,transcriber's ,note3 ,italic text is denoted by underscores4 ,a list of amendments is at the end of the text4 ,the ,country ,series ,,of ,,farm1 ,,garden1 ,,and ,,rural ,,books ,,for ,,general ,,use1 ,,published ,,under ,,the ,,direction ,,of ,w4 ,,robinson1 ,f4,l4,s41 ,founder of 8,the ,garden10 8,farm and ,home10 and 8,gardening ,illustrated20 ,horticultural ,editor of 8,the ,field20 ,author of 8,the ,parks and ,gardens of ,paris10 8,alpine ,flowers for ,english ,gardens10 8,the ,wild ,garden10 8,hardy ,flowers10 c4 ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,its ,,extension ,,and ,,improvement ,illustration3 ,,mouth ,,of ,,mushroom-,,cave ,,near ,,paris ,illustration3 ,,bottom ,,of ,,shaft ,,of ,,mushroom-,,cave ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,its ,,extension ,,and ,,improvement ,,by ,w4 ,,robinson1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,,author ,,of 8,the ,parks and ,gardens of ,paris10 8,alpine ,flowers10 c4 ,,with ,,numerous ,,illustrations ,,new ,,york ,,george ,,routledge ,,and ,,sons ,,no4 #i ,,lafayette ,,place ,,london1 ,,glasgow ,,and ,,manchester ,,preface4 ,,my reasons for writing this book are3 ,first1 that ,mushroom ,culture is but little practised in this country compared to the extent to which it ought to be1 considering the abundance of the necessary materials in all parts of these islands1 both in town and country1 and the high estimation in which the ,mushroom is held4 ,i now refer to ordinary ,mushroom ,culture as practised in our best private gardens4 ,i believe it possible and desirable to extend this1 the only phase of the ,culture that can be called popular1 in a tenfold degree1 and that every place in which a gardener and horses are kept should be abundantly supplied with ,mushrooms throughout the greater part of the year4 ,secondly1 that although ,mushroom ,culture as usually practised is perfectly well known to good cultivators1 a simpler and fuller account of it than has yet appeared in any ,english book on the subject is desirable for the unpractised amateur and cultivator4 ,thirdly1 that ,mushroom ,culture is at present confined to a too narrow groove2 and a belief that the general gardening public should have a broad and clear idea of the several ways in which they may procure abundance of excellent ,mushrooms with very trifling expense4 ,even many of the best private growers never think of it except as illustrated on their comparatively small beds in small houses4 ,i believe that if the knowledge of how easily and in how many ways they may be grown1 apart from the usual mode1 were sufficiently spread1 it would lead to the production of many times our present supply4 ,fourthly1 a desire to introduce to this and other countries the system of ,mushroom ,culture on a very large scale carried on in caverns beneath the environs of ,paris1 which caverns ,i visited in #ahfh4 ,to these reasons ,i might add a wish to call attention to the waste of money for ,mushroom-spawn that now occurs in nearly every garden4 ,there is not the slightest necessity for this4 ,in every garden where ,mushrooms are grown abundance of spawn may be made4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,,ayres writes lately to tell me that in a great midland garden where the spawn bill used to amount to #ahl4 or #ail4 a year1 by saving the spawn as the ,parisian growers do1 all expense for this article is abolished4 ,i do not attempt to praise or even duly weigh the merits of the ,mushroom--that could only be adequately done by the immortal ,,brillat-,,savarin4 ,he1 however1 seems to have somewhat neglected this most precious of lgumes4 ,none but his serious soul could have approached the subject with the necessary solemnity4 ,nobody but he who first saw the deep dangers of hurried1 thoughtless1 and irreverent feeding1 could have done justice to its exquisite flavour when in the best condition1 or could have explained how deliciously it combined the virtues of herb and flesh1 unspeakably superior to either4 ,let us1 in passing1 quote one of his aphorisms1 contributed to form the base ternelle la science3 8,la dcouverte d'un mets nouveau fait plus pour le bonheur du genre humain que la dcouverte d'une toile60 ,now1 ,i do not hesitate to say that the introduction of the ,mushroom into our domestic economy in as great a degree as we have it in our power to produce it1 would practically be the addition of a new agent in our cuisine1 second to none for its delicacy1 and unsurpassed for utility4 ,it is true the ,mushroom is plentiful in its season1 but it is with us1 at all seasons when it is not to be gathered in the open air1 a luxury to numbers of owners of gardens who have means to grow it4 ,as for the much larger class who ought to be supplied from our markets1 they seldom see or taste a ,mushroom except when these occur in profusion in our fields1 though every cart of stable-manure produced in this great horse-keeping country may1 on its way towards decomposition and replenishing the earth1 be made a nidus for furnishing many dishes of them4 ,the illustrations showing the cave-culture of mushrooms are from my 8,parks1 ,promenades1 and ,gardens of ,paris40 ,and the frontispiece is after two large cuts of the mushroom caves of ,paris1 which appeared in the ,illustrated ,london ,news some time after the appearance of my work4 ,the illustrations of edible fungi are by ,mr4 ,,worthington ,g4 ,,smith1 who knows and draws these interesting subjects so thoroughly well2 and the other figures are by ,mr4 ,,hodgkin4 ,illustration ,,contents4 ,,page ,,where ,,mushrooms ,,may ,,be ,,grown #a ,,chapter ,i4 ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,in ,,the ,,mushroom-,,house #b ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,materials1 ,,etc4 #ac ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,mushroom-,,spawn #bc ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,spawning ,,and ,,after-,,treatment #cc ,,chapter ,v4 ,,culture ,,in ,,sheds1 ,,cellars1 ,,arches1 ,,outhouses1 ,,and ,,all ,,enclosed ,,structures ,,other ,,than ,,the ,,mushroom-,,house #dc ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,cave ,,culture ,,of ,,mushrooms1 ,,near ,,paris #eg ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,culture ,,on ,,prepared ,,beds ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,air ,,in ,,gardens ,,and ,,fields #gg ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,culture ,,in ,,gardens1 ,,etc41 ,,with ,,other ,,crops ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,air #hd ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,in ,,pastures1 ,,etc4 #hh ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,common ,,mushrooms #ie ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,modes ,,of ,,cooking ,,the ,,common ,,mushrooms #ajb ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,common ,,and ,,useful ,,edible ,,fungi #ajh ,,mushroom ,,culture4 ,,where ,,mushrooms ,,may ,,be ,,grown4 ,,the places in which mushrooms can be grown may be roughly grouped as follows3--#a4 ,in the mushroom-house proper4 #b4 ,in sheds1 cellars1 out-houses1 stables1 railway-arches1 c4 #c4 ,in deep caves1 like those near ,paris1 described further on4 #d4 ,in the open air1 in gardens or fields1 on prepared beds4 #e4 ,in gardens1 among various crops1 without any preparation beyond inserting the spawn4 #f4 ,in pastures where the mushroom is not already established4 ,to these ,i might add another group1 illustrated by the case of a ,belgian cook who grew a dish of mushrooms in a pair of old wooden shoes2 but practically we can treat of nearly every possible mode of growing the mushroom under the above headings4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,in ,,the ,,mushroom-,,house4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,mushroom-house at back of hothouses4 ,,culture in the mushroom-house being the most practised1 and1 on the whole1 the most important phase of the subject1 we will first treat of it4 ,and first of the mushroom-house itself4 ,its construction is very simple3 the conditions to be obtained are equable temperature1 secured by thick or hollow walls and by a double roof4 ,figure #a shows a house designed for me by ,mr4 ,ormson1 the well-known horticultural builder4 ,it is situated at the back of the hothouses1 where a flow and return pipe can be run through for artificial heat4 ,the shelves for making the beds upon are of slate #a in4 thick1 or of stone #b in4 thick1 built into the walls1 and into brick piers built in cement4 ,upright slates1 to slide in grooves1 are placed along the front of the shelves to keep the beds in4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,ground-plan of preceding4 ,the floor may be of paving tiles1 or bricks1 laid on concrete3 a skylight or two may be fixed in the roof1 for the purpose of admitting a little light1 and air when necessary4 ,the engraving 7fig4 #b71 shows a house of this description1 #ab feet wide by #bj feet long1 inside measure1 but1 of course1 the length may be extended as circumstances may require4 ,as it is of importance in mushroom-growing that the air of the house should be kept moderately moist1 the underside of a slate or tile roof should be lathed and plastered4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,view of unheated mushroom-house4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,section of preceding figure4 ,figure #c represents a mushroom-house suitable for people of small means1 or those who cannot adopt plan ,no4 #a4 ,it is designed with a view to growing mushrooms during the greater part of the year1 without the aid of artificial heat4 ,to this end it is constructed in such a way as not to be affected by changes of the external temperature1 as will be seen by the engraving4 ,the walls are hollow1 and banked round with the soil excavated from the interior4 ,the roof is thatched with reeds1 and the ends stud-work1 lined inside with boards1 and outside with split larch poles3 the cavity to be filled with sawdust or cut straw2 a small diamond-shaped ventilator1 hung on pivots1 to be fixed in each end4 ,the floor may be of concrete1 or burnt clay well rammed2 and the beds are retained in their place by boards nailed to good oak posts4 ,care should be taken to put in efficient drains1 so that no stagnant damp may exist about the building4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4 ,section of mushroom-house at ,frogmore4 ,though the preceding cuts show how we may best attain our object1 a few more illustrations of mushroom-houses are desirable here4 ,figures #e and #f exhibit the plan of the mushroom-houses at ,frogmore1 obligingly communicated by ,mr4 ,rose4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,ground-plan of mushroom-house at ,frogmore4 ,it need hardly be said that in such large mushroom-houses rhubarb and sea-kale may be easily forced1 and barbe de capucin1 endive1 c4 blanched4 ,a small hot-water apparatus1 with a #c-;inch flow and return pipe1 affords the best means of heating a mushroom-house which is not so situated that it may be heated from the boilers of adjacent hothouses4 ,the best