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succeeded, and the spawn is fit for use or for drying to preserve for future use. But if the threads are only
sparingly scattered through the mass, the trench should be covered up again and left for another month. In
saving the spawn the flakes of manure containing the largest amount of spawn filaments should be retained,
and those showing a brown appearance rejected. In order to facilitate the drying of the spawn the flakes
should be broken into pieces, weighing from one to two pounds; they are then placed in a well ventilated shed,
but they must not be piled upon each other. Properly prepared and dried this spawn keeps good for ten years.
=A Second Method= (by Lachaume). "This is generally adopted by mushroom growers. The formation of the
spawn is accelerated by adding pieces of old spawn here and there.... At the beginning of April we must
choose a piece of ground situated at the foot of a wall facing north.... The soil ought to be very open and light
rather than heavy, so as to avoid dampness. Taking advantage of a fine day, we open a trench sixteen inches
wide and at about eight inches from the foot of the wall, and of a length adapted to the quantity of spawn we
desire to produce. The earth is thrown out on the side opposite the wall. Manure which has been prepared for a
mushroom bed, and has just come into condition is then filled into the trench, leaving, however, a space at one
CHAPTER X. 60
end of it about two feet and six inches in length for the formation of a mushroom bed, which is made by
tossing the manure about and shaking it up with the hands, after which it is pressed down with the hands and
knees. As soon as the layer of manure reaches six inches in thickness we place along the edge a number of
lumps of spawn at about one foot apart. These lumps are placed level with the manure on the edge facing the
wall. This portion of the surface of the manure ought to be raised vertically, and should lean against the
earthen wall of the trench. The other half of the surface ought to slope gently toward the wall, leaving a space
of three or four inches between it and the side of the trench, so that it may be trimmed. The lumps of spawn on
this surface should be placed a little backward, so that they may not be broken when the bed is trimmed. The
bed is then covered with more manure, until the first lumps of spawn are buried three or four inches deep. A
second row of lumps of spawn is then inserted, as described in the directions for making the first row, and the
bed is filled up level with the surface of the soil. It is finished by covering it up with a layer of fine, dry soil
three or four inches thick. The spawn ought to be very dry, otherwise we shall get a premature crop of
mushrooms instead of fresh spawn. At the end of six weeks or a couple of months the new spawn ought to
make its appearance, a fact which we may learn by opening the bed. One sign, which will save us the trouble
of opening up the beds, is the appearance of young mushrooms on the surface. The layer of earth is first
removed, and then the cakes of spawn are treated as described in the directions given for the first method of
making spawn."
=Third Method= (by Lachaume). "By filling in a trench like that described in the first method, by a series of
layers of one-third of pigeon or fowl guano, and two-thirds of short manure, containing a large proportion of
spent horse droppings, treading it down firmly, watering it if it is too dry, and finishing up with a layer of soil,
as described already, we may, at the end of a couple of months, or even a little longer, procure a supply of
well-formed cakes of spawn of excellent quality, which may be used in the ordinary manner."
From Mr. Robinson's "Mushroom Culture." "This (French) spawn is obtained by preparing a little bed, as if
for mushrooms, in the ordinary way, and spawning it with morsels of virgin spawn, if that is obtainable; and
then when the spawn has spread through it, the bed is broken up and used for spawning beds in the caves, or
dried and preserved for sale."
From Mr. Wright's book on mushrooms. "French spawn ... is contained in flakes of manure. Neither is it
virgin spawn, nor derived immediately from it, ... but is spawn taken from one bed for impregnating another."
=Relative Merits of Flake and Brick Spawn.=--The flake or French spawn costs about three times as much as
the brick or English spawn, and, as it is so much whiter with mycelium than is the brick spawn, many believe
that it is more potent and well worth the additional cost. In spawning the beds I use two pounds of flake
spawn to plant the same space for which I would use five pounds of brick spawn, and this gives a capital crop,
with number of mushrooms a little in favor of the flake spawn, but on account of the larger size of the
mushrooms the weight of crop is considerably in favor of the brick spawn. And I find more certainty of a crop
in the case of the brick spawn than in the other.
Regarding the respective merits of brick and flake spawn, Mr. Barter, in response to my inquiry, writes me: "I
have tried them both, and know brick spawn to be far the best. You see, I do nothing but this mushroom
business for a living, so, of course, would use the best kind of spawn for my crop. Generally the French spawn
produces one-third less mushrooms than does the brick spawn from the same length of bed, besides, those
from the brick spawn are by far the heaviest and fleshiest."
I would here observe that Mr. Barter's remarks apply more to ridge beds out of doors than beds in the cellar or
mushroom house. And it is odd, but true, that the flake spawn does not produce as good results in outdoor
beds as it does in those under cover. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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