This small collection on the mushroom industry consists of papers that document mushroom industry educational courses and professional trade associations. The collection provides insight into the roles professional trade associations such as the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association, the Mushroom Cooperative Canning Association, and the American Mushroom Insitute play in affecting agricultural legislation and mushroom farming practices.

The collection has been arranged into two series: Charles Brosius papers on the mushroom industry and the Walter Maule papers on the mushroom industry.

Charles Brosius papers on the mushroom industry includes correspondence, memorandums, reports, and course materials that document professional trade association activities and mushroom industry educational courses.

There are by-laws and reports from the Mushroom Cooperative Canning Company, of which Brosius' father was former president, as well as the American Mushroom Institute. There is only one memorandum for the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association from 1960.

While there are two research proposals, they are badly faded and extremely difficult to read. One is a proposal to study mushroom shrinkage; the second is related to the economic and engineering aspects of mushroom production.

Much of the series's contents relate to Brosius's interactions with The Pennsylvania State (Penn State) University College of Agriculture. Brosius served as a liaison for the mushroom industry and reviewed educational and research activities. There are a few letters between Brosius and the dean of the college related to his service in this capacity. Additional correspondence discusses a ventilation system for agricultural engineers and a pilot compost project.

Brosius furthered his knowledge of the mushroom industry by taking Mushroom Short Courses. The Mushroom Short Course has been offered through Penn State University's Extension Program since 1956. Its aim is to contribute toward the advancement of best practices for disease prevention, production, growth, and profitability for mushroom growers throughout North America. The courses generally take place over two days and present the most recent scientific research and information available for the industry.

The course materials in the collection are about composting, chemicals for pesticides for molds and diseases, and the mushroom industry and mushroom cultivation. The dates span a wide range, but primarily date from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s.

Additionally, there are trade pamphlets and manuals for a Feederator chemical feeder, Vapam, and Farm electric motors. There are two U.S. Government documents. One is a notice of proposed rules related to mushrooms; the second is a questionnaire for mushroom growers related to tariffs.

The Walter Maule papers on the mushroom industry includes newsletters, press clippings, and papers detailing the expanding mushroom industry around Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and its ascension as a major player in the mushroom industry under the guidance of the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association, a farmer-owned cooperative.

Several agricultural Congressional bills from 1961 to 1962 are included, which detail increased government spending on mushroom and agricultural research, one of the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association's major lobbying interests. The context for these can be found in Maule's correspondence, which includes many letters written to Congressional representatives on behalf of the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association.

Press clippings about the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association, particularly numerous during Maule's leadership of the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association, span from 1936 to 1981. A variety of articles from 1936 show the turmoil the mushroom industry struggled with as in-fighting among board members and farmers made headlines. Articles from the 1960s detail the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association and the industry at its peak with record crops, successful lobbying efforts, and improved canning and transportation methods, which allowed the industry to expand on a national scale. Several clippings from 1981 include images and descriptions of a destructive fire at the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association building in Kennett Square. A "Mushroom News" newsletter from 1949 provides a comprehensive biography of Walter Maule's life and career up until that point, ten years before his retirement.

Mushroom industry reports provide a comprehensive look at the changes the Mushroom Growers Cooperative Association affected in various facets of the industry, from canning to agricultural research to best mushroom farming practices.