position for the mushroom-house is against a north wall4 ,the usual precautions for guarding against damp walls and floor should be adopted in the case of the mushroom-house1 and the walls should be hollow4 ,forsyth's mushroom-house is described by the designer in ,loudon's ,gardener's ,magazine4 ,fig4 #g is a transverse section1 showing the arches under and over the beds1 the thoroughfare a is the middle1 and the position of the hot-water pipes1 c2 b is an open shed and general workshop1 the receptacle of everything requiring protection1 and too clumsy to be otherwise housed4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g4 ,mushroom-house under shed4 ,a shed of this description is an indispensable adjunct to every well-ordered garden1 and in the present case it serves as a roof to the mushroom-house4 ,in the centre of each vault1 shown in fig4 #g1 a circular ventilator1 d1 #i in4 in diameter1 should be made1 having a stone and cast-iron stopper1 with a folding ring4 ,the whole roof of the mushroom-house is covered over with pavement1 which at the same time forms the floor of the shed above4 ,mr4 ,forsyth objects to cast-iron shelves 8on account of the rust1 and to slate shelves1 as being cold and damp1 and therefore not suitable to the purpose20 but he knows of no objection to shelves built of bricks and mortar1 kerbed with hewn stone #c in4 wide1 and clamped together with lead4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h4 ,mushroom-house at ,stoke ,place4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i4 ,the annexed diagrams 7figs4 #h and #i7 exhibit the mushroom-houses used at ,stoke ,place1 both for summer and winter use1 as described by ,macintosh in the 8,book of the ,garden40 8,of course the former is not heated2 the latter is1 by #d-;inch hot-water pipes1 which are brought from a boiler constructed to heat at the same time a range of pits for pines1 melons1 c41 #hi feet long and #g feet wide4 ,the shelves are close-bottomed to prevent the beds from drying too rapidly1 and to require less watering1 which ,mr4 ,patrick thinks a very important precaution in mushroom culture4 ,ventilation is effected by a slide in the door1 and a wooden trunk up through the arch and roof1 with a slide in it also4 ,we do not exactly see the motive of ,mr4 ,patrick1 whom we have long known and esteemed as one of the best gardeners in ,england1 in adopting the span roof over this house1 as1 from its situation behind the garden wall1 a lean-to roof would have been cheaper and carried off the rain-water better4 ,it is rather a novel1 but still a good plan1 to have the inner roof constructed of a brick arch1 as it will of course save the outer one from decay1 to which all mushroom-house roofs are liable more than any other kind of garden building4 ,this house struck us at first sight as very complete1 excepting in breadth4 ,we should increase it to #i feet--that is1 #c feet for the breadth of the beds on each side1 and the same for the footpath1 which at present is inconveniently narrow40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj4 ,russian mushroom-house4 ,the ,russian mushroom-house 7fig4 #aj7 is thus described by ,mr4 ,oldacre1 in the ,horticultural ,society's ,transactions1 vol4 ii4 first series4 8,the outside walls should be #h feet high for four heights of beds1 and #f for three heights1 and #aj feet wide inside the walls4 ,this is the most convenient width1 as it admits of shelves #c feet wide on each side1 and affords a space through the middle of the house #c feet wide1 for a double flue and a walk upon it40 ,hot-water pipes were not in use when this house was erected4 8,the walls should be #i inches thick1 and the length of the house as may be judged necessary4 ,when the outside of the house is built1 place a ceiling over it 7as high as the top of the walls7 of boards #a inch thick1 and plaster it on the upper side with road sand well wrought together1 #a inch thick1 7this will be found superior to lime71 leaving square trunks1 f1 in the ceiling #i inches in width1 up the middle of the house1 at #f feet distance from each other1 with slides1 s1 under them1 to admit and take off air when necessary4 ,this being done1 erect two single-brick walls1 v v1 each five bricks high1 at the distance of #c feet from the outside walls1 to hold up the sides of the lower beds1 a a1 and form one side of the air-flue1 t u t u1 leaving #c feet up the middle1 t x t1 of the house for the floor4 ,upon these walls1 v v1 lay planks1 t u1 #d inches wide and #c inches thick1 in which to mortise the standards1 t k1 which support the shelves4 ,these standards should be #c inches square1 and placed #d feet #f inches asunder1 and fastened at the top to the ceiling joists4 ,when the standards are set up1 fix the cross-bearers1 i n i n1 that are to support the shelves1 o o1 mortising one end of each into the standards1 n1 the other into the walls1 i4 ,the first set of bearers should be #b feet from the floor1 and each succeeding set #b feet from that below it4 ,having thus fixed the uprights1 t k1 and bearers1 i n1 at such a height as the building will admit1 proceed to form the shelves1 o o1 with boards #a inches thick1 observing to place a board1 d d1 #h inches broad and #a inch thick1 in the front of each shelf1 to support the front of the beds4 ,fasten this board on the outside standards1 that the width of the beds may not be diminished4 ,the shelves being completed1 the next thing to be done is the construction of the flue 7p in section71 which should commence at the end of the house next to the door1 run parallel to the shelves all the length of the house1 and return back to the fireplace1 where the chimney should be built2 the sides of the flue inside to be of the height of four bricks laid flatways1 and #f inches wide1 which will make the width of the flues #ae inches from outside to outside1 and leave a cavity1 t u1 on each side betwixt the flue and the walls that are under the shelves1 and one1 x y1 up the middle1 betwixt the flues1 #b inches wide1 to admit the heat into the house from the sides of the flues40 ,the introduction of this form of house by ,mr4 ,oldacre has led to much improvement in our mushroom culture4 ,the first house of this kind erected in ,england1 was built at ,shipley1 near ,derby1 in the garden of ,e4 ,m4 ,mundy1 ,esq41 by the father of ,mr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,ayres1 whose name will be found frequently mentioned in this work4 ,there brick arches were formed for the shelves1 and though built more than half a century ago1 the house is still in good condition4 ,although slate is generally used for the shelves1 the adoption of cast-iron gratings for this purpose is well worth a trial1 as by this means we may be enabled to cut mushrooms from the under as well as the upper side of the bed4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,preparation ,,of ,,the ,,materials1 ,,etc4 ,,before we deal with the various ways of growing the mushroom1 we will speak of the preparation of the material4 ,as stable manure not only furnishes the nutriment1 but forms the very soil in which mushrooms are produced artificially1 and also supplies the heat which enables us to grow them to perfection at all seasons1 by far the most important point connected with their culture is the management of this4 ,it is very simple1 but frequently1 even by excellent gardeners1 considered to require much more trouble and nicety than is really necessary4 ,for example1 it is quite common in good gardens to see the droppings collected carefully in some shed1 or in the mushroom-house1 and turned over almost as tenderly and carefully as the contents of the fruit-room4 ,good mushrooms are well worth this trouble2 but1 as it is quite unnecessary1 it should not be done except in special cases4 ,to show the diversity of opinion among excellent mushroom-growers as to the preparation of the manure1 ,i will quote a few of our most trustworthy authorities on the subject4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,early1 in 8,how to ,grow ,mushrooms10 lays great stress on the importance of gathering the droppings in a dry state4 8,every advantage should be taken of opportunities of securing and placing them in any open shed1 or other similar position1 where they can be effectually sheltered from rains4 ,in such a place1 whilst the process of collecting is going on1 every portion should be spread loosely over the floor1 in moderate sized ridges1 or in any other manner that will allow the air to get amongst it to assist in drying4 ,it should also be tossed over or turned1 and lightened up daily for the same purpose1 until a sufficiency is gathered together for immediate use40 ,this may be taken as a sample of the practice very extensively followed in this country4 ,happily1 we have excellent mushroom growers who succeed without all this trouble1 as the following remarks of ,mr4 ,j4 ,barnes will show3--8,for the last thirty years ,i have made my beds entirely on the floor in sheds1 wheeling in the stable dung as it is brought fresh from the stable1 adding a fourth1 or a little more than a fourth1 of good friable loam1 mixing both well together1 pressing firmly down1 and letting it remain about a week or so untouched4 ,at the end of that time we turn it over1 and if we consider it in too strong a state of fermentation we add a little more soil1 and then tread down firmly4 ,very soon the bed is ready to be spawned1 and encased in a couple of inches of soil2 and in this way we get the finest crops of mushrooms1 the beds remaining a long time in bearing4 ,after the beds have been some time1 say from six to twelve weeks1 in bearing1 and begin to get dry1 and cease to bear well1 we water them thoroughly with very clear liquid manure1 made from sheep or deer or cow manure1 which seems to start them again into bearing1 and then we manage to keep some of the beds in bearing for many months at a time40 ,in the ,field1 ,dec4 #bb1 #ahfh1 ,i stated that the manure for the mushroom-beds in the ,royal ,gardens1 ,frogmore1 was not prepared in any elaborate way1 but simply taken from a great heap fermenting in the yard1 any parts of it that had become white from heat being moistened with water1 and the whole being mixed with about a fourth part of loam4 ,mr4 ,cuthill1 an authority on mushroom culture1 tells us how the ,london market gardeners manage with their manure4 ,as the material is brought home from the ,london stables1 the short part is taken out of it1 and the long litter is kept for the purpose of covering1 as well as for forming the interior of ridges2 for all mushroom-beds out of doors are made into ridges4 ,the manure is not allowed to heat before it is put into the beds1 if that can be prevented2 for previously heated material does not produce such fine mushrooms4 ,the fresher the horse-dung is1 the longer the crop will last and every gardener who makes up beds with unheated droppings knows how superior they are to fermented manure4 ,in his own practice ,mr4 ,c4 depended a good deal on heavy tramping to 8keep down fermentation0 when droppings were used in a fresh state4 ,the ,french1 who