■Qltjte book 6ias presented bg

Alan Weintraub

STUDENT'S HAND-BOOK

OF

]y[uSHROOMS OF /^MERICA

EDIBLE AND POISONOUS.

BY

THOMAS TAYLOR, M. D.

AUTHOR OF FOOD PRODUCTS, ETC.

Published in Serial Form — No. 2 — Price, 50c. per number.

WASHINGTON, D. C. :

A. R. Taylor, Publisher, 238 Mass. Ave. N.E.

1897.

STUDENT'S HAND-BOOK

OF

]y[uSHROOMS OF /^MERICA

EDIBLE AND POISONOUS.

BY

THOMAS TAYLOR, M. D.

AUTHOR OF FOOD PRODUCTS, ETC.

Published in Serial Form— No. 2— I^'i^e, 50c. per number.

WASHINGTON, D. C. *.

A. R. Taylor, Publisher, 238 Mass. Ave. N.E.

1897.

The ten mushrooms illustrated in the five plates contained in the first
number of this series belong to the family Hymenomycetes. In the
present number are presented illustrations representing three additional
specimens of the Hymenomycetal fungi (Plates V, VI, and VII). There
are also presented, in plates C and D, illustrations of nine species com-
prised in four genera of the sub family Discomycetes, of the family
Ascomycetes.

Copyright, 1897, by

Thomas Taylok, M.'d. ,

aud

A. R. Taylor.

ASCOMYCETES.
Sub-family Discomycetes

F/ste C

T. TAYLOR, DEL.

TYPES OF FOUR OF THE LEADING GENERA OF DISCOMYCETES,
IN WHICH OCCUR EDIBLE SPECIES.

ASCOMYCETES.

Fruit, consisting of sporidia, mostl}^ definite, contained in asci, springing
from a naked or enclosed stratum of fructifying cells, and forming a
hymenium. — Cooke and Berkeley.

Prof. J. de Seyne states that the three elements which form the hyme-
nium in the families Hymenomycetes and Gasteromycetes are (1) the
normal basidium, that is, the fruitful club-shaped cell which supports the
naked spores, (2) the cystidium or sterile cell, an aborted or atrophied
basidium, and (3) the paraphyses, hypertrophied basidium, the one orgau,
the basidium, being the basis of it all, according as it experiences an arrest
of development, as it grows and fructifies, or as it becomes hypertrophied.

In the family Ascomycetes a minute ascus or spoi'e case envelops the
sporidia, and takes the place of the basidium, and the hymenium consists
of (1) the asci containing the sporidia, ("2) the paraphyses, and (3) a color-
less or yellowish mucilage which envelops the paraphyses and asci. The
asci are present in all species. In some species, however, the paraphyses
are rare, and the mucilaginous substance is entirely wanting. The asci
differ in shape and size, according to the species. The paraphyses,
when present, are at first very short, but th^ rapidly elongate, and
ai'e wholly developed before the appearance of the asci. They are
linear, simple or branched according to the species of plant, usually con-
taining oil}' granules. There is some difference of opinion among mycolo-
gists as to the sjDecial functions of the paraphyses, some considering
them as abortive asci, and others, like Boudier, as excitatory organs for
the dehiscence of the asci, by which the spores are liberated.

The family Ascomycetes is rich in genera and species.

It consists largely of microscopic fungi, however, and the only group
which will be considered here is that which includes plants of the mush-
room family which are edible and indigenous to this country, viz., the sub-
family Discomycetes.

DISCOMYCETES.

The name Discomycetes, " disk-like fungi," does not give an accui'ate
idea of the distinguishing charactertistics of this sub-family, the discoid
form only belonging to the plants of one of its groups. In the Discomy-
cetese the hymenium is superior, that is, disposed upon the upper or ex-
terior surface of the mushroom cap. The sporidia are produced in mem-
braneous asci, usually four or eight, or some multiple of that number,
in each ascus ; Cooke says " rarely four, most commonly eight.' The
sporidia are usually hyaline, transparent ; colored sporidia are rare.

The asci are so minute as to be imperceptible to the naked eye ; but if
a small portion of the upper surface of the cap is removed with a pen-
knife and placed under a microscope having a magnifying power of from

400 to 800 diameters, the asci, or spore sacks, can be separated and their
structure studied.

Of the geuera included in the Discomycetes the genus Peziza com-
prises by far the largest number of described species. The plants in this
genus are generally small, thin, and tough. A few of them have been
recorded as edible by European authors, but not specially commended ;
one form, Peziza cochleata, has been spoken of by Berkeley as being
gathered in basketfuls in one county in England, where it is used as a
substitute, though a very indifferent one, for the Morel.

Vittadini says the Verpa digitaliformis Persoon, a small brownish-col-
ored mushroom, is sold in Italian markets for soups, but that, " although
sold in the markets, it is only to be recommended when no other fungus
offers, which is sometimes the case in the spring." P. aurantia Vahl., a
small Peziza growing in clusters in the grass, is reported as edible by a
member of the Boston Mycological Club, who speaks well of it.

The genera Morchella, Gyromitra, Helvella, and Mitrula contain, how-
ever, what may be considered the most desirable edible species. Types
of these four groups are represented in Figs. 1, 3? 5, 7, and 10, Plate C.

The plants of these genera have a stem and cap. The cap, however,
differs very much from that of the ordinary mushroom. In the genus
Morchella the cap is deeply pitted and ridged so that it presents a honey-
combed aj)pearance. In Gyromitra the cap is convolutely lobed but not
pitted. In Helvella the cap is very irregular and reflexed, and in Mitrula
the cap is ovate or club-shaped and smooth. In all four of these genera
the hymenium is superior, i. e., it is on the upper and outer surface of the
cap, the interior surface being barren.

In Plates C and D are figured 9 types of edible fungi included in the
family Ascomycetes, sub-family Discomycetes.

Plate C.

Fig. 1. Morchella esculenta Pers. " Common Morel.''''

Edible.

Genus Morchella Dill. Receptacle pileate or clavate, impervious in the
centre, stipitate, covered with hymenium, which is deeply folded and
pitted. — Cooke.

In this genus the species have a general resemblance to each other in
size, color, form, texture, and flavor. The cap is usually a dull yellow,
sometimes slightly olive-tinted, darkening with age to a brownish leather
tinge. The stems are stout and hollow, white or whitish. This genus has
a very wide geographical distribution, but the species are not numerous.
Cooke describes twenty-four, some of them fovind in India, Java, Great
Britain, Central and Northern Europe, Australia, and North America.
Peck describes six species found in New York State. The lines of demar-
cation between species are not very decided; but as none of the species

are known to be poisonous, it may be considered a safe genus to experi-
ment with.

In the Morchella esculenta the cap is ovate, in one variety rotund, the
margin attaching itself to the stem ; ribs firm and anastomosing, forming
deep hollows or pits ; color yellowish tan, olivaceous ; spores hyaline,
colorless ; asci very long. The Morel, though rare in some localities, is
found in large quantities in some of the midwestern States, sometimes in
the woods along the borders of streams, often in peach orchards, at the
roots of decaying trees.

I am informed by correspondents who have collected and eaten them
that the Morels can be gathered in abundance in the springtime along the
banks of the Missouri and tributary streams. A lieutenant in the United
States Army informs me that he found fine specimens of this species in
the mountains of California, five or six thousand feet above sea-level. A
correspondent, Mr. H. W. Henshaw, whites that he has made many
excellent meals of them, finding them on the banks of Chico Creek,
Sacramento Valley, California, on Gen. Bidwell's ranch, in April. A corre-
spondent in Minnesota writes : " The Morel grows abundantly in some
places here, but so prejudiced are many of the natives against ' toad-
stools ' that I had to eat the Morel alone for a whole season before I
could induce any one else to taste it." Mr. Hollis Webster, of the Boston
Mycological Club, reports the Morchella conica as appearing in abund-
ance in eastern Massachusetts in May of this year. A correspondent in
West Virginia reports that quantities of a large-sized Morel are found in
the mountain regions there.

