n
"spent" mushroom beds which is mixed with the soil in making lettuce
beds, etc., under glass. One of the market gardeners at Ithaca used old
spawn in this way, and had volunteer mushrooms among lettuce for several
years. In making the lettuce beds in the autumn, a layer of fresh horse
manure six inches deep is placed in the bottom, and on this is placed
the soil mixed with the old, spent mushroom beds. The following year the
soil and the manure at the bottom, which is now rotten, is mixed up, and
a fresh layer of manure is placed below. In this way the lettuce bed is
self-spawned from year to year. About every six years the soil in the
bed is entirely changed. This gardener, during the winter of 1900--1,
sold $30.00 to $40.00 worth of volunteer mushrooms. Another gardener, in
a previous year, sold over $50.00 worth.

=Planting mushrooms with other vegetables.=--In some cases gardeners
follow the practice of inserting a forkful of manure here and there in
the soil where other vegetables are grown under glass, and planting in
it a bit of spawn.

=Mushroom and vegetable house combined.=--Some combine a mushroom house
and house for vegetables in one, there being a deep pit where several
tiers of beds for mushrooms can be built up, and above this the glass
house where lettuce, etc., is grown, all at a temperature of about 60 deg.
F.

THREE METHODS SUGGESTED FOR GROWING MUSHROOMS IN CELLARS AND SHEDS.

=First Method.=--Obtain fresh stable horse manure mixed with straw
used in bedding the animals. Shake it out, separating the coarse
material from the droppings. Put the droppings in a pile two to
three feet deep. Pack down firmly. When the heat rises to near 130
deg. F., turn and shake it out, making a new pile. Make the new pile
by layers of manure and loam soil, or rotted sod, one part of soil
to eight or nine parts of manure. Turn again when the heat rises to
near 130 deg. F., and add the same amount of soil. When the
temperature is about 100 deg. F., the material is ready for the beds.

=Preparing the beds.=--Make the beds as described under the
paragraph on pages 250--253, or use boxes. Place the coarse litter
in the bottom three to four inches deep. On this place three to
four inches of the cured material, pack it down, and continue
adding material until the bed is ten to fifteen inches deep. Allow
the beds to stand, covering them with str