To the amateur grower mushrooms are ordinarily an uncertain
quantity. This crop is as fickle and finicky as the proverbial old
maid--although, for my part, I would far rather tackle the mushrooms.
The amateur mushroom grower, in the usual order of things, generally
has "troubles of his own," troubles in which even the old expert shares
at times, and often for a reason that is inexplicable, or for a cause
that is not even apparent.
Some time ago I became interested in a rather novel scheme in 'room
production: It is that of growing the 'rooms on top of the benches as
one would his regular crops of lettuce, raddishes, etc., instead of
under the benches and in cellars in especially prepared beds for that
purpose. With this new method the 'rooms are grown at the same time as
and among the usual crops. In view of the experience I feel justified
in saying that a profitable crop of 'rooms may be grown with more
certainty by this method than by the one ordinarily practiced. I am not
aware of a single instance where a grower of ordinary intelligence has
ever failed to secure a satisfactory crop in this way.
The soil used is much the same as the ordinary compost as generally
put up by the average hothouse operator. In combination with the usual
mixture of rotted sod and horse manure the addition of cow dung, at the
ratio of about one to ten, may be advantageously made.
Should the cow dung be used it is best to have that which is at least
one year old and in a fine, pulverized condition, being careful to have
the cow dung well incorporated with the compost.
After the soil is placed in the benches the bed may be immediately
spawned; no waiting for temperature to go up or down. This work is done
just as in spawning an old-fashioned bed, except that the spawn should
be buried somewhat deeper, to guard against the surface drying of the
soil during a hard day's sun on the glass.
Since the operation of a hothouse is a hard business proposition to the
general grower, involving the question of the greatest production on
the space at hand, it is advisable to get a crop growing on the benches
as quickly as possible after the bed is spawned.
If some crop that will rapidly cover the surface of the bed is not
planted immediately after spawning it is advisable to furnish some sort
of a mulch to protect the soil from the direct rays of the sun. It is
all the better to provide such a mulch even with the planted crop,
filling in the unprotected spaces. Partially decayed leaves, fine salt
hay, or any light, fluffy material will serve the purpose. Providing
this mulch does not become soggy or heavy there is no necessity for
removing it during the bearing season of the mushroom.
Should the regular bench crop, lettuce, for instance, be depended upon
to furnish shade, some more or less accurate calculation should be made
on having such crop on the beds so that it will protect the mushrooms
when they first make their appearance.
There is one other condition upon which success is contingent, and that
is in the proper watering of the soil or secondary crops. Water should
be applied lightly and frequently with a spray nozzle, the object being
to maintain sufficient moisture in the soil to supply the needs of the
surface crop without soaking or flooding the soil to such a degree that
it becomes unduly heavy or soggy.
In cultivating the surface crop the operator should not stir the soil
to a greater depth than two inches, that the spawn may not be disturbed.
When the crops are cleared from the benches in the spring it is well
to allow a dense mat of weeds to grow up to protect the mushrooms from
the sun, which, otherwise, would "burn" or brown them.--_American
Gardening._
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| Transcriber's Note: |
| |
| Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. |
| |
| Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant |
| form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. |
| |
| Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. |
| |
| The Quartz and Silicates illustration was moved from page 39 to |
| page 38. |
| |
| Italicized words are surrounded by underline characters, |
| _like this_. |
| |
| The Contents table were added by the transcriber. |
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