An Improved Method of Cultivating Mushrooms.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Cultivating Mushrooms.
I, JOSÉ PEREZ BERNAL, of 19 Calle de Ramon de la Cruz Madrid, in the Kingdom
of Spain, Preserve Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to the cultivation of mushrooms or edible fungi.
Having selected the ground suitable for the cultivation of mushrooms, caves or cellars
are formed of the number and capacity required by the consumption or demand for
the article. These caves are on the natural ground and must be dark, excluding all
light.
The selection and preparation of the dung is the essential point; and the next
important step is to form or fashion the beds or plots for growth of the fungi.
The most suitable sort of dung is that from the farm stables, and the best of all is
ass dung.
Having collected the dung in a sheltered level place out of reach of fowls or
animals that might disturb it, it should be turned over once or twice to separate any
extraneous matter, as well as longish bits of straw; it is then stacked up in conical
heaps, pressed together, so as to hasten fermentation, moistening it a little, if insuffi-
ciently humid, or should the weather bo over dry. After the lapse of ten to fifteen
days, it is again turned over, well mixed, care being taken that the part less decom-
posed by reason of lying on the outside surface, be changed to the centre, so that the
decomposition may be secured equally throughout; it is then heaped up as before. It
is left in this state for eight or ten days more, when it should have acquired about the
same degree of heat as before. It is then turned over as was done previously and
five or six days after this operation, it should be fit for use. This, however, becomes
a very difficult matter to ascertain; and practice and experience can alone guide to
success. Should the dung have assumed a brown colour and be pasty or greasy,
or being squeezed by the hand is found not to contain any water or moisture and to
have lost its natural fetid smell, it may be considered fit for use; but, if, on the
contrary, it be found very dry, or over humid or very moist and miry, it is quite
unfit for use and would lead only to failure. Should it be only dry, it may be
moderately moistened and turned over another time; but in case of its being very wet
or moist, it must be rejected as useless. When the dung has been provided as above
described, the beds or plots for production of the mushrooms may be next prepared
which must be done in the said dark caves or cellars, protected from all air, draughts,
and from the inclemency of the winter frosts; or heats or changes of summer.
mushrooms raised in these caves or cellars are more abundant, and much more tender
and digestive. The form of the plots or beds may vary. Sometimes the form is
conical, sometimes a parallelogram, as wheat is heaped on the thrashing floor, in form
of a horseback, or, sloping up gently against the walls. When not formed against
the walls, they are made on the floor, with a base of about a metre, and about sixty
five centimetres at summit. The dung is pressed together, by beating it with the
back of a shovel, and is raked over to make the surface even and level. Should these
beds or plots be formed in the open air, they are covered over with straw from the
stable, and thus left for a few days, care being taken to sprinkle over or irrigate with
water, should the weather be very dry. When in the dark caves or cellars this
covering is unnecessary.
The
After a few days the beds or plots will have assumed a temperature of some
30 to 35 degrees C., which can easily be ascertained by placing a thermometer ·

page_text: thereon; and then the mushroom spawn or seed may be sown.
This consists of small
bits of the dung impregnated with whitish mouldy filaments that contain the mushroom
germs, which may be preserved for years, if kept in a dry well ventilated place.
The best sort is that known as "Virgin White "the product of beds or plots that
have nover produced crop, or from beds made in trenches and covered with earth for
production of the spawn. The spawn is sometimes found when breaking up the beds
or plots of former growth, and may be easily detected by the dryness of the dung and
the white filaments with which it is covered. Probably no naturalist has ever given
an explanation of the fact of this whito filament substance, collected from old beds of
dung which have given many mushroom crops, having the virtue of propagating new
crops in new beds properly prepared.
The spawn is sown on the dung beds or plots by planting or placing bits of the
white. filament dung in little holes in the beds, and covering up the holes again with the
same dung taken up to make them. Should the beds be in open air, they must be covered
over with stable straw, as mentioned above. After a few days the beds are inspected
to see if the spawn has germinated which can easily be ascertained, by the filaments
having spread or rooted into the dung; but should the filaments have assumed a
dark colour, they should at once be taken ont and replaced by new spawn; and if
it is observable that the beds have excessive heat, they should be allowed to cool for
L few days before again sowing the spawn. Should the spawn or seed be found in
good condition and have begun to germinate or sprout, it is left five or six days to
take good root in the bed or plot and then well pressed with the hands. The surface
of the beds is then covered with well screened earth about one centimetre deep and
beaten gently with the back of the shovel. The best sort of earth is the nitrous limey
stuff from demolished buildings.
When the mushrooms have sprung up until the head be about the size of a half-
penny, the crop may be collected and bottled or tinned for market.