I have reports also of the appearance of the Morel in Western New
York, and on the coast of Maine and of Oregon. A miner writes to me
from Montana that he and several other miners, having lost their way in
the mountains of that State during the spring of the year, subsisted
entirely for five days on Morels which they collected.

The specimen represented in Plate C, Fig. 1, is figured from a
Morchella esculenta which grew in the vicinity of Falls Church, Va., less
than ten miles from the District of Columbia. The reports which I have
received from correspondents in twenty States show that the Morel is not
so rare in this country as was formerly supposed. The advantages which
this mushroom possesses over some others are (1) the readiness with
which it can be distinguished, (2) its keeping qualities, and (3) its
agreeable taste. It is easily dried, and in that condition can be kept a
long time without losing its flavor. Though it has not the rich flavor of
the common field mushroon, it is very palatable when cooked, and when
dried it is often used in soups. It is very generally esteemed as an
esculent among mycophagists.

Fig. 2 represents the sporidia enclosed in the ascus, or spore sack,
with accompanying paraphyses.

Fig. 3. Gyromitra esculenta Fries. ''Esculent Gyroynitra.'"

Genus Gyromitra Fries. This genus contains very few species, but
all are considered edible, though differing somewhat in flavor and di-
gestibility. Five or six species are figured by Cooke. Peck speaks of
several species found in New York. One of these, G. curtipes Fries,
is also figured by Cooke as found in North Carolina. This species
Cooke regards as equal in flavor to G. esculenta. G. esculenta has a
rounded, inflated cap, irregularly lobed and hollow, smooth and brittle in
texture, reddish brown. It falls over the stem in heavy convolutions,
touching it at various points. The stem is stout, stuffed, at length
hollow, whitish or cinereous ; spores elliptical with two nuclei, yellowish,
translucent. The plant is usually from two to four inches in height,
but larger specimens are found.

Fig. 4 represents the spore sack with enclosed sporidia.

Mr. Charles L. Fox, of Portland, Maine, records the Gyromitra escu-
lenta, of which he sent me a very good specimen last spring, as quite
abundant during May in the open woods near the city named. Speaking
of this species, he says : " From the point of view of their edibility, we
have classed them under two heads — the light and the dark varieties
These differ in the locality in which they are found, in their color and in
the convolutions of their surface. Both grow large.

" The Light Gyromitra is the more easily digested of the two. Its
height varies from three to five inches, cap three to five inches in diam-
eter. Its cap is inflated, very irregular, and twisted in large convolutions.
These convolutions are almost smooth on the surface, sometimes showing
small depressions ; margin generally attached to the stem in parts. It is
a transparent yellow in color. This variety does not grow dark brown
with age. Stem white or very light buff, smooth, and hollow. It grows
best on slopes facing the south, in scant woods of birch, maple, and pine.
We have found no specimens in open places or on the borders of woods.

" The Dark Gyromitra is more common than the light variety. Its color
is generally of dark lake brown, even, in the young plant, though it is
sometimes of a light warm yellow, which grows darker with age. Stem
flesh-colored or pallid, but not white, nor so light as in the first variety.
Its cap is similar in its large convolutions to that of the light variety,
but it is covered with many intricate vermiform ridges, sometimes in high
relief or even strongly undercut. Grows in mossy places, in light sandy
soil, on borders of pine woods. Its flesh is brittle, but not so tender as
that of the first variety. Both varieties dry readily. We should advise
eating the Dark Gyromitra only in moderate amounts, as, if eaten
in quantity, or if old specimens are used, indigestion or nausea is liable
to follow. In regard to both varieties, I would advise that only young
specimens should be eaten at first, as they are more tender and less pro-
nounced in flavor than the older plants. We have eaten, however, a con-
siderable quantity of the Light Gyromitra with no unpleasant results.

The flavor of the Gyromitras is quite strong", and some have found it too
much so to be agreeable on the first eating. The general opinion here, how-
ever, is favorable to the Gyromitra as an excellent addition to the table."

Some Gemman authorities speak well of the flavor of the G. esculenta,
and it is sold in the German markets. Cordier records it as agreeable in
taste when cooked. Peck says that he has repeatedly eaten it without
experiencing any evil results, but does not consider its flavor equal to
that of a first-class mushroom. He advises also that it should be eaten
with moderation, and that only perfectly fresh specimens should be used,
sickness having resulted from eating freely of specimens that had been
kept twenty-four hours before being cooked.

I have not been fortunate in securing a sufficient quantity of fresh
specimens to test its edible qualities personally, but the testimony received
from those who have eaten it seems to point to the necessity for modera-
tion in eating and care in securing fresh specimens to cook.

Fig. 5. Helvella crispa. '^f'risp Helvella.'^

Genus Helvella Linn. The plants of this genus are usually small,
though a few of the species are of good size. They are not plentiful, but
they are very generally regarded as edible, the flavor bearing a resem-
blance to that of the Morel. The cap has a smooth, not polished, surface,
and is very irregular, revolute, and deflexed, not honeycombed like the
Morel, nor showing the brain-like convolutions of the Gyromitras. Color
brownish pale tan, or whitish. The stem in the larger species is stout,
and sometimes deeply furrowed in longitudinal grooves, usually white or
whitish.

The species Helvella crispa is white or pallid throughout, cap very
irregular, sometimes deeply concave in the centre, with margin at first
erect, then drooping ; again it is undulating, much divided and deflexed :
in fact, so irregular is the shape that scarcely two specimens will show
the cap the same in outline ; stem stout and deeply channelled. Spores
elliptical, transparent. Habitat woods, growing singly or in groups, but
not csespitose.

Fig. 6, the ascus or spore sack and paraphesis.

Genus Mitrula Fries. Soft and fleshy, simple capitate, stem distinct,
hymenium surrounding the inflated cap; head ovate, obtuse, inflated. —
M. C. Cooke.

Cooke says of this genus that it is scarcely so well characterized as
many with which it is associated, and that some of the species are evi-
dently so closely allied to some of the species of the genus Geoglossum
that it is difficult to draw the line of demarcation between them, particu-
larly so with the species 'Miixvilsi pist 'Maris B. from Louisiana.

The plants are very small, and though none are recorded as poisonous,
only one or two have any value as esculents.

Fig. 7. Mitrula sclerotipes Boudier.

The cap iu this species is small, and the stem long and slender. The
spores are transparent, the asci club-shaped. The plants of^ this species
are always found springing from an oblong sclerotium ; hence the name
sclerotipes.

Fig. 8 represents the sporidia enclosed in their asci with paraphyses
and individual spores, the latter magnified 800 diameters. Fig. 9, sec-
tional view of mature plant.

Fig. 10. Mitrula vitellina Saac, var. irregularis Peck.

Saccardo, in his Sylloge Fungorum, includes in this genus those
having a club-shaped cap, which brings into it, with others, the species
Mitrula vitellina Sacc, formerly classed in the genus Geoglossum, and
its vai'iety irregularis Peck. The latter was first described in 1879, in
Peck's Thirty-Second Report, under the name Geoglossum irregulare.
Prof. Peck now gives preference to the name assigned to it by Saccardo,
and it is so recorded in Peck's later reports.

Prof. Peck records this species as edible, and recommends it as having
tender flesh and an agreeable flavor. It sometimes grows in profusion
in wet mossy places, in woods, or swampy ground. It is bright yellow
in color, clean and attractive. The cap is much longer than the stem,
often deeply lobed, extremely irregular in outline, and tapers to a short
yellowish or whitish stem. The spores are narrowly elliptical and trans-
parent. The specimen illustrated is from a small one figured by Peck.
The plants sometimes reach two inches in height. They are most abun-
dant in temperate climates.

Plate D.

In Plate D are represented four species of the genus Morehella, viz.,
M. semilibera, M. bis2)ora, M. conica, and M. deliciosa. Morehella
esculenta is figured in Plate C.