are great mushroom growers1 allow the manure to heat first1 but treat it very simply4 ,they prepare it in the open air1 first removing any pieces of wood or other extraneous matter that may have been mixed with it1 and then place it long and short in beds two feet thick1 or a little more1 pressing it with the fork4 ,when this is done1 the mass or bed is well stamped1 then thoroughly watered1 and finally again pressed down by stamping4 ,it is left in this state for eight or ten days1 by which time it has begun to ferment1 after which the bed ought to be well turned over and re-made on the same place1 care being taken to place the manure that was near the sides at first towards the centre in the turning and re-making4 ,the mass is now left for another ten days or so1 at the end of which time the manure is about in proper condition for making the beds1 either in the open air or in the caves4 ,sometimes it receives three turnings over1 especially when the manure is long1 and it occupies altogether about six weeks in preparation4 ,as the wide heaps are turned over by the men1 a water-cart remains alongside1 and any portions of the mass that are dry and white from heat are moistened with water from a rose watering pot4 ,this preparation shortens and mollifies the longer material considerably1 mixes the mass well1 and it is transferred to the caves in a slightly decomposed1 well mixed1 and moist1 but not wet1 condition4 ,the ,french do not actually hammer or desperately tramp down the beds1 as nearly all our writers on mushroom culture recommend1 but press it pretty firmly2 and ,i have seen as good crops on their light spongy beds as ever ,i have on those so firmly tramped down4 ,i might give other striking instances of the diversity of opinion on this subject1 but it is needless to multiply them4 ,my conclusions respecting the preparation of the manure for mushrooms are as follows3--#a4 ,that very careful preparation and frequent turning over of the manure undercover are not necessary to success1 and that it is quite needless to prepare the manure under cover1 except when it is gathered in a very small quantity1 so that a heavy rain or snow would saturate it4 ,where1 however1 the culture is pursued on a very small scale1 and1 it may be1 only one bed made1 it is best to keep it in a covered shed4 #b4 ,that carefully picked droppings are not essential1 though they may be more convenient4 ,excellent crops are gathered from beds made with ordinary stable manure1 droppings and long materials mixed as they come2 but when the manure is used as it comes from the stable1 it should be allowed to ferment before being used4 #c4 ,that the best way of preparing manure for the general culture of mushrooms indoors1 is to gather it in some firm spot1 and allow it to lose its fierce heat4 ,as it is usually gathered in an irregular way1 precise directions as to turning over cannot well be given2 but ,i am convinced that one turning will suffice when it has arrived at a strong heat1 and then it should be thrown together for a week or so1 when1 in being disturbed and removed to make the bed or beds1 its strong heat will be sufficiently subdued4 ,where large quantities of stable manure are in a fermenting state1 there should be little difficulty in selecting material to form a bed at any time4 ,should it have spent its heat overmuch1 it would be easy to revive it with some fresh droppings4 #d4 ,that stable manure may be used when fresh1 but it should be always mixed with more than a fourth of good loamy soil4 ,if this be kept under cover1 or stacked so that it may be had in a rather dry condition1 so much the better1 especially if the fresh manure1 c41 should be over moist4 ,beds thus made are most suited for cool sheds and the open gardens4 #e4 ,that a portion1 say nearly one-fifth to one-third1 of good and rather dry loam may always be advantageously mixed with the stable manure2 the fresher the materials1 the more loam should be used4 ,in all cases it helps to solidify the bed1 and it is probable that the addition of the loam adds to the fertility and duration of the bed4 #f4 ,that a thickness of from one foot to fifteen inches for the beds in an artificially heated house is quite sufficient4 ,eighteen inches will not be too much for beds made in sheds1 though ,i have seen excellent crops on beds only a foot thick1 in common sheds with leaky sides4 ,all beds made indoors should be flat and firmly beaten down1 though the absence of firmness is not1 as some think1 sufficient to account for want of success4 ,i will now quote a few words from ,mr4 ,ayres on other materials for forming mushroom-beds than stable manure4 ,he has given this1 like almost every important subject in the range of horticulture1 some attention4 ,first among these may be mentioned sawdust which has been used for bedding horses or for riding-school tracks4 ,such a substance1 thoroughly impregnated with urine and mixed with horse-droppings1 forms an excellent material for mushroom-beds1 especially if mixed with one-fourth of good fibrous loam4 ,such materials mixed and fermented together1 and thrown into a bed a foot or eighteen inches in thickness1 according to the temperature of the shed in which the bed is made1 will be found to form capital material for growing this esculent1 especially as it retains the heat for a long time4 ,the worst of it is that the material is almost valueless after it has served the first purpose2 and used as dung upon light land is rather injurious than otherwise4 ,then you may use leaves and loam1 in the proportion of one part of the latter1 in a turfy state1 to four or five of fermenting leaves4 ,these may be recently gathered from the trees1 and should be allowed to attain a brisk heat before the loam is added1 and then1 after sweating for a week or ten days1 may be turned1 mixing the materials intimately together1 and then the mass may be formed into a bed4 ,a mushroom-bed of this kind should not be less than fifteen inches in thickness when thoroughly consolidated2 and when so managed it will grow mushrooms just as well as dung4 ,the sweepings of our streets and cattle markets1 especially those parts that are paved and much frequented by horses--as1 for example1 cabstands1 c4--if collected when dry1 and fermented a little1 yield capital material for beds4 ,here from the cattle market we have the dung of horses1 sheep1 and cows mixed together in a finely divided state1 the heating of which is gentle and regular4 ,material of this kind procured on dry days1 thrown together to ferment once or twice1 and then made into well-consolidated beds1 will produce mushrooms of the finest quality1 and continue in bearing a very long time4 ,it is of the first importance that this material be collected in a dry state1 as of course the slush of the streets would not do at all4 ,equal proportions of street sweepings and fresh leaves1 properly fermented and mixed with loam1 would perhaps make as good material for growing mushrooms as need be obtained4 ,of course the sweepings from those parts of the town most frequented by horses will be the best for the purpose ,i am writing about4 ,the idea of mushrooms ceasing to be prolific from the exhaustion of the active manure in the bed1 ,i have mooted before4 ,lately several experiments have been tried which convince me that by taking three portions of recently-gathered leaves to one of turfy loam1 and working them well together until the mass attains the desired temperature1 sprinkling it1 as the work of turning proceeds1 with liquid direct from the stables1 and forming this into a bed treated in the usual manner1 it will give just as good mushrooms as the best horse manure in the world4 ,it is the ammonia that is wanted for this crop1 with a gentle heat4 ,secure these two things1 and1 with ordinary care1 success is certain4 ,before making the beds1 while the material is in preparation1 all particles of old wood1 twigs1 c41 that are found in the manure should be removed1 as indeed should any extraneous matters likely to prove offensive or useless4 ,the best time for making mushroom-beds1 where they are not regularly made in succession throughout the autumn and winter months1 as they ought to be where there is abundance of material and a good mushroom-house1 is in ,august and ,september1 as in the early autumn months the natural heat is sufficient to cause the spawn to germinate freely1 and beds made then ought to bear freely before and up to ,christmas1 and during autumn4 ,when making the bed1 the chief object to bear in mind is the equal placing of the material4 ,it should be well mixed and regularly and firmly placed so that the whole may be of a similar texture4 ,some heavily tramp and pound their beds to secure firmness2 moderately done this is beneficial2 thoroughly equable pressure with the fork1 when the fork can be used1 will with the pressure of firm earthing be sufficient2 when beds are made on elevated benches in boxes1 and in all positions where but a slight body of material is used1 and where firmness cannot result from the general pressure of the mass1 some kind of pressure with a wooden mallet or the like must be employed4 ,the beds once made1 we next arrive at the spawning1 and will first inquire1 ,what is spawn8 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,mushroom-,,spawn4 ,,the first thing we have to determine is1 ,what is spawn8 ,generally1 the spawn1 or what in scientific language is called the mycelium1 is supposed to be analogous to seed1 while it really is what may be termed the vegetation of the plant1 or something analogous to roots1 stems1 and leaves of ordinary plants1 the visible part or stem1 head and gills1 of the mushroom being1 in fact1 the fructification1 though in such an apparent preponderance to the other parts4 ,a knowledge of the anatomy and life-history of the mushroom is not necessary to the cultivator1 and is not familiar even to those who make of mushrooms a study4 ,we know that the gills are simply surfaces on which germs or spores are produced4 ,the membrane that covers the spore plates of a single mushroom would cover a large space if spread out1 and the spores are counted by myriads4 ,we can see them clearly enough under the microscope--can see in what manner they are borne on and fixed to the gills2 but of the history of their lives1 from the time they fall from the surfaces on which they were born1 till the 8young mushroom0 or inflorescence is vigorously pushing up from the mass of delicate vegetation which they have given rise to in earth or decaying manure1 we know nothing4 ,however1 the preparation of the spawn1 and the subsequent management of it in the mushroom-bed1 are the matters which really concern us4 ,how is spawn obtained in the first instance8 ,it is found in a natural state in half-decomposed manure-heaps1 in places where horse-droppings have accumulated and been kept dry1 in riding-schools1 sheds to which horses have long had access1 in 8mill tracks0 under cover1 in pastures1 in partially decayed hotbeds1 c41 and rarely or never in very moist or saturated materials4 ,this spawn1 sometimes termed 8natural0 in this country1 