Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1920-12-07

/ SoV6uty-uVo p0r Cout VI III sno Ou'oas
mushrooms grown In the United States
for market are grown In the vicinity OF
Kennett Square, Pa, q town about thirty
three miles from Philadelphia, on the
Maryland division of the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
i Known In history % the home of Bay
ard Taylor, the square town 10 now fa-
nous for mushrooms, carnations, etc.
There is hardly farm around the sub
urbs of the town, but that you will find
one or more mushroom houses placed
thereon. The farmers derive neat In.
come from this industry which, In some
cases, is nothing more nor less than q
side line. Some farmers give their entire
time to the growing of mushrooms.
| A study Of mushrooms can lead one
pretty deep into microscopicsl crOss-sec-
tions and the like, which are like 30
much Greek to the average layman who
wants to know how much It will cost to
erect house or two In order to gel
started in business, and go begin to have
checks coming In to him for mushrooms
sold. he is not 30 particularly interested
In the minute details, other than to get
hold of the best kind of spawn, whether
1t be In brick or bottle. The latter, liq-
uid type, seems to have become very
popular among growers in this locality.
| The growth of the mushroom is not
understood by some people, hence this
short explanation. The spawn is scat
tered through the earth In the beds of
the house, carefully watched and wa.
tered, and after while small white pin.
L hna Io q kkc T.
groups. These finally mature into large,
white mushrooms, some of them meas
uring two inches or more across. The
my ycelium In the form OF delicate threads
or stout strands (cslled spawn) lives In
the soil, absorbing In solution certain Of
the substances of decaying vegetable
matter, which It appropristes for growth
and increase. 1t lives here for several
months, or In some cases for years, be-
fore developing the fruitiDg portion,
which is the mushroom. This first ap-
pears as minute rounded mass on the
strands of the mycelium. 1t grows 10
size to form button with a stem. The
young gills are formed by the mycelium
growing downward In radiating ridges
from the under side of the margin of the
button, the gills at first being covered by
delicate veil of interlacing threads. As
the piIeus expands, 1t bursts through the
sod, ruptures the veil, when the charac-
ters of the fully formed mushroom ap.
pear.
Mushrooms thrive best at q steady
temperature of from 550 to $50. The
temperature must not fall below 500 nar
| rise above TO-. Steam heat is used 10
many plants In this section successfully.
Mushrooms do not require sunlight, as
green plants do, but ordinary diffused
light will do them no harm. Direct sun
light Is injurious. The plants may be
grown In ordinary pits rooted over, or
under old.frames or dsused hotbeds, II
the sashes are kept covered with straw to
exclude the light. The fruits, or mush-
rooms, will begin to push through the soil
in from fve to seven weeks, according to
the temperature. The plants are suita-
BILE In ell stages of growth, but are most
| valued when just out OF the button stage.
The mushrooms tend to come In clusters.
The market price for mushrooms va
ries greatly. 1t reaches the price of 90 q
pound sometimes. Every day hundreds
of baskets are gathered by truck and
shipped by express to Philadelphia and
New York markets. The mushrooms
are now being shipped In cans, being
canned at Kennett Square.
The successful cultivation of mush.
rooms in America has not been so gen.
eral as in most of the European coun.
tries. In France and England the musb-
room industry has been best developed.
France is, properly speaking, the home
of the present mushroom industry. Un-
usual interest has been shown In the
United States In the growth of mush-
rooms within the past few years, and 1t
is to be hoped and expected that within
the next ten years the industry will de.
velop to the fullest limit OF the market
demands, as the demand now far exceeds
the supply. The latter will OF course be
stimulated and developed by the increas.
ing popular appreciation Of this product.
Success 10 mushroom growing depends
on Intelligent study Of conditions and on
experience. While many American grow.
ers have been successful in the produc.
ton of mushrooms, much larger mum.
Der have failed. In most cases their fail.
ures have been due to one or more OF
the following causes:
/. The use of poor spawn, or of spawn
which has been killed by improper stor-
age.
2. Spawning at temperature injuri-
ously high.
8. The use of too much water either
at the time of spawning or later.
4. Unfavorable temperature during
the growing period.
In gathering mushrooms, every one
that is big or old enough, whether good,
bad or Indifferent, should be taken, for
to leave them would be to spoil the bed.
In sorting these for market, however,
ship only those which are good and
throw away the remainder.