Fig. 1. Morehella semilibera De CandoUe. " Half Free Morels

Edible.

Cap conical but half free from the stem as the name of the sjDecies
indicates. The ribs are longitudinal, forming oblong pits ; stem hollow,
much longer than the cap, white; spores elliptical. Peck says that this
species has been described by Persoou under the name Morehella hybrida,
and this name is adopted in Saccardo's Sylloge Fungorum, but most
English writers prefer the first.

Fig. 2. Sectional view of Morehella semilibera.

Fig. 8. Sporidia of same inclosed in ascus with accompanying
paraphyses.

FOUR TYPES OF THE GENUS MORCHELLA.

Plate D

T TAYLOa. DEL.

Fio. 3. Sectional view of Morchella bispora Sorokin. '•'■Tico-Spored MorelJ"

Edible.

Cap free from the stem to the top, somewhat resembling that of
M. seinilibera, but blunt at its summit instead of conical, the outward
surface deeply pitted, inner surface smooth and barren. A characteristic
of this species which distinguishes it from others of the same genus is
found in the number of its sporidia, spores as seen in the ascus or spore
sack. In the plants of the genus Morchella the spore sacks, with one or
two exceptions, contain eight spores.

In the species M. bispora the spore sacks contain but two spores and
these are much larger than the sporidia of those which contain eight.
This characteristic, however, can only be determined by the aid of the
microscope.

Cooke figures a specimen taken from those published by Sorokin in
Tbumen's Exsiccata, and calls it a variety of M.OYQ\ie\\dL Boheitiica Kromb.
He says that it is not unusual to find M. Bohemica with two or four
sporidia in some of the asci, mixed with others containing more, some
specimens being entirely tetrasporus, and some, as the variety bispora^
usually containing but two sporidia. Cooke contends that M. bispora is
simply a bisporous form of Morchella Bohemica, and calls it M. Bohemica
var. bispora. It is not as common as other species.

Fig. 9 represents asci of M. bispora showing the two spores in each

ascus.

Fig. 4. Morchella conica. ^'Conical Morel.''''

Edible.

Cap conical or oblong-conical, margin adhering to the stem, the prom-
inent ridges longitudinal and irregularly bisected with shorter ones ; the
whole plant hollow throughout ; color pale tan or ochraceous yellow,
growing dingy and darker with age ; stem white ; spores elliptical.

This species is quite plentiful in some localities ; the flavor is like that
of M. esGulenta.

Fig. 5. Sectional view of M. conica.

Fig. 10. Ascus, sporidia and paraphyses.

Fig. 6. Morchella deliciosa Fries. '■^Delicious Morel.''''

Cap nearly cylindrical, blunt at the top, and usually much longer than
the stem, adnate. Plant hollow throughout. Stem white. Spores
elliptical.

Fig. 7. Sectional view of M. deliciosa.

Fig. 11. Ascus, sporidia, and paraphyses.

The Morchella deliciosa is highly esteemed as an esculent wherever
eaten. Split open and stuffed with bread crumbs seasoned with pepper,
salt, and butter and a pinch of thyme or onion, steamed in a hot oven, and
served with butter sauce, this mushroom makes a very savory dish.

J^ote. — Small specimens have been selected for illustration in this plate
in order to utilize as much as possible the plate space.

10

Plate IV. Structure of the Agaricini, Gill-bearing
Mushrooms.

Fig. 1. Cap or j)ileus umbonate, a ; stem or stipe fistulose, tubular, h ;
gills or lamella? adnate, and slightly emarginate.

Fig. 2. Gills remote, i. e., distant from the stem. (See a.')

Fig. 3. Gills adnexed, partly attached to the stem at their inner ex-
tremity, a.

Fig. 4. Gills emarginate, with a tooth, as at a ; stem stuffed.

Fig. 5. Cap obtuse, e : gills free, i. e., reaching the stem but not at-
tached thereto (see a) ; h stem stuffed.

Fig. 6. Cap umbilicate, slightly depressed in the centre, h ; gills decur-
rent, i. e., running down the stem. (See a.)

Fig. 7. Basidium, cell a, borne on the hymenium, or sj)ore-bearing
surface of the gills ; b, stigmata ; c, spores.

Fig. 8. Gills adnate, ^. e., firmly attached to the stem at their inner ex-
tremity, as at a.

Fig. 9. Cap, with border involute, i. e., rolled inward. (See a.)

Fig. 10. Lamellae or gills dentated or toothed. (See a.)

Fig. 11. Cap with border revolute, i. e., rolled backward. (See a.)

AGARICINI. Fries.
Leucosi'ori (spores white or yellowish).

Ge?ius Lactarms Fries. The plants of this genus have neither veil
nor volva. They somewhat resemble the Hussulce, but can be readily
distinguished from them by the greater fleshiness of the stem and by the
milky juice w^hich exudes from the flesh. The latter is a characteristic
feature of the JLactars, giving to the group its name.

The species were originally arranged by Fries into groups according to
the color and quality of the milk, and of the naked or pruinose character
of the gills. Prof. Peck, however, considering the latter character not
sufiiciently constant or obvious to be satisfactory, in his early reports
makes the color of the milk alone the basis of the primary grouping of
the American species.

Saccardo, in his Sylloge, follows Fries in his classification of the species
of the genus Lactarius.

In some species the milk is at first bright colored and continues un-
changed ; in others it is always white or whitish, and in others again it is
at first white, changing to different hues on exposure to the air, becoming
pinkish, pale violet, or yellow. In one species (C. indigo) both plant and
milk are of indigo blue. The taste of the milk varies, as does that of the
flesh, according to species. Sometimes it is mild or very slightly acrid, and
again it resembles Cayenne pepper in its hot, biting acridity. It is some-
what viscid or sticky in character, and permeates to some extent the whole

Plate IV.

Plate V.

Lactarious Deliciosus.

Gene ral form . 2 Section 3 Spores.

SacVitSWilhalmiLilhogTaphiTV

11

flesh of tLe mushroom, bvit is most profuse in the gills, where iu fresh
young- specimens it is seen exuding on the slightest pressure. In old or
wilted specimens it does not flow so freely, but may be found by breaking
ofl:" portions of the cap.

The plants usually present a fleshy cap, the flesh quite brittle, and
breaking in clean, even fractures. In a number of the species the upper
surface of the cap shows bands or zones of warm coloring, not found in any
of the species of the allied genus Russula. The gills are sometimes even,
more often forked, acute on the edge, color white or whitish, but changing
to yellowish or reddish tints as the plants mature, or when cut or bruised.
While they are at first adnate they become, with the expansion of the cap,
somewhat decurrent, showing in this particular a resemblance to the
plants of the genus Clitocybe. The stem is central, except in a few spe-
cies, where it is eccentric or lateral, notably the latter in L. obliquus :
spores white or yellowish, according to species ; Cooke says, "rarely turn-
ing yellow." They are globose, or nearly so, and slightly rough.

This genus is a large one, and contains many acrid species. Out of
fifty-three described and figured by Cooke, more than half are given as
having the milk more or less acrid. More than forty species have been
recorded as growing in this country, and many of these are extremely
acrid in taste.

A number of the species are edible, while others have been recorded as
deleterious, poisonous, etc. L. torminosus, L. piperatus, and L. insulsus
are species about which there seems to be difference of opinion among
authors as to their wholesomeness or edibility, some contending that, in
spite of their extreme acridity, they are edible when cooked, and others
that they are deleterious in their effects. L. deliciosus and L. volenius have
a good reputation in this country as well as abroad, and are quite abun-
dant in some localities. They are more frequent in temperate climates
than in northern latitudes or in the tropics.

Plate V.

Lactarius deliciosus Fries. ^'■Delicious Lactarius,'" or '• Orange Milk Mushroom.^'

Edible.