and called by the ,french 8virgin spawn10 is the best that can be obtained1 and should be used in preference wherever it can be found4 ,to use it1 all that has to be done is to divide the material permeated by the white spawn into pieces a few inches square1 and say an inch or more thick4 ,they will of course break up irregularly1 but all should be used1 whether of the size of a bean1 or nearly that of the open hand4 ,then they are inserted into the surface of the mushroom-beds in the ordinary way4 ,in nearly every country place1 and in numerous suburban ones1 in fact1 in most places where horses are kept1 opportunities of finding this spawn occur4 ,its white1 filamentous1 and downy threads have the odour of mushrooms1 and the spawn is1 therefore1 very easily recognised4 ,it should be generally known that it need not be used when found1 but may be dried1 and kept for use in a dry place for years1 and has been known to keep as long as fourteen years4 ,it must not be supposed that it is only the hard bricks described further on that keep thus4 ,the ,french spawn is in much looser and lighter material than that in which we usually find mycelium in a natural state1 and it keeps quite as long as ours4 ,to preserve spawn found in a natural state1 nothing more is required than to take up carefully the parts of the manure in which it is found1 not breaking them up more than may be necessary1 and placing both large and small pieces loosely in rough shallow hampers4 ,these should be placed in some dry airy loft or shed till thoroughly dry1 and afterwards kept in some perfectly dry place1 packed in rough boxes till wanted for use4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4 ,brick mushroom-spawn4 ,but inasmuch as in this country1 at present1 but little mushroom-spawn is required in any one place1 the rule is to obtain artificial spawn in the form of hard bricks4 ,this spawn is made from horse-droppings and some cowdung and road scrapings beaten up into a mortar-like consistency in a shed1 and then formed into bricks1 slightly differing in shape with different makers1 but usually thinner and wider than common building bricks4 ,various recipes are given for mixing the materials for the bricks1 and among them the following are about the best3--#a4 ,horse-droppings the chief part1 cowdung a fourth1 and the remainder loam4 #b4 ,fresh horse-droppings mixed with short litter the greater part1 cowdung one third1 and the rest mould or loam4 #c4 ,horsedung1 cowdung1 and loam in equal parts4 ,these bricks are placed in some dry1 airy place1 and when half dry1 a little bit of spawn about as big as a hazel nut1 is placed in the centre of each2 or sometimes1 when the bricks are as wide as long1 a particle is put near each corner1 just inserted below the surface1 and plastered over with the composition of which the bricks are made4 ,when the bricks are nearly dry1 they are placed on a hotbed about a foot thick1 in a shed or dry place4 ,on this the bricks are piled1 or placed rather openly and loosely1 and covered over with litter1 so that the heat may circulate equably amongst them4 ,the temperature should not rise more than a degree or two above #fj degrees2 if it does1 it may easily be modified by reducing or removing the covering of litter4 ,the makers frequently examine the bricks during the process1 and when the spawn has been found to spread throughout a brick like a fine white mould1 it is removed1 and allowed to dry for future use in a dark1 dry place4 ,if allowed to go further than the fine white mould stage1 and form threads and tubercles in the bricks1 it has then attained to a higher degree of development than is consistent with preserving its vegetative powers1 and therefore it should be removed from the bed in the fine mould stage4 ,this is the kind of mushroom spawn mostly in use in our gardens1 and it is usually very hard in texture4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4 ,mill-track mushroom-spawn4 ,there is a kind of spawn used in some gardens called mill-track mushroom-spawn1 which is made in a more simple manner than the preceding4 ,it would seem to be simply spawn that has spread through the thoroughly amalgamated droppings of a mill-track4 ,the material is rather soft and free in texture1 is usually sold in large and somewhat irregular lumps1 and is much used by some cultivators4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4 ,parisian mushroom-spawn4 ,finally1 we have the ,french mushroom-spawn1 which differs from our own in not being in bricks or solid lumps1 but in rather light masses of scarcely half decomposed1 comparatively loose and dry litter4 ,this spawn is obtained by preparing a little bed as if for mushrooms in the ordinary way1 and spawning it with morsels of virgin spawn1 if that is obtainable2 and then when the spawn has spread through it1 the bed is broken up and used for spawning beds in the caves1 or dried and preserved for sale4 ,it is sold in small boxes1 and is fit for insertion when pulled in rather thin pieces1 about half the size of the open hand2 but in separating it1 it divides into many pieces1 of all sizes1 every particle of which should be used4 ,the small particles should be strewn broadcast over the bed after the larger pieces have been inserted4 ,this applies to the other kinds4 ,in consequence of the open porous nature of the ,french mushroom-spawn1 it is likely to be immediately affected by the heat and moisture of the genially warm manure forming the mushroom-bed1 and on that account alone presents some advantages4 ,it has recently been introduced for the first time1 and probably will soon be tested by many growers4 ,spawn1 in the common sense of the word1 may be dispensed with by well amalgamating manure1 loam1 and old mushroom-beds1 or leaf-mould containing traces of spawn1 and these formed into beds about a foot thick in the mushroom-house1 and covered with earth1 produce without any further spawning2 but the plan is not so simple or advantageous as that more commonly pursued4 ,there is no necessity for purchasing artificial spawn at all where mushrooms are regularly grown4 ,nor is there in any case except at the commencement1 or to guard against one's own spawn proving bad4 ,to secure good spawn1 we have only to do as the ,french growers do3 take a portion of a bed where it is thoroughly permeated by the spawn and before it begins to bear1 and preserve it for future use4 ,of the efficacy of this sort of spawn1 if any proof were needed in addition to the fine crops the ,parisian growers gather1 it will be found in the following statement from ,mr4 ,ayres3-- 8,a short time back1 attention was directed to the superior quality of ,french mushroom-spawn1 and as a natural consequence several ,london seedsmen imported it for sale4 ,some months back ,i obtained possession of a stable1 and1 wishing to grow mushrooms in it1 procured a few tons of horse manure1 just as it came from the dung-pit of the hotel stables4 ,it was very wet1 and consequently when thrown together it heated violently4 ,however1 by frequent turning for a week or ten days this tendency was reduced1 and then five beds were formed of it1 adding one-fourth of perfectly dry soil from a cucumber-house4 ,i say perfectly dry1 because the soil had lain in the house for fifteen or eighteen months without receiving a drop of water1 and therefore may almost be considered as thoroughly dry4 ,intimately mixed with the fermenting dung1 it had the tendency that ,i desired--viz41 subdued the excessive moisture1 and1 after the bed had been made up a week1 brought it to the temperature necessary to receive the spawn4 8,having great faith in the good qualities of fresh loam from an old pasture for the production of mushrooms of superior quality1 ,i had a quantity dried and warmed4 ,i had a coat of this three inches thick laid over each bed1 and then forked carefully in1 taking care to mix the soil and dung as intimately as possible4 ,re-formed and left for a few days the beds attained the necessary warmth2 then they were made quite firm1 and were ready for spawning4 8,for this purpose ,i had procured two boxes of the ,french spawn from ,messrs4 ,barr and ,sugden1 of ,covent ,garden4 ,it was light1 loose1 flaky1 chaffy stuff1 and so dry that ,i had some fear whether its vegetating power had not been dried out of it4 ,but the spawn had been bought for experiment1 and therefore the experiment must be carried out4 8,raking about two inches of the material from the surface of each bed1 pieces of the flaky spawn were laid down1 at about ten inches or a foot apart1 all over the beds2 the fine portions of the spawn were then scattered over the beds1 patted down firmly with the back of a spade1 and then the surface material was returned1 and the whole made as firm as possible4 ,in passing1 it may not be out of place to remark that spawning in this manner must be guided1 or rather governed1 by the state of the material of the bed4 ,if it is not sufficiently cooled1 it will be safer to make holes in the usual manner for the spawn2 but if in a fit state1 then ,i think the broadcast spawning and earthing1 as before described1 is the best plan4 ,the disturbed portion of the beds having regained its heat1 and there being no fear of its overheating1 the beds were immediately earthed two inches thick with fresh loam1 beaten quite firm1 and then covered with a thin layer of dry hay4 8,not liking to entrust my chance of mushrooms entirely to the new material1 the ,french spawn1 two beds were spawned at the same time and in the same manner with native spawn4 ,owing to the large size of the stable1 and the unusually cold1 piercing weather at the end of the year 7#ahfi71 the beds lost so much heat that ,i had some misgivings whether they would not prove a failure2 but finding1 subsequently1 that the spawn was working1 ,i gave each bed 7the surface being rather dry7 a good syringing with water at the temperature of #hj deg41 covered it with clean dry mats1 and then returned the hay4 ,the beds are now a sheet of the #8pearl of the fields1' some of the patches as large as a cheese-plate1 and the whole in most promising condition--so promising that1 with proper attention1 ,i have no doubt they will yield a good supply of mushrooms for many months4 ,to secure this continuous bearing1 farmyard manure-water and salt1 at proper times1 should not be spared2 while1 as soon as the flush of the first crop is over1 the beds may receive a thorough soaking of manure-water at a temperature of not less than #hj deg41 be re-earthed with fresh soil1 and covered down with mats and hay4 ,in this manner we always get a second crop little inferior to the first one1 and sometimes much superior40 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,spawning ,,and ,,after-,,treatment4 ,heat and ,protection4 ,,the temperature of the material of the beds should never1 at spawning time1 exceed #hj degrees ,fahr4--about #gj is the most suitable regular temperature2 and that of the mushroom-house should range between #ej and #fj degrees--not lower than #ej4 ,assuming the materials to have been turned once after having heated1 and again disturbed