Title: A study of mushrooms and mushroom spawn
Author: Jacob, Edward H.
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.

*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "A study of mushrooms and mushroom spawn" ***


[Illustration]



                               A STUDY OF

                               MUSHROOMS
                                  AND
                             MUSHROOM SPAWN

                                   BY

                             EDW. H. JACOB


                           West Chester, Pa.

                    Copyrighted 1914, by E. H. Jacob



  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
  |                              PREFACE                            |
  |                                                                 |
  |                                                                 |
  |   This pamphlet has been written by one who has had a large     |
  |   and successful experience in growing Mushrooms for the        |
  |   markets. It was his misfortune to meet failure after          |
  |   failure at first, due principally to poor Spawn,              |
  |   unfavorable conditions of the beds and other reasons. He      |
  |   is, therefore, unusually well qualified to guide those who    | 
  |   desire to grow Mushrooms for home and local use.              |
  |                                                                 |
  |   It is my desire to give concise, accurate and most reliable   |
  |   information without making any misleading or extravagant      |
  |   statements, and to write in such a way as to be easily        |
  |   understood and successfully followed.                         |
  |                                                                 |
  |                                           EDWARD H. JACOB       |
  +-----------------------------------------------------------------+



                      =THE SOURCE OF SUCCESS=

It is acknowledged by all successful mushroom growers that the first
and most important thing to be considered is the spawn. No matter how
favorable conditions may be, no matter what care is taken in making the
beds, selecting the location or composting the manure, if the spawn
is not good, mushrooms will not be plentiful and in many cases no
mushrooms at all will make appearance.

The writer of this pamphlet spent nine years in carefully studying
out the spawn question, and during that period spent thousands and
thousands of dollars in experimental work. All of the different makes
of spawn obtainable were tested, both French, English and American,
with varying results. Sometimes he obtained a reasonable yield of
mushrooms and frequently none at all.

The result of all these experiments brought the conclusion that the
only reliable method of producing spawn is by a grafting process
discovered by Dr. B. M. Duggar while he was connected with the United
States Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C.

This method of making spawn is directly responsible for the liberal
supply of fresh mushrooms on the market in season. If we had to depend
on foreign spawn, as in the past, mushrooms would still be scarce and
high.

The grower would rather pick a pound of mushrooms to each square foot
of bed surface at an average price of 25 cents a pound than to pick
one-half pound (more often less) at 50 cents a pound, which was the
rule years ago.



                  =MUSHROOMS GROWN FOR HOME USE=

It is a very easy matter to plant a bed of mushrooms in the cellar or
in an outbuilding, for home use, by following instructions and using
good spawn. In this case the results are reasonably certain. It is a
very great satisfaction to have this luxury during the entire winter
season at the very lowest cost.

Growing mushrooms on a large scale becomes more complicated, and would
require the continuous attention of a competent and interested person.



                 =HOW MANY MUSHROOMS ARE GROWN IN THE
                           UNITED STATES=


Conditions vary from year to year, and no accurate estimate is
available as to how many pounds of mushrooms are grown in the United
States. We manufactured and sold enough spawn last season to grow
2,000,000 pounds of mushrooms, the output of the year having increased
by 100,000 bricks over the previous year.

This does not mean that new growers have come into the field, but,
rather, the discarding of poor or unreliable spawn by old growers has
been general.

It would therefore be reasonable to conclude that from four to five
million pounds of fresh mushrooms (aside from field-grown) are now used
annually in the United States.



              =COST OF GROWING A POUND OF MUSHROOMS=


The actual cost of growing mushrooms varies according to the yield per
square foot of bed surface. If one pound is picked to every square
foot, the cost is much lower than when only one-half pound to the
square foot is picked.

Growers who are obliged to purchase manure at a distance, pay the
freight on it and employ competent men to handle and care for the
mushroom-growing plants, estimate the cost of producing mushrooms at 15
to 25 cents per pound.

Those who grow mushrooms for pleasure, and have their own stables, or
get manure from a neighboring stable, are at very little expense and
could grow mushrooms at less than half the above cost.

[Illustration: _The above photograph shows a bed of Mushrooms grown
from the Brandywine Spawn. This is no better than may be expected when
local conditions are right. The entire house in which this photograph
was taken averaged more than one and a half pounds of Mushrooms to
every square foot of bed surface. They were grown by Edward H. Jacob,
West Chester, Pa._]



                          =MARKET PRICES=


Users of mushrooms generally pay at the store from 40 to 60 cents a
pound for mushrooms, and when these can be delivered from the grower to
the user, these prices are not overestimated.