Cap fleshy, viscid, at first convex, then nearly plane, becoming much
depressed in the centre, funnel-shaped, marked in the adult plant with
rings or rust-colored zones. Color of the cap dull orange, turning paler,
and grayish or greenish yellow when old or dried ; margin at first turned
inwards: flesh whitish or tinged with yellow; gills decurrent, crowded
rather thick, sometimes slightly forked at the base, pale yellow, sometimes
a saffron yellow, exuding when bruised a saffron-red or orange-colored
liquid, hence the popular name of " Orange Milk Mushroom ; " stem
smooth, somewhat spotted, stout, stuffed with a yellowish pith, event-
ually becoming hollow ; color about the same as that of the cap. Spores
subglobose, yellowish. Taste mild or very slightly acrid when raw.

12

Mycophagists generally concur in the opinion that it is of very pleas-
ant flavor when cooked, and some speak very enthusiastically of its escu-
lent qualities.

Over-cooking is apt to make it tough. I find steaming in the oven
with butter, pepper, and salt, and a very small quantity of water, as
oysters are steamed, a very good method of preserving the juices and
flavor.

It is found in Maryland, under the pines and sometimes in mossy and
swampy places. Prof. Underwood, President of the New York Myco-
logical Club, reports it as fairly abundant in Connecticut.

Lactarius volemns Fries, the " Orange-Brown Lactar," somewhat re-
sembles the L. deliciosiis in shape and size, but the cap is dry and glabrous
and the skin is apt to crack in patches in somewhat the same manner as
does that of the Russula viJ'escens. It is a warm orange-brown in color,
varying slightly with age, and is not zoned. The gills are white or yel-
lowish and crowded, adnate in the young specirnens, and decurrent in the
mature, exuding a white milk when bruised. The spores are globose, and
white. It is found in open woods. The flavor is much like that of
L. deliciosus, although perhaps not so rich.

One author states it as his experience that the Lactars which have
bright-coloxedi milk, unchanging, are usually edible and have a mild taste.
L. indigo Schwein has been recorded as less abundant than some other
species, but edible. The plant is a deep blue throughout, the milk of the
same color and unchanging. The taste of both flesh and milk is mild.
Specimens of this species were sent to me from western New York
several years ago by a correspondent who found it growing in quantities
In a corn field. He had cooked several dishes of it, and rejDorted its
flavor as very agreeable.

L. vellerexis SbndJj. piperatus are very common in fir woods. The plants
are large and stout, white throughout, the milk white and excessively
acrid ; gills decurrent, unequal and narrow. The milk in vellereus is apt
to be scanty but copious in piperatus.

Of L. j)i2)eraUis, Worthington Smith says : " So strongly acrid is the
milk that if it be allowed to trickle over tender hands it will sting like
the contact of nettles ; and if a drop be placed on the lips or tongue the
sensation will be like the scalding of boiling water." He records it as
" poisonous." Fries and Curtis say that, " notwithstanding its intense
acridity, it is edible when cooked." Cordier, while recording it as edible,
says that the milk, and butter made from the milk of cows fed with it, are
bitter and nauseous, although cows eat it with avidity. Gibson, while
quoting one or two authors as to its edibility when cooked, says : " Its
decidedly ardent tang warns me not to dwell too enthusiastically upon
its merits in a limited selection of desirable esculents." The Secretary
of the Boston Mycological Club, writing in the Club bulletin, says
" it has been eaten as a sort of duty after the acridity was cooked out,"

Plate VI.

Spores.

Section.

Agaricus ( Armillaria) Melleus

Group from Hynesboro Park,Md.,U.S.

K-MAYO.del

S«ei«' 8 V/i I h d ma Lithogtafi nn

13

but does not commeud it. It is spoken of as " an unattractive fungus
which usurps in the woods the place that might well be occupied by
something better." In this opinion I fully concur.

L. torminosi/s, " Wooly Lactarius,^'' sometimes called the '■'■Colic Lacta-
riits,'''' has been termed acrid and poisonous by Badham. Cordier and
Letellier, on the other hand, say that it can be eaten with impunity when
cooked. Gillet declares it deleterious and even dangerous in the raw
state, constituting a very strong and drastic purgative. One author
states that, although it does not constitute an agreeable article of food,
it is eaten in some parts of France and in Russia. Considering the differ-
ences of opinion which exist with regard to this and other extremely
acrid species, it would seem the part of prudence for persons with deli-
cate stomachs to avoid the use of very acrid species, for, though the ac-
ridity may be expelled by cooking, there would seem to be no necessity
for risking unpleasant or dangerous results while the range of unques-
tionably wholesome and agreeable species is sufficiently wide to satisfy
the most enthusiastic mycophagist.

AGARICINI.

Ledcospori (spores white or yellowish).

Armiilaria Fries. Cooke places Ai'millaria in the order Agaricini, genus
Affaricus, making of it a stib-genos. Saccardo, in taking it out of Agar-
icus, elevates it to the position of a separate genus. The name Armiilaria
is derived from a Greek word, meaning a ring or bracelet, referring to its
ringed stem.

In the plants of the Armiilaria the veil is partial in infancy, attaching
the edge of the cap to the upper part of the stem ; the stem furnished
with a ring. Below the ring the veil is concrete with the stem, forming
scurfy scales upon it. The gills are broadly adnexed. In abnormal
specimens the ring is sometimes absent, or appearing only in scales, run-
ning down the stem. Spores white. The species are few ; eight are re-
corded as growing in the United States. Cooke describes twelve species
found in Great Britain.

Plate VI.

Ag. rArmillaria) melleus Vahl. ''Honey-Colored Armiilaria.''^
Edible. •

Cap fleshy, rather thin at the margin, at first subconical, then slightly
rounded, or nearly plane, clothed with minute hairy tufts ; margin some-
times striate, color varying, usually a pale-yellowish or honey color or light
reddish brown ; flesh whitish. Gills whitish or paler than the cap, grow-
ing mealy with the shedding of the profuse white spores, and often
spotted with reddish-brown stains, adnate, ending with decurrent tooth.
Stem fibrillose, elastic, stuffed or hollow, ringed, and adorned withfloccose
scales which often disappear with age ; in some varieties distinctly bulbous

14

at the base, in others showing tapering root. Specimens occur in which
the ring is wanting or only traces of it appear in the form of scales en-
circling the stem. Veil usually firm, membraneous, and encircling the
stem in a well-pronounced ring or collar, but sometimes filmy as a spider's
web, in very young specimens hiding the gills, but breaking apart as the
cap expands.

Manner of growth caespitose, generally on decayed tree stumps, al-
though the group figured in the plate was found growing on moist saud,
mixed with clay, ou a roadside in Hynesbury Park.

Authors differ widely as to the value of this species as an esculent. I have
only eaten the very young and small specimens when cooked, and found
them very palatable. A Boston mycophagist records it as "very good,"
fried after five minutes' boiling in salted water. Prof. Peck, having tried it,
considers it " a perfectly safe species, but not of first-rate quality." It is
very common in Maryland and Virginia, and in the mountain districts
prolific. I have talked with Bohemians and with Germans who have gath-
ered it inbasketfuls in the vicinity of the District of Columbia, who speak
well of it, considering it a valuable addition to the table. Its prolific
growth makes it valuable to those who like it. There are no species re-
corded as dangerous in this group.

Ag. (Armillaria) robustus, a very stout species, with a fleshy, compact,
smooth cap, bay color or tawny, occurs in the Maryland woods, and in
the open woods of the Massachusetts coast.

AGARICINI. Fries.

Genus Gantharellm Adans. In the plants of this genus the hymeno-
phore or fleshy substance of the cap is continuous with the stem. They
are fleshy, membranaceous, and putrescent, having neither veil, ring, nor
volva. The stem is central, except in a few species, where it is lateral.
A characteristic of the genus which separates it from other genera of the
Agaricini ia the vein-like appearance of the gills. They are very shallow
and so obtuse on the edges as to present the appearance of a network of
swollen branching veins. They are usually decurrent and anastomosing.
It is a small genus. Cooke figures nineteen species. Among the de-
scribed species C. cibarius is the only one whose edible qualities have
been highly recommended. C. umbonatus, a very small plant, found in
eastern Massachusetts is commended by those who have eaten it.
They are usually found in woods, and amongst moss. One species, C
carbonatus, is found upon charred ground.

