nd
salt; set in the oven or before a brisk fire to melt the butter, then
serve quickly.

Some persons think that slices of bacon toasted over the mushrooms
improve the flavor.

BEEFSTEAK SMOTHERED IN MUSHROOMS.

Have ready a sufficient quantity of full-grown mushrooms, carefully
cleaned; cut them in pieces and put into a baking pan with a
tablespoonful of butter to two cupfuls of mushrooms, sprinkle with
pepper and salt, and bake in a moderate oven forty-five minutes. Broil
your steak until it is almost done; then put it into the pan with a part
of the mushrooms under and the remainder over the steak; put it into the
oven again and allow it to remain for ten minutes; turn out upon a hot
dish and serve quickly.

Agaricus, Lepiota, Coprinus, Lactarius, Tricholoma, and Russula are
especially fine for this method of preparation.

CHAPTER XIX.

CULTIVATION OF THE MUSHROOM.

BY PROF. LAMBERT,

The American Spawn Co., St. Paul, Minn.

=GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.=--Commercially, and in a restricted sense, the
term "mushroom" is generally used indiscriminately to designate the
species of fungi which are edible and susceptible of cultivation. The
varieties which have been successfully cultivated for the market are
nearly all derived from _Agaricus campestris_, _Agaricus villaticus_,
_and Agaricus Arvensis_. They may be white, cream or creamy-white, or
brown; but the color is not always a permanent characteristic, it is
often influenced by surrounding conditions.

Mushrooms are grown for the market on a large scale in France and in
England. It is estimated that nearly twelve million pounds of fresh
mushrooms are sold every year at the Central Market of Paris. A large
quantity of mushrooms are canned and exported from France to every
civilized country. This industry has recently made remarkable progress
in the United States, and fresh mushrooms are now regularly quoted on
the markets of our large cities. They are sold at prices ranging from
twenty-five cents to one dollar and fifty cents per pound, according to
season, demand and supply.

[Illustration: Figure 498.--Mushroom Beds in a Cellar.]

=ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS.=--Mushrooms can be grown in any climate and in
any season where the essential conditions may be found, obtained or
controlled. These conditions are, _first_, a temperature ranging from 53
deg. to 60 deg. F., with extremes of 50 deg. to 63 deg.; _second_, an
atmosphere saturated (but not drippi