previous to being made into beds1 they ought to be in a condition for spawning from ten to twelve days after being put together4 ,it need hardly be said that this regularity of temperature can only be secured in properly-formed mushroom-houses4 ,where mushrooms are grown in these1 with double ceilings and close-fitting shutters and doors1 almost impervious to external influences1 and where fresh beds are made from time to time1 little or no artificial heat from pipes is required1 though it is as well to have some at command in the case of unusually severe weather1 or a break in the succession of beds1 which would cause a deficiency of heat from fermenting materials4 ,a covering of hay or dry litter is necessary for beds formed in the open air1 and also for beds made in cool1 half-open sheds2 but not for those in regularly heated mushroom-houses or caves1 in which there is a still1 steady temperature4 ,it should be about a foot thick1 and should be immediately removed when it becomes wet or mouldy4 ,this covering should be applied whenever the temperature of the bed begins to fall4 ,it should not be used in any case where the temperature will permit of dispensing with it1 as it is troublesome1 and sometimes encourages insects4 ,the heat of a bed may be reduced by opening holes six or eight inches deep with a thick pointed dibber1 here and there1 but it is only in exceptional cases that this is advisable1 and it is desirable to husband all the ammonia and heat of the bed4 ,the earthing over and firming of a bed has a tendency to subdue the heat in it4 ,where large sloping beds1 say three feet deep at back1 are made against the wall1 ,i have seen -shaped crates put beneath them at six feet apart1 so as to permit of heating them by fresh supplies of manure4 ,it is1 however1 a plan possessing little claim to general use4 ,it is best not to depend on the hand1 as is commonly done1 for ascertaining the heat of the beds4 ,thermometers fixed on sticks of convenient size1 to thrust in the beds1 are sold1 and remove all excuse for vagueness in this matter4 ,coverings of litter are sometimes useful in 8drawing-up the heat0 in a bed that has become somewhat chilled4 ,spawning4 ,this is the phase of the culture which requires most attention1 as to get the spawn to run regularly through the bed is to be nearly certain of securing a good crop4 ,in this respect there do not seem to be so many differences of opinion among mushroom growers4 ,some1 indeed1 spawn immediately after the bed is made up2 but1 except where the materials are such as will not heat to more than #hj degrees1 this is uncertain1 or in other words bad1 practice4 ,the important thing should be to ascertain if the spawn spreads through the bed properly4 ,the usual practice is to earth up the bed immediately or very soon after it is spawned1 and not a few take no further notice of the bed or beds till the time arrives when the mushrooms ought to appear4 ,a better plan is not to finally earth the bed until the spawn is seen beginning to spread its white filaments through the mass2 and should it fail to begin to do this in eight or ten days after spawning--the conditions being favourable--it is then better to insert fresh spawn or to re-make the bed1 adding fresh materials if it be found to fail from being too cold4 ,if people generally were to see whether the spawn had 8taken0 freely1 instead of waiting for many weeks1 not knowing whether it had or not1 there would be fewer disappointments in mushroom culture4 ,the ordinary spawn bricks should be broken into pieces1 say from about the size of walnuts to that of eggs2 they do not break up into regular portions4 ,spawn in the more natural form in which we take it from the old beds1 and in which it is used by the ,french1 is ready to be inserted into the bed without any further manipulation4 ,i believe this kind of spawn spreads more rapidly through the beds than our own brick spawn1 and is1 on the whole1 much more desirable4 ,as it is usually very dry it is a good plan to place some of it in the mushroom-house a few days before spawning1 so that it may begin to absorb moisture4 ,a dark place in a warm house1 or gentle hotbed1 would do as well1 but in no case should it be done more than three days before spawning time4 ,at spawning this might with advantage be mixed with some that has not gone through this process4 ,a bushel of the ordinary brick spawn will suffice to spawn about one hundred square feet4 ,all spawn should be inserted near the surface1 just buried in the materials of which the bed is made4 ,the thin flakes of spawn which the ,french use1 and which are usually nearly the length and breadth of the open hand1 are generally inserted into the bed edgeways1 or in a direction slanting upwards1 so that while one edge of the piece is buried three or four inches in the bed1 the other is seen peeping through at the surface4 ,thus each flake of spawn is exposed to a slight difference of temperature1 and1 being thin and spongy enough to be immediately impregnated with the moist warmth of the beds1 takes quickly and well4 ,as to any particular mode of inserting the spawn1 little need be said2 if the bed be beaten so hard as many recommend1 and which ,i do not believe to be at all necessary1 a dibber will be required to insert the spawn2 if not1 it may be readily inserted with a trowel or with the hand4 ,it is a good plan to use a mixture of two kinds of spawn4 ,soil4 ,as regards the kind of soil used in earthing1 it is not of nearly so much importance as is generally supposed2 almost any soil will do2 but those having heaps of good maiden loam laid by for gardening purposes will prefer to use a coating of that4 ,i believe that any ordinary garden soil would do1 and feel certain that it is a mistake to bestow the least trouble on procuring any particular kind of soil from a distance4 ,the beds in the caves around ,paris are covered over with a white putty-like substance1 which would be sufficient to shake the nerves of any ,british mushroom-grower accustomed to his coatings of mellow loam4 ,it is simply the fine rubbish from the stone breakage moistened1 and smoothly and firmly pressed over the beds4 ,we1 if shown this on a bed that had failed1 would assuredly attribute it to the 8stuff0 with which the bed was covered1 though finer crops than these little beds yield it would be impossible to find4 ,i notice this subject so that failures may be traced to their true causes1 and not attributed to matters which really have but slight influence4 ,the final covering of from one to two inches of loam or other soil should not be applied till the spawn has begun to spread through the bed1 but a very thin layer of dryish loam may be placed on with advantage just after spawning has taken place1 as it will serve to make the surface of a more equable temperature4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that a deep covering is of any advantage4 ,the final earthing should be of soil sufficiently moist or moistened to permit of its being pressed into a firm surface4 ,however1 unless it is exceptionally dry1 a mere sprinkling of water will suffice4 ,watering4 ,as the materials of mushroom-beds are generally moist1 and as but little evaporation can take place in the structures in which they are usually grown1 water is rarely necessary1 and should not be applied until the surface of bed and soil are really dry4 ,it should then be given copiously1 enough to well moisten the bed1 and it should be soft water heated to a temperature of #hj degrees given with a fine rose1 and steadily and patiently applied equably over the whole surface of the bed4 ,waterings that merely wet the surface and saturate the crevices or lower parts of the bed are of no use4 ,if one drenching is not sufficient to moisten the bed properly1 another should be given4 ,the flat form of bed is of course much more easily watered1 and is on the whole the best for beds under cover4 ,the position of beds will have a great influence on the quantity of water they require1 so that it is almost impossible to give precise directions on this head2 but ,i can scarcely conceive a case in which it will be necessary before six or eight weeks after the formation of a bed1 and ,i have seen fine crops gathered without a single watering having been given4 ,in watering old beds one ounce of guano to the gallon of water will prove beneficial4 ,vermin in ,mushroom ,beds4 ,woodlice are the greatest pests the mushroom-grower has to dispose of1 and the most effective way of getting rid of them is by destroying them with boiling water4 ,the surface of the bed being firm and covered with smooth firm soil1 the only likely place to afford these creatures the interstices they usually retire into when disturbed1 or when not employed in eating the head of every little mushroom that presents itself1 is round the edges of the bed1 and in the slit which often occurs between the bed and wall or sides of the shelves that support it4 ,there they are likely to be found in great numbers1 and may be destroyed wholesale by pouring boiling water all along the crack4 ,if the beds be covered with hay or litter1 it will be necessary to remove this and allow them time to retreat into their hiding places2 and if the beds are made in any position that permits of the woodlice hiding in other places than the interstices round them1 these places should be sought out1 marked1 and receive a searching dose of the scalding water all at the same time4 ,it need hardly be added that1 as it is not mushrooms1 but creatures that rival ourselves in their love of mushrooms1 that we wish to annihilate1 the scalding water must not in any case be applied to the surface of the bed4 ,if on the surface of old or dry beds1 or those from which a good many mushrooms have been cut or pulled1 there are any loose hollows or crevices in which the woodlice can take shelter1 they should be sought out1 cleared of vermin1 levelled up1 and made firm1 so that the enemy cannot take up a position in which we cannot attack him4 ,should this plan fail1 half an ounce of sugar of lead1 mixed with a handful of oatmeal and laid in their tracks1 will quickly destroy the pests4 ,the small mite is most destructive in a high temperature1 and in summer1 ,mr4 ,cuthill says1 8the maggot0 will not breed in a house where the temperature does not exceed sixty degrees1 and it is in hot1 dry1 and half-neglected houses that this pest is usually seen in summer4 ,at that season there is little need to grow mushrooms indoors1 and how they may be produced otherwise in great abundance is explained further on4 ,the entrance of rats should also be guarded against4 ,mushroom-beds come into bearing about six weeks from the time of spawning1 and remain in bearing from two to five months1 according to the position in which they are made1 and the attention paid to them4 ,treatment of ,old ,beds4 ,upon the continuous bearing qualities of a mushroom bed a word may be said4 ,it may savour of the ridiculous to say that a plant growing upon a dung bed may fail from the want of manure4 ,yet such is literally and positively the fact4 ,beds become worn out1 the