Mushrooms: how to grow them by William Falconer (general ebook reader TXT) 📖

MUSHROOMS:
How to Grow Them.

A PRACTICAL TREATISE
ON
Mushroom Culture for Profit and Pleasure.

BY

WILLIAM FALCONER.

ILLUSTRATED.

NEW YORK,
ORANGE JUDD CO.
1892.

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1891, by the
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

PREFACE

Mushrooms and their extensive and profitable culture should concern every one. For home consumption they are a healthful and grateful food, and for market, when successfully grown, they become a most profitable crop. We can have in America the best market in the world for fresh mushrooms; the demand for them is increasing, and the supply has always been inadequate. The price for them here is more than double that paid in any other country, and we have no fear of foreign competition, for all attempts, so far, to import fresh mushrooms from Europe have been unsuccessful.

In the most prosperous and progressive of all countries, with a population of nearly seventy millions of people alert to every profitable, legitimate business, mushroom-growing, one of the simplest and most remunerative of industries, is almost unknown. The market grower already engaged in growing mushrooms appreciates his situation and zealously guards his methods of cultivation from the public. This only incites interest and inquisitiveness, and the people are becoming alive to the fact that there is money in mushrooms and an earnest demand has been created for information about growing them.

The raising of mushrooms is within the reach of nearly every one. Good materials to work with and careful attention to all practical details should give good returns. The industry is one in which women and children can take part as well as men. It furnishes indoor employment in winter, and there is very little hard labor attached to it, while it can be made subsidiary to almost any other business, and even a recreation as well as a source of profit.

In this book the endeavor has been, even at the risk of repetition, to make the best methods as plain as possible. The facts herein presented are the results of my own practical experience and observation, together with those obtained by extensive reading, travel and correspondence.

To Mr. Charles A. Dana, the proprietor of the Dosoris mushroom cellars and estate, I am greatly indebted for opportunities to prepare this book. For the past eight years everything has been unstintedly placed at my disposal by him to grow mushrooms in every way I wished, and to experiment to my heart's content.

To Mr. William Robinson, editor of The Garden, London, I am especially indebted for many courtesies—permission to quote from The Garden, "Parks and Gardens of Paris," and his other works, and to illustrate the chapters in this book on Mushroom-growing in the London market gardens and the Paris caves, with the original beautiful plates from his own books.

The recipes given in the chapter on Cooking Mushrooms, except those prepared for this work by Mrs. Ammersley, although based on the ones given by Mr. Robinson, have been considerably modified by me and repeatedly used in my own family.

My thanks are also due to Mr. John F. Barter, of London, the largest grower of mushrooms in England, for information given me regarding his system of cultivation; to Mr. John G. Gardner, of Jobstown, N. J., one of the most noted growers for market in this country, for facilities allowed me to examine his method of raising mushrooms; and to Messrs. A. H. Withington, Samuel Henshaw, George Grant, John Cullen, and other successful growers for assistance kindly rendered.

WILLIAM FALCONER.