If mushrooms are to be grown for the larger markets like New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh or other Eastern cities, the net
prices realized by the Eastern grower will be much less. In fact, the
markets occasionally are badly overstocked, and mushrooms sell below
the actual cost of production. It would therefore seem to be most
profitable when mushrooms can be delivered to the user by the grower.

In a majority of smaller towns and cities mushrooms are rather scarce,
and local dealers are glad to take them at compensating prices. Meat
is high in price and likely to be still higher. Mushrooms can often be
used as a most delicious substitute.



+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 =HOW TO COOK AND SERVE MUSHROOMS=                  |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|   We have prepared a separate sheet giving the best and most       |
|   practical ways of cooking mushrooms. This will be forwarded to   |
|   anyone making application for it and enclosing a two-cent stamp. |
|                                                                    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+



             =OUR METHOD OF TESTING ORIGINAL CULTURES=


Before our Brandywine Spawn is made up in quantity, the different
varieties are first tested in our own beds and accurate record of
production is each day carefully made.

In this way we eliminate entirely unproductive varieties and choose
only those which are most vigorous, perfect in shape and color and will
make the greatest yield.

[Illustration: _Spawn Plant located at West Chester, Pa. Since the
above photograph was taken this plant has been doubled in size. It is
located within half a block of the main freight depot, where ten acres,
or two city blocks, had been purchased for the manufacture of The
Brandywine Spawn._]

[Illustration]



                           =PRICE LIST=

The fact that Jacob’s Brandywine Spawn costs a little more than any
other spawn made, and that the large and most successful growers are
quite willing to pay more for it, means that they find it the most
profitable to use.


                =_The BEST is always the CHEAPEST_=

Jacob’s Brandywine Spawn is made in three varieties, pure white, cream
white and light brown at the following prices:

       *       *       *       *       *

One brick is enough for 10 square feet of bed surface.

  1 brick or more (by mail, prepaid), 35 cents a brick.
  5 bricks or more (by express, not prepaid), 25 cents a brick.
 25 bricks or more (by exp. or frt., not prep’d), 20 cts. a brick.
 50 bricks or more (by exp. or frt., not prep’d), 18 cts. a brick.
135 bricks (one case) (by exp. or frt., not prepaid), 15 cents a brick.

Stamps, money orders or checks should accompany orders to insure prompt
shipment.


                        _Manufactured Solely by_

                            EDWARD H. JACOB
                                      WEST CHESTER, PA.,
                                                      U. S. A.

On the following pages will be found full and complete instructions for
those who wish to grow Mushrooms for home use as well as for the market.



             =SELECTION OF A PLACE TO GROW MUSHROOMS=


Any cellar which maintains a uniform temperature of from 45 to 65
degrees may be used.

Any barn or outbuilding may be supplied with heat and used
successfully, but the temperature should be kept as nearly uniform as
possible.

Any cold building which it is not practical to heat, may be planted
during September while the weather is still warm and the beds allowed
to get cold and even freeze up solid during winter months. Such beds
will produce the finest kind of mushrooms during the early spring
months when the temperature rises sufficiently.

The larger growers usually build houses especially for mushrooms and
heat by means of hot water pipes. Some use abandoned caves or mines,
while florists often grow mushrooms successfully under greenhouse
benches.



                      =PREPARATION OF MANURE=


Select _fresh_ horse manure where wheat or oats straw has been used as
bedding.

Never use old manure or manure mixed with shavings or sawdust.

Place the fresh manure in a neat pile and cover with two or three
inches of earth.

In the course of three or four days turn the manure over, shaking and
mixing the earth in thoroughly. Add water if necessary to keep the
manure in reasonably moist condition.

Cover again with earth which will be sufficient, and allow the pile to
heat, through the action of bacteria in the manure, for five or six
days. Then turn again, shaking up thoroughly each time, and turning
the outer dried or whitened portion of the pile toward the centre. Add
water with a sprinkler when necessary to keep plenty of moisture. After
about four turnings in this way, covering a period of three or four
weeks the manure will be sufficiently rotted and decomposed to make
into the beds.



                         =MAKING THE BEDS=


The manure should be placed on the floor or prepared bed spaces to
a depth of 8 to 10 inches in winter weather. In warm weather 6 or 7
inches are enough.