Plate VII.

Cantharellus cibarius Fries. '■'■The Edible Chantarelle.^'

Edible.

Cap a rich golden yellow, like the yolk of an egg ; at first convex, later
concave and turbinated ; margin sinuous, undulate, smooth, shining, and

Plaie VII.

Cantharellus Cibarius Fr.

,2.^3 ,^, Various stages of growth 5 A section.
6 Spores 7 Spores and basidia .
From Hynesbury, Md.,.U.S.

15

more or less lobed : diameter from two to four inches ; flesh pale yellow
or whitish ; veins or gills rather thick and wiry, remarkably decurrent,
usually very much bifurcated and of the same golden yellow as the cap ;
stem solid or stuffed, slightly attenuated downwards, yellow ; spores
white or pale yellowish, elliptical.

European authors esteem it very highly, and some speak of the odor as
like that of ripe apricots. The plant as found in Maryland and Virginia
has a slightly pungent but agreeable taste when raw, and a pleasant odor
when cooked. It is ranked as one of the best of the wood mushrooms by
those who have eaten it in this locality (District of Columbia). It is
found here in abundance, after light rains, in fir woods. Berkeley states
that it is somewhat rare in England, where it is held as a delicacy, but
quite common on the continent. We have had specimens from various
localities throughout the States. Cooke says the spores are white. Peck
and Gibson record them as yellow. I find them white, sometimes slightly
tinted with yellow.

The Chantarelle takes its name from a Greek word signifying a cup or
vase, referring to its shape and possibly also to its rich golden color ; ciba-
rius refers to its esculent qualities.

The variety riijipes Gillet closely resembles C. eihuHus, but is darker,
with the stem 7-iifous, reddish, at the base.

C. aurantiacus Fries bears a sufficient resemblance to C. clbarlus to
be sometimes taken for it, although the cap is tomentose and of a much
deeper orange in tint, the gills more crowded, darker than the cap, and
the stem less stout. In the variety j^aUidiis the whole plant is very light
or buff yellow, and the gills nearly white. C. aurantiacus has been re-
corded as poisonous or unwholesome by some of the earlier authors,
others say that they have eaten it, but do not commend it.

RECEIPTS FOR COOKING.

Stuffed Morels. — Choose the freshest and lightest colored Morels, open
the stalk at the base, fill with minced veal and bread-crumbs, secure the
ends of the stalk and place between thin slices of bacon.

The Morel should not be gathered immediately after heavy rains, as it
becomes insipid with much moisture. The flavor is said to grow stronger
in drying.

Escalliyped Mushrooms. — (From Mr. Frank Caywood, Fredericktown,
Ohio, November 1-t, 1893.) Season as directed in the usual methods for
mushrooms and add a small quantity of vinegar to hasten the cooking.
Cook slowly until tender ; rapid boiling evaporates the flavor. When
done, put in from a pint to a quart of sweet milk and heat. Take a pud-
ding dish and put in a layer of broken crackers ; light milk crackers are
the best. Put lumps of butter and pepper and salt over the crackers.
Next a layer of the tender mushrooms with some of the hot gravy and
milk. Continue these layers until the dish is full, having a layer of

16

crackers on top. Place the dish in the oven and bake slowly until the
crackers are browned.

Mushroom Fritters. — Take nice large tops, season, and dip into batter
and fry in hot butter as other fritters.

Mushrooms en ragout. — Put into a stewpan a little " stock,"" a small
quantity of vinegar, parsley, and green onions chopped up, salt and
spices. When this is about to boil, the cleaned mushrooms are put in.
When done remove them from the fire and thicken with yoiks of eggs.

The Lactarius deliciosus may be served with a white sauce or fried.
Badham says the best way to cook them is to season first with pepper,
salt, and small pieces of butter, and bake in a closely covered pie dish for
about three quarters of an hour.

The Cantharellus, being somewhat dry, requires more fluid sauce in
cooking than the juicier mushrooms, and is best minced and slowly
stewed until quite tender. Some advise soaking it in milk a few hours
before cooking. The Italians dry or pickle it or keep it in oil for winter
use.

Persoon gives the following recipes for cooking the Morel : 1st. Wash
and cleanse thoroughly, as the earth is apt to collect between the ridges :
dry and put them in a saucepan with pepper, salt, and pai'sley, adding or
not a piece of bacon : stew for an hour, pouring in occasionally a little
broth to prevent burning ; when sufficiently done, bind with the yolks of
two or three eggs, and serve on buttered toast.

2. Mor'elles a V Ital'ienne. — Having washed and dried, divide them
across, put them on the fire with some parsley, scallion, chives, tarragon,
a little salt, and two spoonfuls of fine oil. Stew till the juice runs out,
then thicken with a little flour ; serve with bread crumbs and a squeeze
of lemon.

MusBEOOM Growing.*

To France is due the credit of being the first country to cultivate
mushrooms on a large scale, and France still supplies the markets of the
world with canned mushrooms. The mushroom which is cultivated in
the caves and quarries of France, to the exclusion of all others, is the
agaricus arvensis (the " Snowball "), a species of field mushroom.

Of late years France has found a formidable competitor in the culture
of mushrooms in Great Britain. The English market gardeners find their
moist, equable climate favorable to outdoor culture, and abundant crops
are grown by them in the open air, chiefly, howevei-, for the home market.

That mushroom growing can be made a lucrative business is shown by
the experience of a well-known English grower, Mr. J. F. Barter, who on
one acre of ground "has produced in the oj^en air, without the aid of glass,
an average of from ten to twelve thousand pounds of mushrooms annu-
ally ; the price obtained for them varying according to the season, but
averaging ten pence, or twenty cents, per pound for the whole year. The

* A part of the matter presented under this caption was contributed by the author
to the Health Magazine and appeared in the March number (1897) of that period-
ical.

17

value of twelve thousand pounds of mushrooms at ten pence per pound
would be £500 sterling or $2,500.

For the purposes of comparison the following are quoted from the
Pall Mall Gazette, as exceptional prices realized in England for other
fruits and vegetables in recent years :

Pounds sterling per statute acre :

Very early gooseberries, 100 : onions, 192 ; early lettuces, 100 ; plums,
100 ; potatoes, 100 ; strawberries, 150 ; black currants, 168 ; filberts, 200.

It will be seen that onions and filberts head the list, but the product of
an acre of mushrooms has been shown to be worth more than double that
of either filberts or onions.

In the localities specially favorable to hop growing 30 cwt. of hops to
the acre is considered exceptional, while the average price has been
quoted at 3 pounds sterling, or about one-fifth of the sum obtained from
Mr. Barter's acre of mushrooms. Three months in the year the weather
does not favor outdoor culture, and these months Mr. Barter spends in
manufacturing brick spawn, which he exports to this and other countries.
Among those who have been very successful in indoor culture are Mr.
William Robinson, editor of the " London Garden," and Mr. Horace Cox,
manager of the " Field."

In America, where mushroom culture is still comparatively in its
infancy, there have already been obtained very encouraging results by
painstaking growers. Most of the cultivation has been in the northern
and mid-western States, where the climatic conditions seemed most
favorable to indoor culture. A few figures as to the revenue obtained in
this way may be interesting to readers.

