MUSHROOM CULTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue CXXIII, 10 April 1937, Page 6

MUSHROOM CULTURE

HUTT VALLEY FARM

A PROMISING INDUSTRY

An industry, that, is being taken up with enthusiasm by a number of people is the; growing of 'mushrooms. As yet mushroom-growing has /not been undertaken on a. big scale in this: country, but overseas miles arid miles of dark .tunnels, /pits, cellars, and other suitable places are used for cultivating mushrooms, for which there is a big demand. Much: of the commercial mushroom-growing in this country up tilUthe: present time has been, done with spawn imported from overseas, but the results obtained have been indifferent, as the spawn does not v acclimatise satisfactorily. The spawn now-being used is locally

grown. For those who intend to go into the industry it is just as well to warn them that they cannot go out into the fields, collect spores from the mushrooms, and make their own spawn, or mycelium. This is a task which only experts can do and it is treated as a ■trade secret. The mycelium appears as .a faint white streak when it is placed in manure, and it is- this substance which runs through the manure bed and from which the mushrooms grow. One of the largest "mushroom farms" in New Zealand is situated in the Hutt Valley/where there are 3500 feet of manure beds, housed in four wooden buildings. In'this farm there are beds along the floors.of each building.:and on woo.den supports above. The substance 'of the beds is horse manure, which is stated to be the best for this purpose. On top of the beds there are thick layers of straw and the purpose of these is to keep the temperature even at about 60 degrees and prevent draughts. If the temperature of the beds gets over 70 degrees the quality of the mushroom suffers. ' ' The manure beds are from six inches to a foot deep and when the spawn has been placed in position the mushroom farmer has to wait patiently for five or eight weeks before any results, show. Then one day little blobs of white appear- and fcr the next four months the bed wiir bring forth mushrooms. The large beds'are divided up so that there are always some mushrooms at the stage of maturity ready for the market The beds are renewed twice a year, and, as stated above, one bed will bear, crops for four months. The spawn is placed about an inch below the surface of the manure, which is packed tightly round it, aqd for the next five to eight weeks it is working through the whole bed. When spawn is purchased it is in little blocks of manure ready for being placed in the beds. The price; Which' mushrooms will : fetch is governed by the! supplies available, and the demand,' but everything else being equal, the artificially-cul-tivated mushrooms will fetch a better price than those collected in the fields and the flavour, is much superior. DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY. •. Instructions on the growing of mushrooms are, contained in Button's 'The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers," which remarks' that hi therto the artificial production' of" mushrooms has never been equal ;to y the demand. Although the -mushroom can be grown from seed, it "is b seldom-' done except for strictly scientific purposes.- What is called "mushroom spawn" consists of certain materials from the stable and the field, mixed and prepared in such a manner as to favour the development of the mycelium of the mushroom. The preparation* of the spawn, though a very simple matter, demands the skill and care of experienced operators. If the. work is not. well done the spawn will be of poor quality and will yield a meagre crop or perhaps fail to produce a ' single mushroom. Provided that the spawn is good, it has but to be broken into lumps of a suitable size and inserted in the bed to impregnate the entire mass with the necessary white films. ' ■ As regards op^en-air beds the following advice is given:—"Make a long bed, having a base about four feet wide, and sides sloping to a ridge like the roof of a house with this difference—the narrow part of the. ridge is useless, and the top should, therefore, be rounded off when about a foot across. Some growers prefer a circular bed of six or eight feet diameter at the bottom and tapering towards' a point, after the shape of a military tent; but hero again the point will be worthless, and the bed may terminate abruptly. Either the long, : bed, or the: round, heap answers • admirably... Tread the manure down compactly. ■ During the next few days there will be a considerable rise in the temperature, which will gradually subside, and when the plunging thermometer shows that it has settled down to_,a comfortable condition of about 80de.i., the bed may be spawned.1'

When the bed is ready, each' cake spawn is broken- into eight or ten pieces and each piece is gently forced a little way into the manure at regular intervals;of six.to nine'inches all over the bed, the manure being closed over and round each piece of spawn. Immediately Ihe spawning is' completed, a thick and even covering of clean straw or litter' of some kind should be laid over the bed, secured from wind by canvas, mats, hurdles, or in some other way. From good spawn the •films of mycelium will begin to extend I within a week.. If the spawn shows .signs of vitality the time has come for covering the bed with a layer of rather moist soil, pressed lightly but firmly on to the manure with .the spade or fork,, so that the earth will not slip down.' The covering should then be restored. If, on. the other hand, the spawn has become darker since being 'put in the bed, this shows that it has .perished. If the spawn is at fault the 'bed must be respawned'and if the bed Sis at fault it must be remade. The 'plunging thermometer should be conI suited daily. Until the mushrooms appear the instrument should not indicate less than 60deg., and while in bear-

ing not less /than 55deg. The" most violent -alterations : of, could "be combated by regulating th'a thickness of the covering.

-. It is pointed out that a dry mushroom bed will soon barren, but when watering is necessary it must be applied tepid and from a fine rose. "To slop cold water over a- mushroom bed is . about as reasonable a procedure as putting ice into hot soup," the book states. Water is/best administered in. the after-; / noon of a.genial day and immediately ; it is done tne covering should Tse ;re- , ■ stored to prevent the temperature 'from., : kieirig seriously lowered by rapid evaporation.;,. When the crop is being "gathered only a small portion of the bed should be'uncovered at a time. ; Tha ■ spawn should be inserted in the height ':■?. of summer so as to ensure a warni bed !5 and allow time for the crop to mature before the year. runs.out.' ■..■"' •/_■'.'•■'; INDOOR, GROWTH. i Instructions are given'at length^ in the book on- the. various methods ;'of . growing .mushrooms; ..The use of ;tur'f -.., pits is described. It. is ; mentioned , that. mushrooms may be grown' almost' anywhere; even in;a cellar, or on, the wall of a warm stable. • Ordinary^pits ... and frames are. also, serviceable and- "/ many gardeners obtain good crops; in ; autumn, by. the. simple process 'of [.■.in - .;'/ serting a. few lumps of spawn in,f* cucumber ..or melon bed while the plants are' still in bearing- ■ Sheds arid / outhouses not only ■ afford shelter arid / space .for :.beds. on/the, .floor, -but; the :. walls can be fitted with rshelves-cin. which mushrooms-may; be. plentifully ;; grown. In all cases the shelves should 1 be two, feet apart 'vertically,', but each, '■ s^elf/should have ; a 1 ledge rime'inches v. deep.. ■■■. I ;.'.' V-!'.'..'-'';':. "•'"'■" '•'■-.■■ , -'."v 'sc-':[}^.:\] The most .convenient, dimensions ;pf ;■•'■:.' mushroom1 house are given'as follows:' Length,v2sft; width, .12ft;: height ..;at. ;; sides, 6ft to allow of a bed' on ;.;tha floor and ,a; shelf four 'feet above Z • it, ' '■;■ the ridge /rising sufficiently; for Head -;■/ room and to, shoot Voff' water./ There .■■,'■} should, be ,ro6rii ; for. a central path, of ; four feet arid , a/!bed/, of four .' feet5 on //; either- side.//'•■:/;.:; ~; "'i.I,'' ; ■..■■; /■■/;/:''