in tiers; under benches in the green
house. or in old hotbeds; or right out
doors in the ground. As said above, the
cellar will do very well, for BEGINNERS
AS TO the composition OF the bed, and
the time and manner OF planting, here Is
the advice of a famous scotsman:
Great care should be taken in the Sc
lection of material to be used in making
the bed Fresh horse manure should be
used. composed largely of short manure
with a small proportion of long, strawy
litter. adding loan or rich soil at the
rate Of one bushel of soil to four on five
bushels of manure. This should be pre-
pared by stacking, turning, shaking and
restocking every three or four days until
in condition for preparing the bed.
These operations will permit the escape
Of noXious gases and prevent burning
Keep moist, but not too wet, and III
about two weeks the material will be
ready for the bed, which should be about
twelve to fourteen inches thick after be-
ing thoroughly tramped or pounded down
so rs to become firm and compact; then
cover with long litter or straw. The
size of the bed may vary according to CIR
cumstances, generally two and one-halt
to three feet in width, and any length
desired.
If the material is in proper order, the
mercury in thermometer will rise to 100
degrees or more, then after a time fall,
slowly or rapidly, according to the con-
ditions. When 90 degrees has been
reached the time for planting the spawn
has arrived. If English mushroom
spawn is used (and it is preferable to
tile FRENCH, it should be broken into
pieces about two inches square and
planted nine inches apart each way, two
inches deep, care being taken to firm the
manure above the spawn.
If French mushroom spawn (Which
comes loose in boxes is used, it should
he broken up i'll pieces about the length
and thickness of the hand, by half that
m width, and inserted into the bed at a
distance of ten to twelve inches each
way, covering about one inch and press
lng soil so as to become firm. After the
spawn has been planted for q week or
ten days, it should nave begun running,
ana coat of rich lOamy soil, an inch
NICK, should be spread over the entire
neu, the surface being made smooth and
hfln; then cover with litter and keep a
UNIFORM temperature of the house about
- degrees. The bed should remain Gov
cred with light litter until exhausted.
IN Ideal mushroom bed is one i'll
"hleh there is a slow, steady. gradually
decreasing fermentation; a fermentation
winch by its warmth and vapor quickens
me spawn. encourages it to run or send
'd' Web-lIke iilameuts. ana which finally
Pots the bed i'll the condition of an au-
tuinn meadow. medium filed with a
network Of spawn. If properly made, Il
bttlod OF two or three months The
tihle Tor making mushroom beds varies
H' inherent sections; almost any season
" I'LL suit. only the choice of location ac-
"fllhg To the time of year being neces-
1,f% Early spring beds for the opeu.
may and June, August and September
t"f cellars and sheds. while for green
houses. amy month will answer that will
NOT hrinS the crop into the intensely hot
months Of July and August.
ne growing of mushrooms on the
lawn IS practiced to considerable extent
ana Is an easy way of obtaining them.
7 or tins purpose about the end Of June
TpaWn Is inserted under the turf and al
lowed To take care of itself. Under fa-
Nefaole conditions it will spread rapidly,
"lteh forming what are called fairy
rings. or growing in circles, and produce
an abundance Of mushrooms by the fol-
ing early fall, which are of superior
quality. sometimes better than those
crown under artificial culture
Many failures in growing mushrooms
ere caused by overwhelming as while
sIeA thrive best in soil which viii not
.taeh tut keep moist enough TO press to-
-'lAef nicely. it must not be wet. and at
,"H same time. if allowed to become too
r. decomposition win be too rapid and
s'e bed become exhausted before the
Top Is harvested The water used
Nt'"ald toe luke-warm and NOT anplied "a
."e bed direct. but TO the litter covering
@tHie' The mushrooms should appear
move the surface in about six 10 eight
""rSs after spawning. unless there is
9'iie defect in the materials, tempera.
1fe or moisture in which case they
'i'e'imes remain barren for three