John Abercrombie

“ This is a fugacious plant of quick growth and short duration, advancing first like small white round knobs, which, increasing fast in size, and sometimes partly accomplishing their growth within the surface, suddenly make their eruption from the earth above half-grown, in the morning, where there was no sign of them the night before. ”

“ In the formation of the bed different methods are practised; but I never found more than one to be good and successful. Some are made by a layer of dung a foot thick, and a layer of earth, alternately; but beds made entirely of dung are what I recommend; dung and earth together rarely succeed, notwithstanding this method is recommended by some eminent writers, who however appear to have been totally unacquainted with the proper management. ”

“ If it be designed to have the bed in one of the dry kitchen garden quarters, in a rich light soil, make a shallow trench about six inches deep, in order to use the earth thereof in moulding over the bed, to save the trouble of bringing it from a distant part; especially where considerable ranges are intended, and require great quantities of earth; using also the earth between the beds, digged down as low as the bottom of the dung, that the whole on each side of the bed may be cleared sufficiently to admit of spawning it quite from the bottom. ”

“ As soon as you apprehend all danger from heat to be over, let the bed be finally covered up with the aforementioned dry stable litter, or clean straw, observing to shake the covering on lightly with a fork, nearly a foot thick; at first, we cover only about half a foot, increasing it by degrees, and sometimes only the lower half of the bed, if we are any ways doubtful about the afterheat, so gradually advancing upwards till the whole is covered over. ”

“ THE Mushroom tribe has long afforded much speculation to naturalists, with respect to being perfect or imperfect plants. The flower and seed, from their exceeding minuteness and obscurity, (if they really exist at all) remaining invisible even by the aid of the microscope. Many therefore suppose that there is no production of flower or seed, but that they owe their origin entirely to the putrefaction of earth or dung. ”

“ IN the work of spawning the bed, the utmost precaution must be observed, not to perform it until the great heat has passed off, and left only a very gentle warmth; for the small tender spawny-fibres and minute knots of embryo plants would, by one days great heat, be totally destroyed. ”

“ Agaricus Campestris, Field Agaric, or Common Mushroom, rises from the ground in its perfect form, with an erect robust stipes or stem, one inch or more high, crowned with a round, convex, thick, fleshy, white head or hat, pileus, with lamellæ, or gills, underneath, of a reddish flesh colour; it is supposed the flower and seed, if any, are concealed between the lamellæ. When the plant arrives at full growth, the head expanding almost flat, forms a large flap, and falls on the ground over the supposed seed. ”

“ In a week or fortnight after the bed is made it will heat violently, and probably continue so for a fortnight or three weeks or more, especially if of a considerable extent, and must on no account be spawned till the violent heat subsides and becomes reduced only to a gentle warmth, otherwise the spawn will be totally destroyed and the whole work to be done over again, and this is often the cause of so many Mushroom beds proving barren, the spawn perishing at the first setting off. ”

“ With respect to the produce, the beds begin furnishing Mushrooms in a month or six weeks after spawning: sometimes indeed it will be two or three months, but there is no great success to be expected when they are long before they yield their first crop; a good working bed, if well spawned and managed, commonly affords plenty in six or eight weeks, continuing sometimes for three months together, rising in numerous clusters one under another, covering the surface of the bed, some appearing in embryo, some larger, and others, at the fame time, full sized ”

“ About London, where great quantities of Mushrooms are raised for the markets, and consequently vast supplies of spawn are annually required, there are experienced Mushroom-men, who, at the proper season, go about collecting, both in town and country, the true sort, which they buy commonly from about half a crown to five or six shillings per bushel, according to its goodness or plenty. ”

“ This preparation of the dung is absolutely necessary, as without such precaution, when formed into a close bed, it is apt to acquire such a vehement degree of heat, as to burn and exhaust its vegetative power, without being able to effect the purpose intended; for the spawn requires a bed that only gradually advances to its full heat, and declines in the same gradual manner ”

“ THE Garden Mushroom, or that produced by the art of horticulture, or process of regular cultivation in gardens, is greatly superior in all respects to the wild chance Mushroom of the meadows and pastures. It is now universally admired as one of the delicacies of the kitchen garden; and is a requisite production of that department; being always in request, and highly acceptable, though seldom obtained in plenty and perfection. ”

“ All that is required, is a kindly warmth just to set the spawn in motion, and forward it in shooting out its tender fibres over the dung and earth. But it must be remembered, that a bed being spawned and closely covered over with the necessary coat of earth, an inch or two thick, thereby excluding the outward air, and confining the heat within, occasions that heat to be renewed afresh, and might cause the bed to burn ”

“ The spawn being in moderate lumps, is to be deposited just within the dung, at regular distances, in rows length-ways beginning the first within half a foot of the bottom, making small apertures by gently raising the dung a little with one hand, whilst with the other you directly insert the lump, proceeding in the same manner with the rest, placing them five or six inches distance in the row, and the rows about six or eight inches asunder, a little more or less, proportionably either to the abundance or goodness of the spawn. ”