The compost should be compressed in making the bed and provided it is
not too wet it may be tramped, which prevents too much drying out,
while the manure is heating in the beds.

The only practical test of the proper moisture content of the manure at
time of making beds, is when upon compression in the hand water cannot
readily be squeezed out of it.

After the beds are made up they should be covered and allowed to heat
for a week or ten days. After this length of time the temperature
should be watched until it falls to 70 degrees, when the beds may
safely be spawned. The temperature may be obtained by inserting a
common glass thermometer in the manure.

During the process of heating, after the beds are made up, the
temperature often rises as high as 125 degrees, and it is never safe to
spawn until it falls to 70 degrees.

[Illustration: _The above illustration shows how an ordinary cellar may
be fitted up either with beds on the floor or arranged in tiers, one
above the other, in order to increase the growing surface._]



                            =SPAWNING=


The bricks of spawn should be broken into ten or twelve pieces and
placed on the surface of the beds 8 to 10 inches apart each way. Then
go over the bed again, raising the manure and burying the spawn about
half-inch below the surface and tamping (pressing) firmly over each
piece, leaving the bed level on top.

In about two weeks dig up a piece or two of spawn carefully, and if the
mycelium is noticed running out like a mould from the brick into the
manure it is time to case.

This is done by putting one inch of sifted soil evenly over the top of
the manure.



                           =VENTILATION=


Where mushrooms are grown on a large scale, proper ventilation is very
necessary. The overhead ventilators are generally preferred, as the
ventilation is more uniform without draught.

The ventilators should remain open when outside temperature is right,
and at other times for one or two hours each day.

Where small beds are used in cellars or out-buildings, extra
ventilation is not so necessary.


AVOID ALL DRAUGHTS.



                            =WATERING=


While the room should be kept moist, little or no water should be used
on the beds after spawning till the mushrooms begin to appear, which is
generally from six to eight weeks from time of spawning.

Then the beds at first should be sprinkled lightly every day or two
till the surface is quite moist, after that one or two sprinklings a
week will be sufficient, according to the condition of the beds. If
they get dry quickly water oftener.

[Illustration: _Mushroom Growing Plant No. 2, built and operated by
Edward H. Jacob, West Chester, Pa. This plant contains eleven separate
Mushroom houses, with a total growing surface of 78,500 square feet;
each building is 100 feet long._]



                                PICKING


The mushrooms should be picked once a day just before they open out.
(_See cut._)

The root should be twisted gently and taken out with the mushroom
disturbing the earth as little as possible.

The stems should be cut off and the mushrooms packed in baskets.

When grown in small quantities, the 1-pound ventilated boxes are often
used as a matter of convenience, but the large growers ship generally
in four-pound baskets. (_See cut._)

[Illustration: _Ripe Enough to Pick_]

[Illustration: _The One-Pound Ventilated Boxes_]

The beds may be expected to produce under ordinary conditions for
a period of from two to four months, depending largely upon the
temperature. At an average of 50 degrees they will yield at least four
months and every other day would be quite often enough to pick.

At 65 degrees they must be picked regularly every day and the crop will
be almost completed in two months.

Cooler temperature makes heavier and better mushrooms.



                       =Points to Remember=


Mushrooms cannot be successfully grown at a temperature above 65
degrees. A temperature of 70 degrees for 24 hours will kill all
growing mushrooms, but more will come up from the same beds when the
temperature falls.

Violent fluctuations in temperature are undesirable.

Cold will retard growth, but will not otherwise injure the beds.
Freezing will destroy mushrooms already above the ground, but will not
hurt the spawn in the beds.

There is probably more injury done by overwatering than by any other
one thing.

Keep the surface moist but never soak the beds.

Never cover the bed with earth until it has been spawned 10 days or two
weeks, or the temperature of the manure may rise sufficiently to injure
the spawn.

Never purchase spawn because it is cheap, neither be led into paying
extravagant prices through misleading advertisements.

If any insect pest makes appearance or any diseased condition arises,
write the United States Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C.,
for information.

Spawn should be as fresh as it is possible to obtain it, should be kept
in a cool dry place till used. Improper storage will damage it in a
comparatively short time.

Imported brands of spawn are apt to be old and often worthless.

[Illustration: _THE FOUR-POUND SHIPPING BASKET_]



Transcriber’s Note:

Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
this_. Those in bold are surrounded by equal signs, =like this=.




*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "A study of mushrooms and mushroom spawn" ***

Copyright 2023 LibraryBlog. All rights reserved.