Dosoris, L. I., 1891.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.—Those Who Should Grow Mushrooms 9      Market Gardeners— Florists— Private Gardeners— Village People and Suburban Residents— Farmers. CHAPTER II.—Growing Mushrooms in Cellars 15      Underground Cellars— In Dwelling House— Mr. Gardner's Method— Mr. Denton's Method— Mr. Van Siclen's Method— The Dosoris Mushroom Cellar. CHAPTER III.—Growing Mushrooms in Mushroom Houses 34      Building the House— Mrs. Osborne's Mushroom House— Interior Arrangement of Mushroom Houses— Mr. Samuel Henshaw's Mushroom House. CHAPTER IV.—Growing mushrooms in Sheds 39      The Temperature of Interior of the Bed— Shelf Beds— The Use of the Term Shed. CHAPTER V.—Growing Mushrooms in Greenhouses 41      Cool Greenhouses— On Greenhouse Benches— In Frames in the Greenhouses— Orchard Houses— Under Greenhouse Benches— Among Other Plants on Greenhouse Benches— Growing Mushrooms in Rose Houses— Drip from the Benches— Ammonia Arising. CHAPTER VI.—Growing Mushrooms in the Fields 54      Mushrooms often appear Spontaneously— Wild Mushrooms— Mr. Henshaw's Plan— Brick Spawn in Pastures. CHAPTER VII.—Manure for Mushroom Beds 57      Horse Manure— Fresher the Better— Manure of Mules— Cellar Manure— City Stable Manure— Baled Manure— Cow Manure— German Peat Moss Stable Manure for Mushroom Beds— Sawdust Stable Manure for Mushroom Beds— Tree Leaves— Spent Hops. CHAPTER VIII.—Preparation of the Manure 69      Preparing out of Doors— Warm Sunshine— Fire-fang— Guard Against Over Moistening— The Proper Condition of the Manure— Loam and Manure Mixed. CHAPTER IX.—Making up the Mushroom Beds 74      The Thickness of the Beds— Shape of the Beds— Bottom-heat Thermometers— The Proper Temperature— Too High Temperature— Keep the House at 55°. CHAPTER X.—Mushroom Spawn 78      What is Mushroom Spawn?— The Mushroom Plant— Spawn Obtained at any Seed Store— Imported from Europe— The Great Mushroom-growing Center of the Country— English Spawn— Mill-track Mushroom Spawn— Flake or French Spawn— Virgin Spawn— How to Keep Spawn— New Versus Old Spawn— How to Distinguish Good from Poor Spawn— American-made Spawn— How to make Brick Spawn— How to make French (flake) Spawn— Making French Virgin Spawn— A Second Method— Third Method— Relative Merits of Flake and Brick Spawn. CHAPTER XI.—Spawning the Beds 96      Preparing the Spawn— Steeped Spawn— Flake Spawn— Transplanting Working Spawn. CHAPTER XII.—Loam for the Beds 100      Cavities in the Surface of Beds— The Best Kind of Loam— Common Loam— Ordinary Garden Soil— Roadside Dirt— Sandy Soil— Peat Soil or Swamp Muck— Heavy, Clayey Loam— Loam Containing Old Manure. CHAPTER XIII.—Earthing Over the Beds 103      Loam is Indispensable— The Best Soil— Proper Time to Case Beds— Inserting the Spawn— Sifting the Soil— Firming the Soil— Green Sods. CHAPTER XIV.—Topdressing with Loam 107      Beds that are in Full Bearing— Filling up the Holes— Firming the Dressing to the Bed— Beds in which Black Spot has Appeared. CHAPTER XV.—The Proper Temperature 109      Covering the Beds with Hay— A High Temperature— In a Temperature of 50°— In a Temperature of 55°— Boxing Over the Bed. CHAPTER XVI.—Watering Mushroom Beds 111      Artificially Heated Mushroom Houses— Sprinkling Water over Mulching— Watering Pots— Manure Water— Preparing Manure Water— Common Salt— Sprinkling the Floors— Houses Heated by Smoke Flues— Manure Steam for Moistening the Atmosphere. CHAPTER XVII.—Gathering and Marketing Mushrooms 115      When Mushrooms are Fit to Pick— Picking— The Advantages of Pulling over Cutting— Pulled Mushrooms— Gathering Field or Wild Mushrooms— Marketing Mushrooms. CHAPTER XVIII.