“ Let the bed be fully exposed to the open air, day and night, that its heat may come on gradually without burning; if excessive rains should happen, cast some dry litter at top, or spread garden mats, so as to shoot off the wet, lest it should perish the bed, or occasion it to heat violently and burn ”

“ The spawn is also often found in pasture fields under the turf, in places where rooms are observed to rise naturally, dung-spawn however is preferable for garden culture, as well on account of the probability of a good crop, as of it's being the true sort. ”

“ When, however, the bed has totally ceased to produce, it will furnish a supply of spawn for other beds, and the dung will be excellent manure to wheel on the kitchen ground. Be careful in pulling it to pieces, to preserve the fresh good lumps of spawn, and lay them up dry, as formerly directed, till they shall be wanted for new beds. ”

“ The best season to find spawn in the greatest plenty and perfection is the Autumn and early part of Winter; for spawn being of a singular temperament, impatient of much wet, or cold, or of being much exposed to the open air, it should be carefully collected for use before it is injured and weakened by the inclemency of the weather ”

“ When it happens that a bed disappoints our expectation, if, upon examination, the spawn appears in life and health, and smells well, you are not to disturb it too hastily, for sometimes, after remaining dormant several months, a bed will break forth all at once into considerable crops. To assist such beds we sometimes, in Winter especially, if the heat appears to be greatly declined, apply a quantity of moderately warm stable litter over the whole, having first some dry litter immediately next the bed, then the warm litter a foot thick over that ”

“ Sometimes in very substantial beds, after they have remained seemingly long enough, and we are doubtful of an increase of heat, we begin spawning on the lower part of the bed first, which part becomes warm before the upper; the heat naturally mounting upwards, and remaining hot longest towards the top ”

“ When the bed is made, thrust down some long sharp pointed sticks, two three or more, in each bed according to its length, and by drawing up the sticks two or three times a week, and feeling the lower end, you will be able to judge more readily of the working and state of the beds, for the reception of the spawn. ”

“ For the purpose of covering, you may provide either clean straw, or long dry horse-stable litter, sufficient to lay about half a foot thick at first, but gradually increased afterwards of due thickness to defend the bed effectually from the air, rain, and inclement weather, and to preserve a low kindly warmth. ”

“ Nature, Mode of Growth, and Specific Distinction of the wholesome Species from the pernicious Kinds. THE Mushroom is a fungous plant, without appearance of leaves, flowers, or seed, a species of the Genus Agaricus, subject to the botanic class Cryptogamia Fungi, comprehending fungous plants, which have concealed, or doubtful genital organs, and without visible flower or seed ”

“ Though the first production is sometimes six or eight weeks or more after spawning before it appears, at the end of a month begin to examine the progress and working of the bed, and if successful, you will discover the running and knotting of the spawn abundantly; the Mushrooms will soon after begin to advance plenteously all over the bed, when they may be gathered as they are wanted. ”

“ Thus, probably, by such dissemination, and so mysterious a progress of nature, adapted to certain soils and situations, it is, that we often find both Mushroom and spawn abundantly in obscure places where none were ever observed before, in old dung hot-beds, horse dunghills, and in bye dry places where horse-stable dung has lain undisturbed til rotten. ”

“ The covering of litter is to remain constantly on the beds, day and night, in all weathers, only be careful to examine it after hard rains, to remove the wet litter, as before observed. During the Winter season, in time of snow or cold rains, augment the thickness of the covering both of the litter and the mats. ”

“ Gather those above the size of good middling round buttons, with a gentle twist of the hand, head and stalk together; and be careful, in their clusters not to disturb the young successional ones which are advancing just within and out of the surface; lay them gently in a basket, and search quite to the bottom of the bed; not permitting any to remain to become large flaps unless such are particularly wanted, as sometimes they are. ”

“ Horse-mill tracks also, where horses are constantly employed under cover in turning mills; and many of the great London breweries, tan-yards, and large manufactories, where horses work under cover, frequently furnish very fine spawn. ”

“ Some persons indeed make the beds under an airy covered shed, or barn, or erect a fort of awning of canvas: some also, having considerable ranges of glass houses, make them in these departments. I however have always found success in the open ground, and generally much better than when under any covering. ”

“ Finish the work by trimming up all small dung on the ground around the bed, to the top; beating the whole on both sides firm and even; so that the bed now finished may assume the shape of the roof of a house, both sides forming steep slopes, in which the spawn is to be planted. ”

“ They consist of different genera, and numerous species and varieties, many of them of a poisonous, or at least of a suspicious nature. One species only merits cultivation as a wholesome esculent, which is that under consideration. ”

“ Beat the dung firmly in with the fork from time to time as you proceed, and be careful to form both sides of an equal slope, narrowing very gradually upwards till they meet and terminate at top in the sharp ridge before mentioned; each end to be also proportionally sloped. ”

“ For a bed of twenty feet long, three or four large cart-loads will be necessary; and so in proportion to any length intended; as a bed may be made of almost any extent, from ten feet to fifty if required ”