An experienced Pennsylvania grower states that from a total area of
5,500 square feet of beds, made up in two mushroom houses, he obtained
a crop of 5,000 pounds of mushrooms in one season, or about one pound
to the square foot. These sold at an average of a little over 50 cents per
jDOund. A third house, with 19,000 square feet of beds, produced 2,800
pounds, or one and one-half pounds to the square foot. This house
yielded a net profit of one thousand dollars. This, however, can be
quoted only as showing the possibilities of careful culture by experienced
growers under very favorable circumstances. Amateurs could scarcely
expect such good results. Three-fourths of a pound to the square foot
would probably come nearer the average. A Philadelphia grower gives
the average price secured from fifty shipments of mushrooms in one
season at 54 cents per pound. New York dealers report higher rates
than this. A Washington florist who utilizes the lower shelves of his
propagating houses for the purpose of mushroom growing informed me
that during two seasons he received 60 cents per pound wholesale, ship-
ping to New York, and that he sold one thousand dollars worth in one
season. Mr. Denton, a market gardener of Long Island, who cultivates
in houses built for the purpose, markets from 1,700 to 2,500 pounds per
year.

Thus far the market is in the hands of a comparatively few dealers in
the neighborhood of large cities, but there is certainly no good reason
why the growing of mushrooms should not be more generally undertaken
by the farming community. Certainly no one has better facilities than
are at the command of the enterprising American farmer. On most farms
the conditions are favorable or could easily ba made so for mushroom cul-
ture, on a moderate scale, at least. Generally there are disused sheds,
old barns, etc., which with a small outlay could be transformed into mush-
room houses, and where timber is plentiful the cost of building a small

18

mushroom house would be repaid by the profits accruing- from the busi-
ness.

In the culture of mushrooms there are open, to the enterprising with
small capital, four sources of profit: first, the sale of the fresh mush-
rooms ; second, the manufacture of mushroom catsup ; third, the canning
of the small button mushroom for exportation ; and, fourth, the manufac-
ture of spawn.

It is well in this, as in all new industries, to begin in a small way, and
if success is attained it is easy to extend operations on a larger scale.
My advice to amateurs is to begin with one or two beds in a well-drained
cellar or shed where good ventilation and even temperature can be secured
at moderate cost. In the underground cellar economy is secured by the
saving in fuel. The beds can be made on the floor, flat, ridged or bauked
against the wall, ten or twelve inches deep in a warm cellar, and from
fifteen to twenty inches in a cool cellar. The boxing for the sides and
ends may be built six or eight inches higher than the beds to give the
mushrooms plenty of head room.

DIRECTIONS FOR PREPARING THE COMPOST FOR THE BEDS.

Procure not less than a cartload of clean, fresh stable manure. Place
it under cover, to protect it from rain and drain water, mix well and heap
up the whole mass into a mound three feet high then beat the mound
firmly down to prevent undue heating. Repeat this operation every
other day until its rank smell is gone, taking care that on each turning
the outside dry manure is placed in the centre of the mound. By
this means the stable odor is dissipated while its heating properties
are equally distributed. Add to this from one-fourth to one-fifth of
clean, rich garden mould. Mix well. After this careful handling, the
mass may be considered fit for bedding purposes. When placed in
the beds the mass should be compacted again by beating with the back
of a spade or trowel. The bed surface should appear moist but
not wet, smooth and of firm consistence. From day to day it will be
necessary to test its general temperature by means of a thermometer.
To this end make at various places at different depths openings suffi-
ciently large to admit the use of a thermometer. It will be found that the
temperature is highest nearest the bottom. Test at various points. At
first the temperature will run high ; 105° to 120° Fahrenheit is probably
as high as it will reach, but in a few days it will fall to 85° or 80° Fahren-
heit. At this point spawn the bed. For this purpose make holes in the
top of the bed about six inches apart and two inches deep with a blunt
dibble or broom handle. Place in these holes or openings a piece of
brick spawn about the size of a hen's egg, and cover the holes with ma-
nure ; finish by packing the same, keeping the surface of the bed smooth
and moist. The spawn should be slightly moistened before using.
Should the surface of the bed become dry, use water from a fine sprink-
ling pan. The temperature of the cellar or house in which the bed may
be placed should range between 55° and 75°, and should not be lower
than 50°. If the spawn is good and all conditions attended to, the white
filaments should appear spreading through the bed within eight or ten
days after spawning. When the white spawn is observed on or near the
surface, cover the whole surface with from one to two inches of garden
loam well pulverized. A good general rule for spawning the bed is to
wait until the heat of the bed is on the decline and has fallen to at least
90° Fahrenheit. If the heat in the middle of the bed runs too hisfh the

19

spawn is killed. Tlie experience of a number of growers has shown that
a bed spawned at G0° to 80^ and kept at 55° after the mushrooms appear
gives better results than one spawned at 90°.

The quality of the manure makes some difference in its tempei'ature.
That obtained from stables where horses are grass fed will be of lower
normal temperature and will chill quicker than that obtained from corn
or oat fed stock.

A solution of saltpeter in proportion of about fifteen grains to a quart
of water, occasionally spread over the bed with a tine hose, helps to accel-
erate the growth of the mushrooms.

The proper condition of the manure as regards dryness or raoistness
can be readily ascertained by squeezing it in the hand ; it should be unct-
uous enough to hold together in a lump, and so dry that you cannot
squeeze a drop of water out of it. Excessive moisture in the manure has
been often a cause of failure. It should be remembered also that when
the heat of the manure is on the decline it falls rapidly, five, often ten de-
grees a day, till it reaches about 75°, and between that and 65° it may
rest for weeks.

One of the principal causes of the failure of mushroom culture in this
country is the use of old or poor spawn. Good spawn should have a
fresh, mushroomy odor, and a bluish-white appearance on the surface. In
buying spawn one should always go to reliable seedsmen.

Compost foe Mushroom Beds.

Sawdust has been used in England for mushroom beds, after having
been used for stable bedding, with very good results. It has also been
used successfully in the District of Columbia. In fact, the very large
models of cultivated mushrooms exhibited by the Division of Microscopy
of the Department of Agriculture at the World's Fair in Chicago were
moulded from mushrooms which were grown on the writer's premises, in
a composition of sawdust stable bedding, combined with about one-fourth
garden mould, but I am confident, at the same time, that much depends
on the kind of timber the sawdust is made from. In this case the saw-
dust came from spruce.

Mushroom Culture in Canada.

A Canadian correspondent informs me that he, with others, has been
very successful in growing mushrooms in the open air during the summer
months in Canada, and gives the following directions for preparing the
beds in the colder latitudes :

Place under a shed such amount of clean stable manure as may be re-
quired for the beds, turning it over and over until all free arumonia has
escaped and the tendency of undue fermentation and evolution of high
temperature has greatly modified. To effect this, it is necessary to heap
up the manure each time in a mound, say three feet high after turning,
and beat it firmly down (the exclusion of free air prevents overheating).
To put the manure in proper condition for use in the beds, from two to
four weeks' treatment may be required, but much depends on the quality
of the manure and temperature of the atmosphere. Before making the
beds, and several days after the last turning, test the internal tempera-
ture of the mound in the following manner : Make a hole with a broom-
stick through the mound from top to bottom, and suspend a thermom-
eter half way down in the hole for, say, an hour. The temperature may

20

be as high as 150° F. After the lapse of the time stated, beat the
mound more firmly down to prevent rise of temperature. Test again
two days after in tbe same manner. If the temperature has risen several
degrees the mound must be again taken down, turned over, and remade.
If, on the other hand, the temperature has fallen to 100° F., the perma-
nent bed may be made. If indoor growth is desired, such as a cellar, out-
building, or cave, the atmosphere must not fall below 50° F.. nor be
over 80° F. Air drafts cannot be permitted. The floor must be dry and
the atmosphere moist. The cellar may be dark, or moderately light.
Growers differ in opinion in this respect. Growers generally add to the
the manure about one-fourth or one-fifth garden soil, but success has
been attained without the use of garden soil, except as surface dressing-
after spawning the bed: an excessive use of loam, in any case, tends to
lower the temperature too rapidly. Having prepared a box or frame-work
for the bed twelve inches deep, fill it up to within two inches of the top ;
beat gently down with a board, or a brick, until it is even and compact.
On the following day make holes in the bed, with a dibble, ten inches
deep, in which suspend a thermometer half way down for an hour.
Should the temperature have fallen to 90° F., cover lightly with straw and
test on the following day. Should the temperature prove to be going
down, say to 80° F., or 85° F., it is safe to plant the spawn : but should
the temperature be on the rise, wait until it is falling. One grower has
stated that his greatest success has been when the spawn was planted at
the temperature of 75° F. Should the temperature fall too quickly and
the surfare be too dr}', sprinkle with water at blood heat, using a very
fine hose, and cover the bed wath straw\

The spawn brick should be cut into pieces, about the size of an egg,
and planted in holes made in the bed, about two inches deep and about
six inches apart. The holes are then filled up and about two inches of
garden soil sifted over the surface of the bed. Tamp the bed surface
gently with the back of a spade. Mushrooms may be expected for table
use in about six or seven Aveeks, provided the spawn is good and the tem-
perature has not fallen below 50° F. In outdoor culture the beds must
be well covered with straw or canvas, and had better be under a shed
roof with southern exposure.