—Re-invigorating Old Beds 120      Worn Out Beds— Spurts of Increased Fertility— A Spent Mushroom Bed— Living Spawn. CHAPTER XIX.—Insect and Other Enemies 122      Maggots— Black Spot— Manure Flies— Slugs— "Bullet" or "Shot" Holes— Wood Lice— Mites— Mice and Rats— Toads— Fogging Off— Flock— Cleaning the Mushroom Houses. CHAPTER XX.—Growing Mushrooms in Ridges out of Doors Around London 136      Ridges in the Open Field— Bed Making— Manure Obtained from City Stables— The Site for Beds— Planting the Spawn— Drenching Rains— Russia Mats— The First Beds— The First Cutting— Watering. CHAPTER XXI.—Mushroom Growing in the Paris Caves 143      Caves and Subterranean Passages— The Manure Used— Preparation of the Manure— Making the Beds— The Spawn— Stratifying the Spawn— Chips and Powder of Stone— Earthing Over the Beds— Temperature in High-roofed Caves— When the Mushrooms are Gathered— Proper Ventilation. CHAPTER XXII.—Cooking Mushrooms 150      Baked Mushrooms— Stewed Mushrooms— Soyer's Breakfast Mushrooms— Mushrooms à la Crême— Curried Mushrooms— Broiled Mushrooms— Mushroom Soup— Mushroom Stews— Potted Mushrooms— Gilbert's Breakfast Mushrooms— Baked Mushrooms— Mushrooms à la Casse, Tout— Broiled Beefsteak and Mushrooms— To Preserve Mushrooms— Mushroom Powder— To Dry Mushrooms— Dried Mushrooms— Mushroom Ketchup— Pickled Mushrooms. ILLUSTRATIONS Mushroom Cellar under a Barn, 16 Boxed-up Frame with Straw Covering, 19 Cross Section of the Dosoris Mushroom Cellar, 27 Ground Plan of the Dosoris Cellar, 28 Base-burning Water Heater, 32 Vertical Section of Base-burning Water Heater, 32 Mushroom House Built Against a North-facing Wall, 34 Section of Mrs. Osborne's Mushroom House, 35 Ground Plan of Mrs. Osborne's Mushroom House, 36 Interior View of Mr. S. Henshaw's Mushroom House, 38 Boxed Mushroom Bed under Greenhouse Bench, 41 Mushrooms Grown on Greenhouse Benches, 43 Wide Bed with Pathway Above, 44 Mushrooms on Greenhouse Benches under Tomatoes, 45 Mr. Wm. Wilson's Mushroom Beds, 51 Mushroom Bed Built Flat upon the Ground, 52 Ridged Mushroom Bed, 53 Banked Bed against a Wall, 53 Perspective View of the Dosoris Mushroom Cellar, 58 Bale of German Peat Moss, 66 Brick Spawn, 80 Flake, or French Spawn, 82 Brick Spawn Cut in Pieces for Planting, 97 A Perfect Mushroom, 116 Mushrooms Affected with Black Spot, 125 A Flock-Diseased Mushroom, 133 The Covered Ridges, 140 In the Mushroom Caves of Paris, 147 Gathering Mushrooms in the Paris Caves for Market, 149 MUSHROOMS, HOW TO GROW THEM.

CHAPTER I.

THOSE WHO SHOULD GROW MUSHROOMS.

Market Gardeners.—The mushroom is a highly prized article of food which can be as easily grown as many other vegetable products of the soil—and with as much pleasure and profit. Below it is shown, in particular, that this peculiar plant is singularly well adapted to the conditions that surround many classes of persons, and by whom the mushroom might become a standard crop for home use, the city market, or both. It is directly in their line of business; is a winter crop, requiring their care when outdoor operations are at a standstill, and they can most conveniently attend to growing mushrooms. They have the manure needed for their other crops, and they may well use it first for a mushroom crop. After having borne a crop of mushrooms it is thoroughly rotted and in good condition for early spring crops; and for seed beds of tomatoes, lettuces, cabbages, cauliflowers, and other vegetables, it is the best kind of manure.

Years ago market gardening near New York in winter was carried on in rather a desultory way, and the supply of salads and other forced vegetables was limited and mostly raised in hotbeds and other frames, and prices ran high. But of recent years our markets in winter have been so liberally supplied from the Southern