produce small and spindly1 and we directly do away with them and make fresh ones4 ,instead of doing this1 give the bed a thorough soaking of stable urine and water1 at the temperature of #hj degrees1 using the urine in the proportion of one part to five of soft water1 and adding a wineglassful of salt to each canful2 then coat the bed with fresh sod1 cover it down with mats so as to promote the heating1 and a second crop as good as the first may be obtained4 ,in this matter ,i speak from experience1 and ,mr4 ,ingram1 at ,belvoir1 has followed the same plan for many years with the most satisfactory result4 ,gathering the ,crop4 ,gatherings should frequently take place1 especially where the culture is pursued on a large scale4 ,where there are several beds in bearing1 the mushrooms should be gathered every morning4 ,in all cases they should be pulled or twisted out1 never cut out1 so as to leave decaying stumps in the beds4 ,the holes made by pulling out the mushrooms should be filled with a little fine loam1 of which a small heap may be kept in the house for this purpose4 ,cleansing the ,house4 ,a word as to the necessity of a thorough annual cleansing of the mushroom-house4 ,the fact that the ,french cave-cultivators find it necessary to shift from cave to cave1 and find that after a cave has been in use a certain time1 mushrooms cease to be produced in it1 should act as a caution in this respect4 ,in summer1 when there is no need to attempt the culture indoors1 the house should be thoroughly cleaned out1 lime-whited1 every surface scraped and washed1 and the house freely opened1 so as to thoroughly sweeten it4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,culture ,,in ,,sheds1 ,,cellars1 ,,arches1 ,,outhouses1 ,,and ,,all ,,enclosed ,,structures ,,other ,,than ,,the ,,mushroom-,,house4 ,,mushrooms may be1 and are1 grown to perfection in many less ambitious structures than the mushroom-house proper4 ,any species of outhouse will do for the autumn and early winter crops4 ,one of the best crops ,i have ever seen was grown in a dry and unused coach-house4 ,mr4 ,robert ,fish grows all his crops in a long1 low1 rude thatched shed1 open in front--the beds flat1 in a continuous line against a wall1 and enclosed by a low board4 ,mr4 ,cuthill1 who wrote on mushrooms1 and who used to grow them very well1 grew his in rude sheds placed against walls4 ,it matters not in the least if the shed be open or ventilated here and there1 especially for autumn crops1 as ,i have seen admirable crops in low outhouses searched by every gust1 and not heated by flues4 ,the beds in these should always be covered with hay4 ,mushrooms may be grown in cellars2 but cellars being commonly under houses1 they are not exactly the places to which people like to convey the materials necessary for the making of mushroom-beds4 ,where they occur away from a dwelling-house1 this objection will not hold good4 ,in some cases it might be obviated by making the beds in rough boxes1 say #c ft4 long by #a ft4 wide1 and afterwards introducing them into the cellar4 ,railway or other arches1 or any dry and empty structures1 may be used for mushroom-growing4 8,the construction10 says ,mr4 ,william ,ingram1 of ,belvoir1 in a letter to the ,field1 8of efficient mushroom-houses is sufficiently understood by most of our hothouse-builders and by gardeners2 but the economical adaptation of places which already exist is a matter which may with the greatest advantage be discussed1 as there are hundreds of persons about whose establishments may be found outhouses1 cellars1 quarries1 or sheds1 capable of conversion into mushroom-houses1 who would be very glad to be taught the method of growing mushrooms1 and to have the simple principles that should govern the construction of mushroom-houses explained4 8,there are few large farmsteads that are without an unconsidered place which could be readily adapted for the purpose of growing mushrooms2 and farmers possess the material at hand1 horse manure1 which would not suffer great deterioration if employed in first raising a crop of mushrooms4 ,country brewing establishments have equal conveniences and opportunities4 ,by relating the means by which ,i have been for several years able to raise large quantities of excellent mushrooms1 in a place originally but ill adapted for the purpose1 ,i may induce some of those persons who desire the luxury of what ,soyer called #8the ,pearl of the ,fields1' to turn their attention to the subject of their growth4 8,i had a large1 open1 airy shed at command1 but it was liable to be affected by changes in the weather1 and was altogether too draughty and cold in winter1 and too hot in summer4 ,i built within this shed1 with rough fir boards1 an inner shed1 #ah ft4 long1 #f ft4 wide1 and #h ft4 in height2 two receptacles for beds were formed1 one on the floor1 the other above it3 and to give the requisite heat in winter1 ,i passed a flue1 formed of #i-;in4 socket pipes1 through the house2 with this ,i can always command an adequate amount of heat4 ,the material of which the beds are formed is chiefly droppings1 collected from an enclosed and covered exercise ground4 ,these droppings are trampled by the horses1 and mixed with straw broken up with the manure by the passage of the horses4 8,when first collected it is piled up in a large heap1 in a perfectly dry state1 and when wanted for the bed is thrown out1 sprinkled with water1 and fermented for about a week2 while hot1 it is taken to the house1 and as it is thrown in is mixed with a small quantity of soil of a loamy character1 and a barrow-load of leaf soil4 ,it is then pressed into as compact a mass as possible by a rammer or mallet1 building it up until it forms a bed #aj in4 thick in front and #bj in4 at the back4 ,after a bed formed of this description of materials has been thus put together1 rapid fermentation takes place2 and when the most violent fermentative action has passed1 and a temperature of #hj is found in the bed1 spawn is put into it by means of a dibber4 ,i employ brick spawn obtained from good makers1 but1 to vary and possibly prolong the period of production1 ,i introduce a certain quantity of spawn saved from old beds4 ,this is longer in its development than the made spawn1 and appears as a subsidiary crop4 ,after the bed is spawned1 a covering of compact loamy soil is spread on the surface1 #a in4 to #b in4 in thickness1 and well beaten upon it so as to form a smooth and hard crust4 ,a temperature ranging from #ej to #fj should be maintained in the house4 ,a lower temperature abstracts the heat from the bed more rapidly4 8,when the mushrooms begin to exhibit weakness1 as after the bed has produced a certain quantity they will do1 from the exhaustion of the more stimulating portions of the manure1 ,i find it an excellent practice to administer a sprinkling of water in which a handful of salt has been thrown 7that quantity of salt to a three-gallon can74 ,saltpetre1 though in much smaller quantities1 is equally valuable given in the same way4 ,the practice ,i have described relates to the winter cultivation of mushrooms40 ,many instances of perfect success like the preceding could be quoted4 ,here is one from ,mr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,ayres3-- 8,you will be glad to hear that we have on the outskirts of this town 7,nottingham7 a grower of mushrooms 7,mr4 ,cookson1 ,mansfield ,road7 who vies with the ,french growers1 especially if the means of growth be taken into consideration4 ,the place he occupies was formerly the pleasure garden of a large hotel1 where the proprietor would occasionally1 in the summer season1 treat his friends and patrons to an al fresco entertainment4 ,for this purpose a range of summer-houses was built1 consisting of brick arches1 say #ab feet deep1 #f feet wide1 and a little more in height4 ,close adjoining is a small sandstone-rock cellar1 which used to serve for drinkables in the summer and potatoes in the winter4 8,some twelve months ago these premises and the house adjoining fell into the occupation of a gardener1 who1 though he had a licence to the house1 fancied he might turn the arches to a better purpose1 and hence he devoted them to mushroom beds4 ,as it was necessary that the arches should be closed1 a wall about three feet high was built in the rudest manner parallel with their front1 but six feet from it1 and from that a roof of rough timber was thrown1 and covered with asphalted felt4 ,here1 however1 was a mistake2 for1 the building standing due south1 when the sun fell upon it the atmosphere became rather #8tarry'--so much so that the mushrooms refused to grow in it4 ,that wore off after a time1 and from a bed not more than thirty yards square the tenant told me he had cut more than #bel4 worth of mushrooms4 ,when ,i saw the beds they might be considered spent1 the flush of early youth was over2 but still the crop was most wonderful1 especially considering the means at command4 8,in the rock cellar the small beds were a pavement of splendid mushrooms1 many of them as large over as a cheese-plate1 and thick in proportion4 ,in the garden is a barn--four walls with a roof over them1 the latter so rude that it was only in fair weather that it could be called waterproof4 ,in this place which may be #be ft4 long by #ae ft4 wide1 two tiers of beds have been put up1 the roof has been made waterproof1 a common brick flue put through it1 and1 at the time ,i saw them1 more promising beds could not be desired4 ,here again1 you will perceive expensive appliances are not necessary for the production of mushrooms40 ,stables and like structures offer capital positions in which successful mushroom culture may be carried out with ease4 ,if it is possible1 and we know it is not only possible but easy1 to grow mushrooms in boxes a few feet long and a foot or eighteen inches wide1 and the same depth1 it is clear that there can be no difficulty about growing them in abundance in such a manner as that shown in the accompanying engraving4 ,this mode was actually practised with great success by the ,baron ,joseph d',hoogvorst1 of ,limmel4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad4 ,mushroom culture on shelves in stable4 ,the culture was carried out in neatly fitted-up wooden boxes1 so arranged that they might be shrouded with canvas curtains as shown in the engraving1 so that at first sight one would not suppose that mushroom culture was carried on there4 ,no evil results as regards the creation of an unhealthy atmosphere accompanied the attempt4 ,the beds were formed much in the usual way from the droppings of highly fed horses4 ,now there can be no doubt that a similar mode of growing mushrooms could be carried out in the stables or some adjacent building in hundreds of places apart from the garden and the gardener altogether4 ,given the materials and some position1 however contracted1 in which to carry out the culture1 and both these things are surely to be had almost in every place where there is a stable1 the rest is so simple that any stableman or boy could carry it out4 ,we know that these individuals1 as a class1 are not much given to botanical