The spawn used by this grower is the " brick " spawn, imported from
Carter & Holborn, London, England.

Cultivation of Mushrooms in Japan.

The Japanese are very successful in cultivating a mushroom which they
call " Shiitake " or " Lepiota shiitake." China also produces the same
mushroom, but of an inferior quality. The Chinese therefore prefer the
mushi"oom cultivated by the Japanese, which they import from Japan in
large quantities. It is cultivated on a variety of trees, but is said to
grow best on the " Shiinoki," a species of oak (Quercus cuspidata).

There are three varieties of "• Shiitake," the spring, summer, and
autumn crops differing somewhat in quality. The method of growing
the " Shiitake '' is given by the Japanese Commissioner of Agriculture as
follows :

" Trees of from twenty to fifty years' growth are cut down at the ap-
proach of winter when the sap has ceased to run, and after the lapse of
twenty or thirty days, according to the condition of the drying of the
wood, are sawed into logs of 4 or 5 feet in length. Into each of these
logs incisions are made with a hatchet, at intervals of about 6 inches, and
they are piled regularly upon a frame-work erected at a height of about

21

1 foot above the ground, under the trees. The location of the ground
selected for piling the logs should be the slopes of a forest, facing south-
east or southwest. After keeping the logs as above described for from
two to three years, they are immersed in water for twenty-four hours in
the middle of November, and again laid one uj^on another for about four
days : if it is in a cold district, the pile is covered Avith straw or mats.
At the expiration of the fourth day the logs are obliquely tilted against
poles fixed horizontally to the trees at a height of about 4 feet in a well-
ventilated and sunny situation. The mushrooms soon appear in quantity,
and, after twent^y or thirty days' growth, are ready for harvesting.''

Recent reports of the Japanese Agricultural Department show the total
value of the annual export of "• Shiitake " to be nearly five hundred thou-
sand "3'en" (silver).

Manufactuke of Spawn.

As many tons of artificial spawn are yearly imported into this country,
it would seem that the manufacture of spawn in the United States might
prove a profitable form of investment.

"' Brick Spaavn."

For commercial purposes the English method of making the spawn into
bricks has some advantages over the French "flake" process. Its com-
pact and uniform shape makes the brick more convenient for storage and
general handling, and greatly facilitates its transportation to long dis-
tances. Brick spawn is made in the following manner : Clean horse drop-
pings, cow manure, loam, and road sweepings are beaten up in a mortar-
like consistency and then formed into bricks, moulds being used, slightly
differing in shape with different makers, but usually thinner and wider
than common building bricks. The following proportions are given : (1)
Horse droppings the chief part : one-fourth cow dung ; remainder loam.
(2) Fresh horse dro2Dpings mixed with short litter for the greater part;
cow dung, one third ; and the rest mould or loam. (3) Horse dung, cow
dung, and loam, in equal parts. When about half dry, depressions are
made in the bricks, sometimes in the centre, and sometimes in each corner,
and small pieces of good spawn are placed in these depressions, and j)las-
tered over with the material of the brick. The cakes are then laid out to
dry, standing on their edges, and when nearly dry are piled in pairs with
the spawn-larded surfaces face to face. The bricks are then stacked
away, and covered with sweet fermenting litter, sufiiciently to cause a heat
of 60° F. It should not be over 70° F. One spawn manufacturer says
that the most rapid and successful growth of the mycelium is attained
when the temperature is from 63° F. to 67° F. The bricks are examined
frequently during the process, and when the mycelium of the old spawn
has 2)ermeated the whole mass like a fine white mould, the bricks are taken
out and dried in a well-ventilated dark place. They are then placed in a
cool, dark storehouse, where they are not subject to dampness and where
the temperature is about 50° F., not over 65° or below 35° F. Slight ven-
tilation is necessary-, but not enough to make the bricks dust-dry. Keep-
ing the spawn dry merely suspends its growth ; as soon as it is again
submitted to favorable conditions of moisture and heat, its pristine activity
returns. Dampness, combined with heat, stimulates the growth of my-
celium : frost also destroys the vitality of the spawn. It is evident, there-
fore, that these conditions should not exist in the store-room.

One manufacturer advocates piling the bricks, after spawning, on a clay
floor, packing closely four bricks deep, and covering them with sifted

22

loam. By this method it is claimed that danger of " fire fang " will be
avoided, as the bricks will be kept at a perfectly uniform temperature of
about 60° or 66°, which causes the spawn to run quickly and uniformly.
In from four to six weeks they are ready to take out and dry for use or
storage.

The French or " Flake '' spawn comes in light masses of loose, dry
litter. It is obtained in the following way : A bed is made up as if for
mushrooms in the ordinary way, and spawiled with " virgin " spawn, and
when the bed is thoroughly impregnated with spawn, it is broken up and
set aside to dry. This spawn is usually sold in small boxes, containing
from two to five pounds, but it also can be obtained in bulk when it is
purchased by weight. The French or " flake " spawn is much more ex-
pensive than the English or " brick "' spawn. It is claimed by some very
successful growers, who have tried both, that the brick spawn produces
heavier and fleshier mushrooms than the French " flake."

" Mill Track " Spawn.

" Mill track'' spawn was formerly considered the best in England, but
since horse power has given place to steam power in the mills there is
now no further supply of mill track, and it is practically superseded by
the "brick"' spawn. The real " mill track " is the natural spawn that
has spread through the thoroughly amalgamated horse droppings in mill
tracks, or the sweepings from mill tracks.

Spawn Produced in a Manure Heap.

During the past year I have made some experiments in the pine and
oak woods of Hynesboro' Park, Maryland, with relation to spawn culture,
an account of which may prove of interest to students in this line of in-
vestigation. Several loads of stable manure and oak-leaf bedding were
well mixed and formed into a mound about three feet in height, having a
diameter of six feet, and tapering to about four inches in depth at the
outer edge. The mass was quite moist and slightly tamped to give it
o-eneral consistency. It was exposed to the oj^en air, without protection,
during the mouths of September, October, and November. In the mean-
time, frequent rains occurred. On examination it was found that the rains
did not penetrate to a depth of more than four inches. On opening up
the centre of the mound, it was observed that the portion thus exposed
consisted of highly decomposed leaves, and presented a white mass of
matted, " burned " mycelium. It was evident that the temperature at
that point had risen considerably above 100° Fahr. The mycelium was,
doubtless, produced in abundance before the temperature reached 100
Fahr. and became scorched as the temperature increased. On examining
the outer edges, where the depth was only twelve inches, I found an
abundance of mycelium which did not show any appearance of having
been scorched by undue temperature. Since no mycelium had been
added to the mound, it is evident that the spores which produced it must
have been present, although unobserved, and awaiting only the proper
conditions for development, i. e., for budding and the production of myce-
lium. At the end of the third month, groups of the common meadow
mushroom, Agaricus campestris, together with some fine examples of
Tricholoma terreum, an edible mushroom, common to these woods, ap-
peared on the edges of the mound.

APPENDIX A.

CONTINUATION OF GLOSSAKY OF TERMS USED IN DESCRIBING

MUSHROOMS.

