ternately. The
two feet wide space is for the mushroom bed, the six feet wide one for
the space between the beds; but after the ridges are built, earthed over
and covered with straw, they are almost six feet wide at the base. The
common sizes of ridges are two feet wide by two feet high, and two and
one-half feet wide by two and one-half feet high, and taper to six or
eight inches wide at top.

The manure being ready and the site for the beds lined off, the manure
is carted to the place and wheeled upon the beds. In making the bed
shake out the manure well and evenly to cause it to hold together, tamp
it with the back of the fork as you go along, and two or three times
before the ridges are completed walk upon and tread the manure down
solidly with the feet, and trim down the sides to turn the rain water.
Two days after the bed is made up some holes should be bored from the
top to nearly the bottom with a small iron bar to let the heat off and
prevent the inside of the bed from becoming too dry. Make them about
nine inches apart all along the center of the bed. The old gardeners did
not use the crowbar. They were very particular not to build their ridges
before the chances of overheating were considered past; but
notwithstanding all their care some of their beds would get overwarm,
when, without a moment's hesitation, they tossed them over, part to the
right and part to the left, and left the manure thus exposed for a day
or two to cool, and then make up the beds again on the same site.

Brick spawn is always used. Some of those who make a specialty of
mushrooms also make spawn for sale as well as for their own use; but the
majority of the gardeners prefer to buy rather than make their own
spawn.

When the heat has fallen to between 80 deg. and 90 deg. the ridges are spawned,
the pieces inserted in three rows along each side, leaving about nine
inches between the pieces. A dibber should not be used on any account.
The spawn is put in tightly with the hand and the manure pressed down.
It should be put in level with the face of the bed, so that the mold may
just touch it when the bed is cased. In the event of cold or wet
weather, just as soon as the beds are spawned a slight covering of rank
litter is laid over them. After a few days this is removed and the beds
are molded over with mold from ground to which manure has not been
applied for some time. But the general market gardeners do not make this
distinction; they u