or horticultural studies1 but no doubt the prospect of an occasional half-dozen fresh mushrooms on the gridiron would give them most praiseworthy interest in the culture4 ,the only objection to it is1 or might be1 that once they were at home in the culture1 the gardener would be very likely to fall short of materials for his hotbeds4 ,an empty loft1 or any other covered structure could be employed as well as the stable or an empty coach-house4 ,apart altogether from utilizing the walls of the stable1 as the ,baron did1 empty stalls frequently present an opportunity of growing mushrooms in quantity4 ,these remarks apply to stables in cities and towns1 as well as in the country2 indeed in cities1 particularly in ,london1 stable manure is usually so plentiful that it is much easier to obtain and much cheaper than in the country1 so that even those in ,london having suitable places for growing mushrooms1 but not keeping horses regularly or at all1 could have no difficulty in procuring abundance of materials4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae4 ,mushroom-bed on rude shelf against wall of cellar4 ,the ,french often cultivate mushrooms in cellars as well as in the caves described in the next chapter4 ,preference should be given to a dry warm cellar2 it should be as dark as possible1 and exposed to no draughts4 ,beds can be made in cellars in many ways4 ,those made in the middle should always be formed with two sides1 while those against the walls should only be half as thick1 on account of their having only one useful side4 ,it is also possible to arrange them on shelves1 one above the other4 ,for this purpose strong bars of iron are driven into the walls1 upon which are placed shelves of the proper size covered with earth1 upon which is formed a bed1 that is treated exactly as those made upon the ground4 ,these beds are just as productive as any of the other kinds4 ,they may even be made on the bottoms of casks1 which should be at least two feet six in diameter2 and they are built up in the shape of a sugarloaf1 about three feet in height1 and the pieces of spawn are placed an inch and a quarter deep1 and sixteen inches apart4 ,a barrel is sawn crossways into two pieces1 each forming a tub4 ,holes are made in the bottom of each1 and a thin layer of good soil is spread over them inside4 ,they are then filled with good well-prepared stable manure1 just like that used in the case of ordinary mushroom-beds1 the different layers of dung in each tub being well pressed down4 ,when the tub is half full1 six or seven good pieces of spawn are placed on the surface1 and the remainder is piled up with manure1 which is well pressed down1 the operation being completed by giving to the heap the form of a dome4 ,the tubs thus prepared are placed in a perfectly dark part of a cellar1 and eight or ten days afterwards the dung is taken up until the spawn is visible1 in order to see whether it has commenced to vegetate and develop little filaments4 ,if the spawn has spread1 the surface must be covered with soil1 care being taken to use only that which is fresh and properly prepared4 ,in this or any like way there should be no difficulty in growing mushrooms3 the boxes or tubs could be filled anywhere1 and then carried into the spare cellars1 c4 ,in this way objections against steaming manure might in many cases be got over4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #af4 ,pyramidal mushroom-bed on floor of cellar4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ag4 ,mushrooms grown in bottom of old cask4 ,among the many and various structures in which mushrooms may be grown1 but which we rarely see utilized for that purpose1 may be mentioned all kinds of greenhouses1 stoves1 pits1 and frames4 ,some of the best crops ,i have ever seen were in cold greenhouses almost too ruinous to grow anything else4 ,in mid-winter the floors of all houses in which a genial temperature is kept up for forcing or other purposes1 offer excellent positions for producing mushrooms quickly and abundantly4 ,small ridge-like beds might be made on the floor of these1 and1 with the genial temperature usually kept up in such places1 would probably come into bearing a month or so after being spawned4 ,how often1 for example1 do we notice the floors of large vineries1 in mid-winter or very early spring1 quite bare1 especially after the vines are started4 ,now just at that season the genial heat that would be given off from the slightly fermenting materials used for the mushroom-bed is that which would be most congenial to the tender breaking vines1 and with a little attention in this way a first-rate crop of mushrooms could always be gathered from the early vinery1 and in houses where no artificial heat was applied they could also be grown abundantly4 ,a covering of hay would1 however1 be necessary in cold houses in mid-winter1 to prevent excessive variation of the temperature1 and also in spring and summer to prevent excessive drying or scorching of the beds by a hot sun4 ,i have even seen excellent crops grown on the floor in an old lean-to house1 the beds covered with a foot or so of hay1 occasionally sprinkled with water to prevent excessive heat on the surface of the bed4 ,in small places where every foot of space in the glass-house is likely to be occupied with plants1 it is not easy to carry out the foregoing suggestions1 but even if a small early vinery were occupied with plants1 it would be desirable and practicable to introduce a series of rough boxes devoted to mushroom culture4 ,apart from empty greenhouses altogether1 the space beneath the stages in numbers of glass-houses of every type may be utilized for the production of mushrooms4 ,these positions are usually unoccupied1 occasionally they are used for storing fuchsias1 c4 in winter1 but very seldom are they turned to so good account as they might be in the way ,i recommend4 ,the stage in the small greenhouse is frequently elevated so that there is plenty of room to get beneath it3 if at the back or end there is no way of walking readily under the stage1 an opening should be made4 ,the only difficulty that could possibly occur would arise from the drip from the plants on the stage above4 ,this1 however1 can be easily guarded against by spreading a piece of tarpaulin or oil-canvas over the bed or beds4 ,with beds properly made1 a coat of dry hay or litter1 and a piece of tarpaulin1 every owner of anything in the shape of a greenhouse with a stage in it may grow mushrooms throughout the autumn1 winter1 and spring months1 and even in summer by keeping the surface of the hay or litter moist4 ,of course1 if there be room for but one bed1 a succession cannot be kept up1 and in this case a bed should be made in autumn1 which1 if well managed1 should be in full bearing for a month or six weeks before and after ,christmas4 ,there are1 however1 numerous spaces such as those alluded to where there is room to make a succession of beds4 ,no person having but one greenhouse need fear much or any inconvenience from the odour of the manure--at least1 not after the beds are earthed4 ,the couple of inches of soil over the manure would absorb any vapour given off by the bed4 ,wherever the cultivation of cucumbers or melons in pits or frames is carried out1 nothing can be easier than to grow large crops of mushrooms after the melons1 c4 are cleared away4 ,the spawn may be inserted over the surface of the little mounds usually made for the reception of the young melon plants1 and also over the remaining surface of the beds which are generally covered with a few inches of earth4 ,after the melons have done bearing and the haulm is cleared away1 the spawn will usually be found to have spread through the deep mass of earth in the beds4 ,as little or no water is given or required while the melons are ripening1 a good soaking of tepid water will generally be necessary to encourage the mushrooms to start into profuse bearing4 ,if the season and situation be mild and warm1 the lights may be taken off2 and if the sun be very strong1 the beds may be shaded with canvas or mats4 ,if the season be late and cold it will1 on the other hand1 be desirable to keep on the lights1 and even to cover them in cold weather4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,cave ,,culture ,,of ,,mushrooms1 ,,near ,,paris4 ,,the most extensive and successful culture of mushrooms in existence is carried on in widely-ramifying caves far beneath the surface in the vicinity of ,paris4 ,to give the reader as good an idea of it as ,i can we must visit one of the great 8,mushroom caves0 at ,montrouge1 just outside the fortifications of ,paris1 on the southern side4 ,the surface of the ground is mostly cropped with wheat2 but here and there lie1 ready to be transported to ,paris1 blocks of white stone1 which have recently been brought to the surface through coalpit-like openings4 ,there is nothing like a 8quarry10 as we understand it1 to be seen2 the stone is extracted as we extract coal1 and with no interference whatever with the surface of the ground4 ,we find a 8champignonniste0 after some trouble1 and he accompanies us across some fields to the entrance of his subterranean garden4 ,it is a circular opening like the mouth of an old well1 but from it protrudes the head of a thick pole with sticks thrust through it4 ,this pole1 the base of which rests in darkness sixty feet below1 is the easiest and indeed the only way by which human beings can get into the mine4 ,i had an idea that one might enter sideways and in a more agreeable manner1 but it was not so4 ,down the shaky pole my guide creeps1 ,i follow1 and soon reach the bottom1 from which little passages radiate4 ,a few little lamps fixed on pointed sticks are placed below1 and1 arming ourselves with one each1 we slowly commence exploring dark1 still1 tortuous passages4 ,i have heard that the first individual who commenced mushroom-growing in these catacomb-like burrowings was one who1 at a particularly glorious epoch of the history of ,france1 when a great many more brave garons went to fight than returned from the victory1 preferred1 strange to say1 to stay at home and hide himself rather than form a unit in 8battle's magnificently stern array40 ,industrious and discreet youth6 ,you deserve being held up as an example as much as the busy bee that improves each 8shining hour40 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ah4 ,mushroom-cave1 #gj feet beneath the surface1 at ,montrouge1 near ,paris1 ,july1 #ahfh4 ,the passages are narrow1 and occasionally we have to stoop4 ,on each hand there are little narrow beds of half-decomposed stable manure running along the wall4 ,these have been made quite recently1 and have not yet been spawned4 ,presently we arrive at others in which the spawn has been placed1 and is 8taking0 freely4 ,the spawn in these caves is introduced into the little beds in flakes taken from an old bed1 or1 still better1 from a heap of stable manure in which it occurs naturally4 ,such spawn is preferred1 and considered much more valuable than that taken from old beds4 ,of spawn in the form of bricks1 such as is used in ,england1 