Mushroom Culture

Considera'. ie interest !:as dovoloped of ! late years amoiif ranrket gardeners concerning mnsbroom culture. The usual method h;s conáisted in growins the )nushronn'.R unrter benchos in grceuhousss, bnt niaiiv au amateur, who sires te produco bis owu mushrooms, bas Dot theconvenienceof a greenhouse, and it is for their benefit that the foilowing illuetratioBS, frorn a bulletin issued by the Uuited States department oL aurirulturo, aro here reproduced. These illustrations represent beds made up in oellars, a niethod praoticed by the Freiich. The cellars shoukl be warm and dry, darfc and not. exposed to drafts. Fig. 1 ropresents a pyramidal shaped mnshroom bed made on the top of cask bottOms, whiuh should be at least 3 feet 8 inches in diameter. Tbey are built in the shape of au old fashioned sugar loaf, about 8 feet in height. The pieces of Bpawn are placed lJ-4' inches deep and lti inches apart. Fig. 2 represen ts mushroom culture in barrels sawed into two pieces crosswiso, each forming a tub. Holes are made in the bottom of each tub, and a fchin layer of good soil is spread over the inside. Thcy are then filled with good, well prepared stable manure, as in the case of ordinary mushroom beds. When the tub is half full with material, well pressed down, six or seven good pieces of spawn are placed on the surface, and tho reinainder of the tub is piled up with manure well pressed down, the operation being completed by giviug to tho heap the form of a dome. Mushrooms may be growii in a shelf in the stable. Sfcrong bars of irou are driven into the walls, upon whioh are placed shelves of the proper size covered with earth, upon which is foriued a Oed that is treated exactlyas those made upon the ground. These beds are just as productive as auy other kind.