Maculate, spotted.

Marginate, having a distinct border.

Matrix, the substance npon which a
miishrooni grows.

Medial, at the middle ; of the ring of a
mushroom which is between superior
or near the apex of the stem, and dis-
tant or far removed from the apex.

Merismoid. having a branched or lacini-
ate pileus.

Moniliform, contracted at intervals in the
length, like a string of beads.

Multifid. having many divisions.

Multipavtite. divided into many parts.

Mycelium, the delicate threads proceed-
ing from the germinating spores,
iisually white and popularly termed
spawn.

Narroio, of very slight vertical width.

Netted, covered with projecting reticu-
lated lines.

Nucleus, the reproductive germ in the
spore.

Obconic, inversely conical.

Obcordate, like an inverted heart.

Oblique, slanting.

Oblong, longer than broad

Obovate, inversely egg-shaped, broadest
at the apex.

Obtuse, blunt or rounded.

Ochrospore, ochre-colored spore.

Orbicular, having the form of an orb.

Order, group of a classification interme-
diate between tribe and family.

Ostiole, ostiolum, mouth of the perithe-
cium ; orifice through which the spores
are discharged.

Ovate, egg-shaped.

Pallid, pale, undecided color.

Papillate, papillose, covered with soft
tubercles.

Paraphyses, sterile cells found with the
reproductive cells of some plants.

Parasitic, growing on and deriving sup-
port from another plant.

Partial, of a veil clothing the stem and
reaching to the edge of the cap but not
extending beyond it.

Patent, spreading.

Pectinate, toothed like a comb.

Pedicel, foot-stock.

Pedi/'illate, having a pedicel.

Pelliculose, furnished with a pellicle or
distinct skin.

Penciled, with pencil-like hairs either on
the tip or border.

Peridiuni. general covering of a puff-ball,
simple or double, dehiscent or indehis-
cent at maturity.

Perilheciu, bottle-like receptacles con-
taining asci.

Peronate, used when the stem has a dis-
tinct stocking-like coat.

Persistent, inclined to hold firm, tena-
cious.

Pervious, forming an open tube-like pas-
sage.

Pileate, having a cap.

Pileoli, secondary pilei ; arising from a
division of the primary pileus.

Pileus, the cap, receptacle, or one part of
a mushroom ; other parts are the stem
and gills.

Pilose, covered with hairs.

Pits, depressions in cells or ti;bes resem-
bling pores, applied also to hollow
depressions in the surface of the cap
of the morel.

Phimose, feathery.

Pore, orifice of the tubes of polypores.

Poriform, in the form of pores.

Porous, having pores.

Powdery, covered with bloom or powder.

Projecting , the anterior end jutting out
beyond the margin.

Proliferous, applied to an organ which
gives rise to secondary ones of the same
kind.

Pruinose, covered with frost-like bloom.

Pruniform, plum-shaped.

Pubescent, downy.

Puherulent, covered with dust.

Pulvinate, cushion-shaped.

Punctate, dotted with points.

Pyriforvi, pear-shaped.

Quaternate, arranged in groups of four.

Receptacle, a part of the mushroom
extremely varied in form, consistency,
and size, inclosing the organs of repro-
duction.

Remote, when the margin of the gill
comes to an end before reaching the
stem.

Reniform, kidney-shaped.

Repand, bent backwards.

Rehupinate, of mushrooms spread over the
matrix without any stem and with the
hymenium upwards ; inverted by twist-
ing of the stalk.

Reticulate, marked with cross lines like the
meshes of a net.

Revolute, rolled backwards; of the mar-
gin of a cap ; the opposite of involute.

Rhodospore, rose or pink spore.

Rimose, cracked.

Ring, a part of the veil adhering to the
stem of a mushroom in the shape of a
ring.

Rivulose, marked with lines like rivulets.

Rubiginous, rust colored.

Rufescent, reddish in color.

Rugose, wrinkled.

APPENDIX B.

Through the courtesy of Mr. Hollis Webster, Secretary of the Boston Mycological
Club, the following list of mushrooms, which have been collected and eaten by mem-
bers of that club during the past year, has been supplied to me :

AMANITA.

A. Ccesarea Scop., " True Orange."

A. rubescens Persoon.

A. vaginata Bull.

LEPIOTA.

L. procera Scop., " Parasol Mushroom."

L. rachodes Vilt.

L. Americana Pk.

L. naucinoides.

ARMILLAKIA.

A. mellea Vahl, " Honey Mushroom."
TRICHOLOMA.

T. equestre L.

T. sejunctum Low, " Yellow Blusher."

T. poi-tentostim Fr.

T. coryphacum Fr.

T. russula Schaeff.

T. Gohimbetta Fr.

T. gambosum Fr. , "St. George's Mush-
room."

T. personatum.

T. nudum.

HYGROPHOEUS.

H. mrgineus Fr.

H. fuligineus Frost.

H. fiavo discus Frost, " Yellow Sweet-
Bread."

H. hypothejus Fr.

H. puniceus Fr.

LACTARIUS.

L. piperatus Fr.

L. deliciosus Fr.

L. volemus Fr.

RUSSULA.

R. mreseens Fr.

R. lepida Fr.

R. punctata Gt.

R. aurata Fr.

R. ocliracea Fr.

R. alutncea Fr.

GANTHARELLUS.

C. cibarius Fr.

C. ximhonatus Fr.

MARASMIUS.

M. oreades Fr., " Fairy Ring."

M. scorodonius Fr.

M. alliaceus Fr.

HYPHOLOMA.

H. sublateritium Schaeff.

H. candolleanum Fr.

H. perplexum.

H. appendiculatum Bull.

COPRINUS.

C. comatus Fr., " Shaggy Mane."

C. ovatus Fr.

C. atramentarius.

C. micaceus Fr.

C. fim,etarius Fr.

GORTINARIUS.

C. turmalis Fr.

C. sebaceus Fr.

C. cmrulescens Fr.

C. collinitus Fr.

C. violaceus Fr.

C. albo violaceus Pers.

C. cinnamomeus Fr.

C. cinnamomeus var. semi-sanguineus Fr.

CLITOCYBE.
C. clavives Fr.
C. odor a Fr.
C. dealbata Low.
C. laccata Scop.
C. imdticeps Pk.
C. infundibuliformis Schaeff.

COLLYBIA.
C. dryopihila Bull.
C. vehitipes Curt.

PLEUROTUS.

P. ostreatus Fr.

P. sapidus Kalch.

P. tihnarius Fr. , Elm-tree Mushi-oom.

P. pluteus cervinus Schaeff.

CLITOPILUS.

C. prunulus Scop.
C. orcella Bull.
C. unitinctus Pk.
C. Seymouriamis Pk.

PHOLIOTA.
P. caperata Pers., " The Gypsy."
P. prmcox (when too old is bitter).
P. adiposa.

AGARICUS (Psalliota).
A. arvensis.
A. cretaceus Fr.
A. campester L.
A. silvicola Vilt.

SPARASSIS.
S. crispa Fr.

CLAVARIA.
(Any and all Clavarias found are gen-
erally eaten by us without identification).
C. botrytes Pers.
C. ametJiystina Bull.
C. coralloides L.
C. cinerea Bull.
C. aurea Schaeff.
C. rugosa Bull.
C. pistillaris L.

LYCOPERDON.

L. cyathiforme Bose.
L. giganteum Batsch.
L. pyriforme Schaeff.
L. saccatum Fr.

MORCHELLA.
M. esculenta Bull.
M. conica Pers.

PEZIZA.
P. aurantia Vahl.

STROBILOMYCES.

S. strobilaceus Berk.

FISTULINA.
F. hepatica Fr., " Beef Steak Mushroom."

POLYPOROUS.

P. betulinus Fr. (coriaceous when old).
P. sulphureus Fr.

HYDNUM.
H. imbricatum L.
H. repandiim L.
H. caput-medusm Bull.

Also thirteen of the Boleti.

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