I will now quote a few words from Mr. Ayres on other materials for forming mushroom-beds than stable manure. He has given this, like almost every important subject in the range of horticulture, some attention. First among these may be mentioned sawdust which has been used for bedding horses or for riding-school tracks. Such a substance, thoroughly impregnated with urine and mixed with horse-droppings, forms an excellent material for mushroom-beds, especially if mixed with one-fourth of good fibrous loam. Such materials mixed and fermented together, and thrown into a bed a foot or eighteen inches in thickness, according to the temperature of the shed in which the bed is made, will be found to form capital material for growing this esculent, especially as it retains the heat for a long time. The worst of it is that the material is almost valueless after it has served the first purpose; and used as dung upon light land is rather injurious than otherwise. Then you may use leaves and loam, in the proportion of one part of the latter, in a turfy state, to four or five of fermenting leaves. These may be recently gathered from the trees, and should be allowed to attain a brisk heat before the loam is added, and then, after sweating for a week or ten days, may be turned, mixing the materials intimately together, and then the mass may be formed into a bed. A mushroom-bed of this kind should not be less than fifteen inches in thickness when thoroughly consolidated; and when so managed it will grow mushrooms just as well as dung. The sweepings of our streets and cattle markets, especially those parts that are paved and much frequented by horses--as, for example, cabstands, &c.--if collected when dry, and fermented a little, yield capital material for beds. Here from the cattle market we have the dung of horses, sheep, and cows mixed together in a finely divided state, the heating of which is gentle and regular. Material of this kind procured on dry days, thrown together to ferment once or twice, and then made into well-consolidated beds, will produce mushrooms of the finest quality, and continue in bearing a very long time. It is of the first importance that this material be collected in a dry state, as of course the slush of the streets would not do at all. Equal proportions of street sweepings and fresh leaves, properly fermented and mixed with loam, would perhaps make as good material for growing mushrooms as need be obtained. Of course the sweepings from those parts of the town most frequented by horses will be the best for the purpose I am writing about.
Industry Report
Mushroom Culture — Part 9
2026-11-16 06:31:27 · The Daily Ledger
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