Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/83

 house. Having marked out the space for the bed, throw out the earth about six inches deep, laying it regularly at the side, and if good, it will do for earthing the bed. In the trench, lay four inches of good dung, not too short, for forming the bottom of the bed; then lay on the prepared dung, about six inches thick, regularly over the surface, beating it down firmly with the back of the fork. Put on other six inches, and so on till eighteen or twenty-four inches thick. In that state it may remain ten or fifteen days, during which time the heat should be examined about the middle of the bed, by thrusting a small stick in several places, and when found of a very mild heat, the bed may be spawned. The spawn bricks for this purpose should be broken regularly into pieces about an inch and a half or two inches square. These pieces are best put in with the hand, raising the dung up a few inches with the one, while with the other the spawn can be laid in and covered. This ought to be done in every six inches of the surface of the bed. If the sides of the bed are made of a sloping form, they can also be spawned. After spawning, level the surface with the back of the spade, beating it gently, after which it may be earthed. Procure that of a sandy, loamy nature, if from a pasture, so much the better. Break it up and make it fine, laying it on two inches thick. Level it very neatly with the rake, and beat it closely and evenly. When the whole is finished, the bed must be covered, a foot thick, with good clean straw or natural hay, over which lay mats or canvas in severe weather. Examine the bed every few days, and if the heat increases, diminish the covering of straw, which is better than to take it off altogether. In about five weeks, if the bed be under proper cultivation, Mushrooms will make their appearance, and in two days more they will have grown to a sufficient size for use. Some people cut them, but it is decidedly better to give them a gentle twist in the ground and draw them out, filling up the cavity with a little fine mould, gently pressed in level with the bed. This method of gathering is much better than cutting, as the