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Cultivating Mushrooms.
I; JOSÉ PEREZ BERNAL of 19 Calle de Ramon de la Cruz, Madrid in the Kingdom
of Spain, Preserve Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the cultivation of mushrooms or edible fungi.
Having selected suitable ground I form caves or cellars the number and capacity of
which is regulated by the consumption or demand for the article. These caves are on
the natural ground and must be so arranged as to exclude all light.
The selection and preparation of the dung is an essential point, and the next
important step is to form or fashion the beds or plots for the growth of the fungi.
The most suitable kind of dung is that from the farm stables, the best being asses
dụng.
.
Having collected the dung in a sheltered level place, out of reach of fowls or animals
that might disturb it, it should be turned over once or twice to separate any extraneous
matter therefrom such as rather long pieces of straw, it is then stacked up in conical
heaps, pressed together so as to hasten fermentation, moistened. a little, insufficiently
humid if the weather is very dry.
After the lapse of ten to fifteen days it is again turned over and well mixed, care
being taken that the parts which are less decomposed by reason of its laying on the out-
side surface, are changed to the centre so that its decomposition may be secured equally

page_text: throughout; it is then heaped up as before. It is left in this state for eight or ten
days when it should have acquired about the same degree of heat as before. It is
then turned over as above described and five or six days after this operation; it should
be fit for use.
This however becomes a very difficult matter to ascertain and practice and
experience can alone enable the grower to decide with success.
Should the dung
have assumed a brown colour and be pasty or greasy, or, if when squeezed by the
hand is found not to contain any water or moisture and have lost its natural footid
smell it may be considered fit for use, but if, on the contrary it be found very dry or
over humid or very moist and miry it is quite unfit for use and would only lead to failure.
Should it be only dry it may be moderately moistened and turned over again but in
case of its being very wet or moist it must be rejected as useless.
When the dung has been provided as above described the beds or plots for produc-
tion of the mushrooms may be next prepared which must be done in the aforesaid
dark caves or cellars protected from all air draughts and from the inclemency of the
winter frosts, or heats or changes of summer. The mushrooms raised in these caves
or cellars are in crop more abundant and much more tender and digestive. The
form of the plots or beds may vary sometimes the form is conical, others in the form
of a parallelogram, as wheat is heaped on the thrashing floor, in form of a horse-
back, or other, sloping up gently against the walls. When not formed against the
walls, they are made on the floor, with a base of about a metre and about sixty five
centimetres at summit the dung is pressed together by beating it with the back of a
shovel and raked over to make the surface even and level. Should these beds or plots
be formed in the open air, they are covered over with the straw from the stable lairs,
and thus left for a few days, care being taken to sprinkle over or irrigate with water
should the weather be very dry. When in the dark caves or cellars this covering is
unnecessary.
After a few days the beds or plots will have assumed heat some 30 to 35 degrees C.,
which can easily be ascertained by placing a thermometer thereon; then the mush-
room spawn or seed may be sown. This consists of small bits of the dung impregnated
with whitish mouldy filaments that contain the mushroom germs, which may be
preserved for years, if kept in a dry well ventilated place. The best sort is that
known as "Virgin White" the product of beds or plots that have never produced
crop, or from beds made in trenches and covered with earth for production of the
spawn. The spawn is sometimes found when breaking up the beds or plots of former
growth, and may be easily detected by the dryness of the dung and the white filaments
with which it is covered. Probably no naturalist has ever given an explanation to
the fact of this white-filament substance collected from old beds of dung, which have
given many mushroom crops, having the virtue of propagating new crops in new beds
properly prepared.
The spawn is sown on the dung beds or plots by planting or placing bits of the
white filament dung in little holes in the beds covering up the holes again with the
same dung as was taken up to make them. Should the beds be in the open air, they
must be covered over with stable straw, as mentioned above. After a few days
the beds are inspected to see if the spawn has germinated which can easily be
ascertained, by the filaments having spread or rooted into the dung; but should
the filaments have assumed a dark colour, they should at once be taken out and
replaced by new spawn; and if it is observable that the beds have excessive heat, they
should be allowed to cool for a few days before again sowing the spawn. Should the
spawn or seed he found in good condition and have begun to germinate or sprout, it
is left five or six days to take good root in the bed or plot and then well pressed with
the hands. The surface of the beds is then covered with well screened earth about
one centimetre deep and beaten gently with the back of a shovel. The best sort of
earth is the nitrous limey stuff from demolished buildings.
When the mushrooms have sprung up until the head be about the size of a half
penny, the crop may be collected and bottled or tinned for market,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved method or process for the production or cultivation of mushrooms
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 20th day of August. 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant."