In October is the time to prepare the manure and beds for house-raising of mushrooms. During the warm months they can not be cultivated without trial of one’s temper and test of one’s taste. Any one having control of a cellar can raise a fine crop of expectations, and may raise a crop of mushrooms by either accident or experience. They are at all times the most contrary of growths, and require the nicest management and much patience. The first thing to do is to select a well-ventilated spot away from direct drafts, where the temperature can be maintained at from fifty to sixty degrees and a moist atmosphere assured. Thoroughly cleanse the cellar and give it an entire covering of whitewash.

Decide upon the size of bed desired. In width the bed should not exceed reaching distance to its center when there is a pathway on each side of it, say six feet. The length of the bed should reach to its useful stopping-place. If the cellar has a portable heater in it, and is warm, the bed should be ten to twelve inches in depth; if the heater is walled in, or the cellar is cool, the bed should be fifteen inches deep.

Calculate how much fresh horse-manure, with the long straw only removed from it and that has not been rained upon, it will take to make a bed of desired dimensions solidly tramped. Get it, put it in a compact heap, and keep it covered from rain. It will heat rapidly and get smoking-hot, because a fermentation sets in which produces heat. If loam can be procured from a pasture or elsewhere it is well to add one-fifth (in bulk) of it to the manure, mixing it thoroughly. This addition retards the fermentation and absorbs the ammonia—a valuable fertilizer—which would otherwise be driven off by the heat. It also takes up any surplus of moisture.

After the compact pile has been thus prepared it should stand two or three days, then be well forked over and again piled. This forking should be repeated from four to six times, at intervals of from two to four days, depending upon the use or not of loam, which affects the rapidity of heating. If loam is used the forking should be at longer intervals unless the heat becomes excessive. The manure will probably then be in good order to go into beds. It is upon proper, careful preparation of this medium that successful mushroom-raising greatly depends. All work and hopes are thrown away if the greatest care is not exercised. Just as it is folly to buy poor seeds upon which to expend costly labor, so it is folly to make beds of poorly prepared manure.

The manure must neither contain too much nor too little water. By far the largest percentage of failures is due to too much. It rots the spawn vine (mycelium), and thus destroys the starting place of the fruit, or mushroom. The object in forking the manure so frequently is to sweeten it (as the operation is called) and to prevent overheating from fermentation. If it gets too hot it “burns”—gets too dry. Molding, too, is avoided. Moldy manure will not produce. If, in forking over the pile, dry places are found, they should be sprinkled with water; if, when the fermentation grows less active, the manure is too wet, spread it out to air and dry somewhat. It is in good condition and properly moist when tight squeezing will not press water from it. Far better that it should be too dry than too wet. The manure now ready should be moved to the cellar and made into beds while warm.

Good ventilation is a necessity. Two thermometers are needed—one to mark the temperature of the cellar, the other to place well and solidly down in the bed to record what it is doing in the heat way. It is probable that the mercury will rise slowly. It may go as high as one hundred and twenty-five or one hundred and thirty degrees. Do not disturb the bed, however high it goes. When it falls to between ninety and eighty degrees plant the spawn. If possible, keep the temperature up for several days. It should then fall slowly to sixty degrees, but go down no farther. Never plant on a rising temperature.

Mushroom-spawn comes in brick-shaped blocks. They can be purchased, of good quality, from any reliable seedsman. These blocks are made of a mixture of dungs, through which the mycelium, or vine, from which mushrooms grow, has been run. After this mixture is filled with the vine (badly named spawn) it is pressed into blocks and dried. It should be kept dry until used. Spawning a bed is nothing more than placing cuttings of this exceedingly fine vine under the influence of moisture and heat in a soil fitted for its growth (such as the bed should be), then inducing it to run and fruit. Spawn is originally made to grow by planting the seed of mushrooms in specially prepared dungs and germinating them. The mycelium, or vine, coming from this germination is called “virgin spawn,” and is perpetuated in its growth by running (training) it through manures, pieces of which form the spawn of commerce.

With a sharp hatchet cut the bricks into twelve pieces of equal size; a fine, clean meat-saw may be used, as it reduces breakage. With the hand make holes in the bed ten inches apart each way. These holes must be so deep that when the lumps of spawn are thrust firmly down into them the top of the lumps will be not less than one inch or more than two inches below the surface of the bed. Cover the lumps firmly. Have the surface of the bed as even as possible. Without having to go very far into the cold region of mathematics, the number of bricks of spawn needed is easily figured. Ascertain the number of holes, ten inches apart, that can be made in the bed. Divide this number by twelve, and lo! you have it.

After the bed is spawned it is well to lay a double thickness of newspapers over it, putting a few plastering-laths or light sticks upon them to keep them in place. This is to keep the heat in the bed, as it is desirable that the temperature should not run down too rapidly. It should be two weeks falling to sixty degrees.

Ten days after spawning, if the heat of the bed has gone down to sixty-five or sixty degrees, cover the bed with two inches of loam and pat it solid with spade or board. The bed should not be covered with loam when the temperature is too high. Removing the papers will allow the heat to escape. At the time of covering with loam the spawn should have begun to spread. It will show plainly in the manure close to the lumps of spawn. Its odor is unmistakable, being musky, spicy, much like mushrooms, but stronger. Care should be taken not to disturb the new mycelium, as all breakage of the fine, web-like threads lessens its product. The mycelium should start and grow quickly up to the time of covering with loam. After that a slow increase is best. To effect this the surrounding outside temperature should be from fifty-seven to sixty-two degrees. Ventilation should be upward and good, but not directly upon the bed.

The mycelium will now run and completely fill the bed. Minute white nodules will appear upon the threads of it; these are the beginnings of the mushrooms to come. In from seven to eight weeks after spawning tiny button mushrooms should appear on top of the bed. If the cellar has been cool it may be a few days longer. Mr. Falconer says, “If the temperature of the bed falls below fifty-seven degrees, and the atmospheric temperature below forty-five degrees, the beds should be covered with matting or other material.” Newspapers will do. Upon the appearance of the mushrooms is the time a moist atmosphere is needed. This is obtained by sprinkling the walks and cellar well with warm water. This moisture should be kept up all the while the crop is growing. Unless the fruiting beds show a marked dryness they should not be watered. If watering is required, do it very carefully with a fine rose or syringe. Have the pure water at ninety degrees, and do not more than moisten the loam covering. Never let the water settle in pools or wash the surface.

After the bed is in bearing the addition of strong, liquid manure plentifully applied between the bunches (never on them) will add to their weight and size. It should be done with a long spout without rose. A sprinkling of salt on bare places is beneficial.

GATHERING THE CROP.

The mushrooms will now show in various sizes, from pin-head to large, full-grown specimens, singly and in dense clusters. As fast as they reach the desired size twist them from their sockets. Do not cut or pull them. Keep the gills downward, to prevent dirt getting in them. Take care not to disturb those left in the beds more than is necessary. It is unnecessary to add, cook them, but it is very necessary to tell how, because many excellent cooks commit the outrageous sacrilege of peeling mushrooms. A large amount of the flavor and deliciousness of a mushroom is in the skin—as it is in the apple. One might just as well peel a strawberry. First, always holding the plant gills downward and not over others, cut away the extreme base of the stem and brush off any adhering dirt. If the cap shows much scruff, rub it off with a piece of coarse flannel or cloth. Throw the mushrooms thus cleaned into cold water; they will float. Run the fingers through them several times, then lift them to a fresh pan of water, wash them and place them, gills downward, on a cloth to drain, or put them in a colander. Then cook them to taste. Here, again, sacrilege is frequent. Many foods are simply mediums for added flavors. Not so the mushroom; it has a decided, exquisite flavor of its own. It should not be made in cooking to taste like something else. Put the mushrooms in a stew-pan with a little water; cover them, and stew slowly for twenty minutes, adding butter, salt and pepper to taste. Cream or milk may be added. Another very good way is to butter well a medium-hot pan; cut the mushrooms into equal-sized pieces, put them in it, cover, and fry. Stir them from time to time, and when quite done season with salt and pepper. A good gravy is made for them by using water, milk or cream. Now if you must have a meat of some sort, put the meat on one dish and the mushrooms on another. By doing this you spoil the taste of neither.

Beds will continue to produce for several weeks if properly cared for. As soon as they cease bearing remove them, clean up, white-wash, coal-oil every inch of wood, salt the floor, and be ready to try again. After the amateur has his or her hand in, the bed area can be largely increased by building rough berths, one above the other, in which beds can be made. An important bit of advice is: Start in a small way. Do not expend any more money than you can afford to lose.