The mushrooms should be picked once a day just before they open out.
(_See cut._)
The root should be twisted gently and taken out with the mushroom
disturbing the earth as little as possible.
The stems should be cut off and the mushrooms packed in baskets.
When grown in small quantities, the 1-pound ventilated boxes are often
used as a matter of convenience, but the large growers ship generally
in four-pound baskets. (_See cut._)
[Illustration: _Ripe Enough to Pick_]
[Illustration: _The One-Pound Ventilated Boxes_]
The beds may be expected to produce under ordinary conditions for
a period of from two to four months, depending largely upon the
temperature. At an average of 50 degrees they will yield at least four
months and every other day would be quite often enough to pick.
At 65 degrees they must be picked regularly every day and the crop will
be almost completed in two months.
Cooler temperature makes heavier and better mushrooms.
=Points to Remember=
Mushrooms cannot be successfully grown at a temperature above 65
degrees. A temperature of 70 degrees for 24 hours will kill all
growing mushrooms, but more will come up from the same beds when the
temperature falls.
Violent fluctuations in temperature are undesirable.
Cold will retard growth, but will not otherwise injure the beds.
Freezing will destroy mushrooms already above the ground, but will not
hurt the spawn in the beds.
There is probably more injury done by overwatering than by any other
one thing.
Keep the surface moist but never soak the beds.
Never cover the bed with earth until it has been spawned 10 days or two
weeks, or the temperature of the manure may rise sufficiently to injure
the spawn.
Never purchase spawn because it is cheap, neither be led into paying
extravagant prices through misleading advertisements.
If any insect pest makes appearance or any diseased condition arises,
write the United States Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C.,
for information.
Spawn should be as fresh as it is possible to obtain it, should be kept
in a cool dry place till used. Improper storage will damage it in a
comparatively short time.
Imported brands of spawn are apt to be old and often worthless.
[Illustration: _THE FOUR-POUND SHIPPING BASKET_]
Transcriber’s Note:
Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
this_. Those in bold are surrounded by equal signs, =like this=.