there is none4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai4 ,newly-made bed against wall of cave4 ,the champignonniste pointed with pride to the way in which the flakes of spawn had begun to spread through the little beds1 and passed on--sometimes stooping very low to avoid the pointed stones in the roof--to where the beds were in a more advanced state4 ,here we saw little1 smooth1 putty-coloured ridges running along the sides of the passages1 and wherever the rocky subway became as large as a small bedroom two or three little beds were placed parallel to each other4 ,these beds were new1 and dotted all over with mushrooms no bigger than sweet pea seeds1 affording an excellent prospect of a crop4 ,each bed contains a much smaller body of manure than is ever the case in our gardens4 ,they are not more than twenty inches high1 and about the same width at the base2 while those against the sides of the passages are not so large as those placed in the open spaces4 ,the soil1 with which they are covered to the depth of about an inch1 is nearly white1 and is simply sifted from the rubbish of the stone-cutters above1 giving the recently-made bed the appearance of being covered with putty4 ,although we are from seventy to eighty feet below the surface of the ground1 everything looks quite neat--in fact1 very much more so than could have been expected1 not a particle of litter being met with4 ,a certain length of bed is made every day in the year1 and as the men finish one gallery or series of galleries at a time1 the beds in each have a similar character4 ,as we proceed to those in full bearing1 creeping up and down narrow passages1 winding always between the two little narrow beds against the wall on each side1 and passing now and then through wider nooks filled with two or three little beds1 daylight is again seen4 ,this time it comes through another well-like shaft1 formerly used for getting up the stone1 but now for throwing down the requisite materials into the cave4 ,at the bottom lies a large heap of the white earth before alluded to1 and a barrel of water--for gentle waterings are required in the quiet1 cool1 black stillness of these caves1 as well as in mushroom-houses on the upper crust4 ,once more we plunge into a passage as dark as ink1 and find ourselves between two lines of beds in full bearing1 the beautiful white button-like mushrooms appearing everywhere in profusion along the sides of the diminutive beds1 something like the drills which farmers make for green crops4 ,as the proprietor goes along he removes sundry bunches that are in perfection1 and leaves them on the spot1 so that they may be collected with the rest for to-morrow's market4 ,he gathers largely every day1 occasionally sending more than #djj lb4 weight per day1 the average being about #cjj lb4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj4 ,view in mushroom-cave4 ,a moment more and we are in an open space1 a sort of chamber1 say #bj feet by #ab1 and here the little beds are arranged in parallel lines1 an alley of not more than four inches separating them1 the sides of the beds being literally blistered all over with mushrooms4 ,there is one exception2 on half of the bed and for about ten feet along1 the little mushrooms have appeared and are appearing1 but they never get larger than a pea1 and shrivel away1 8bewitched0 as it were4 ,at least such was the inference drawn from the cultivator's expression about it4 ,he gravely attributed it to a ridiculously superstitious cause4 ,frequently the mushrooms grow in bunches or 8rocks10 as they are called1 and in such cases those that compose the little mass are lifted all together4 ,the sides of one bed here had been almost stripped by the taking away of such bunches1 and it is worthy of note that they are not only taken out1 root and all1 when being gathered1 but the very spot in which they grew is scraped out1 so as to get rid of every trace of the old bunch1 and the space is covered with a little earth from the bottom of the heap4 ,it is the habit to do this in every case1 and when the gatherer leaves a small hole from which he has pulled even a solitary mushroom1 he fills it with some of the white earth from the base1 no doubt intending to gather other mushrooms from the same spots before many weeks are over4 ,the 8buttons0 look very white1 and are apparently of prime quality4 ,the absence of all littery coverings and dust1 and the daily gatherings1 secure them in what we may term perfect condition4 ,i visited this cave on the #fth of ,july1 #ahfh1 and doubt very much if at that season a more remarkable crop of mushrooms could be anywhere found than was presented in this subterranean chamber--a mere speck in the space devoted to mushroom culture by one individual4 ,when ,i state that there are six or seven miles run of mushroom-beds in the ramifications of this cave1 and that the owner is but one of a large class who devote themselves to mushroom culture1 the reader will have some opportunity of judging of the extent to which it is carried on about ,paris4 ,these caves not only supply the wants of the city above them1 but those of ,england and other countries also1 large quantities of preserved mushrooms being exported1 one house alone sending to our own country no less than #ad1jjj boxes annually4 ,there were some traces of the teeth of rats on the produce1 and it need not be said that these enemies are not agreeable in such a place2 but they did not seem to have committed any serious ravages1 and are probably only casual visitors1 who take the first opportunity of obtaining more varied food than is afforded them by these caves4 ,to traverse the passages any further is needless--there is nothing to be seen but a repetition of the culture above described1 every available inch of the cave being occupied4 ,we again find our way to the bottom of the shaft1 carefully mount the rather shaky pole one at a time1 and again stand in the hot sun in the midst of the ripe wheat4 ,in traversing the fields two things relating to mushroom culture are to be observed--heaps of white gritty earth1 sifted from the dbris of the white stone1 and large heaps of stable manure accumulated for mushroom growing1 and undergoing preparation for it4 ,that preparation is different from what we are accustomed to give it4 ,it is ordinary stable manure1 or very short stuff1 not droppings1 and is thrown into heaps four or five feet high1 and perhaps thirty feet wide4 ,the men were employed turning this over1 the mass being afterwards stamped down with their feet1 a water-cart and pots being used to thoroughly water the manure where it is dry and whitish4 ,as many will feel an interest in the cave culture of the mushroom1 and perhaps wish to see it for themselves1 ,i may state that it is difficult to obtain permission to visit the caves1 and many persons would not like the look of the 8ladder0 which affords an entrance4 ,even with a well-known ,parisian horticulturist ,i had some difficulty in entering them4 ,i was informed that one champignonniste in the same neighbourhood demands the exorbitant price of twenty francs for a visit to his cave4 ,as the visit is the work of some little time1 no visitor should put the cultivators to this trouble without offering some slight recompense--say not less than five francs4 ,the above cave is but a sample of many in the immediate neighbourhood of ,paris4 ,we will next visit a mushroom-cave of another type at some little distance from that city4 ,it is situated near ,frpillon1 ,mry-sur-,oise--a place which may be reached in an hour or so by the ,chemin de fer du ,nord1 passing by ,enghien1 the valley of ,montmorency and ,pontoise1 and alighting at ,auvers4 ,there are vast quarries in the neighbourhood1 both for building-stone and the plaster so largely used in ,paris4 ,the materials are not quarried in the ordinary way by opening up the ground1 nor by the method employed at ,montrouge and elsewhere in the suburbs of ,paris1 but so that the interior of the earth looks like a vast gloomy cathedral4 ,in #ahfg the mushroom culture was in full force at ,mry1 and as many as #cjjj lbs4 a day were sometimes sent from thence to the ,paris market2 but the mushroom is a thing of peculiar taste1 and these quarries are now empty--cleaned out and left to rest4 ,after a time the great quarries seem to become tired of their occupants1 or the mushrooms dislike the air2 the quarries are then well cleaned out1 the very soil where the beds rested being scraped away1 and the place left to recruit itself for a year or two4 ,in #ahfg ,m4 ,renaudot had the extraordinary length of over twenty-one miles of mushroom-beds in one great cave at ,mry2 last year there were sixteen miles in a cave at ,frpillon4 ,this is a clean1 lonely village1 just touching on the gigantic cemetery which ,m4 ,haussmann projected4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ba4 ,entrance to large subterranean quarry4 ,the distant view of the entrance to the quarries has much the appearance of an ,english chalk-pit4 ,but there is a great rude arch cut into the rock1 and into this we enter1 meeting presently a waggon coming forth with a load of stones1 the waggoner with lamp in hand4 ,to the visitor who has seen the mushroom caves near ,paris1 where it is sometimes necessary to stoop very low to avoid knocking one's head against the roof rocks1 the surprise is great on getting a little way in4 ,at least it is so soon as one can see2 the darkness is so profound that a few candles or lamps merely make it more visible4 ,the tunnel we traverse is nearly regularly arched1 masonry being used here and there1 so as to render the support secure and somewhat symmetrical1 the arches being flat at the top for six feet or so1 and about twenty-five feet high2 sometimes five feet higher4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bb4 ,plan of large subterranean quarry at ,fortes ,terres1 ,frpillon4 ,s1 ,s1 ,s1 represent the plan of the bases of the huge supporting pillars1 and the dotted lines their union with the roof4 ,d1 ,c1 shows the line of the section shown in the following cut1 and ,p1 place for preparing the plaster4 ,sept4 #ahfh4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bc4 ,section following the line ,c1 ,d1 in ,fig4 #bb4 ,presently we turn to the right1 and a scene like a vast subterranean rock temple presents itself4 ,at one end are several of us with lamps1 admiring the young mushrooms budding all over the rows of beds1 which1 serpent-like1 are long and slim1 and coil away into the darkness4 ,at about #aej feet distance there is a group of three men and a boy1 each with a lamp1 again dispelling the darkness from the mushroom beds1 and occupied in placing small quantities of a sort of white clayey sand in the spots whence gatherings have been made a few hours previously4 ,from both sides of this gloomy avenue the dark openings of others depart at short intervals1 and the floor of all is covered with mushroom-beds1 sometimes running along the passages1 sometimes across them4 ,these beds are about twenty-two inches high and as much in diameter1 and are covered with silver sand and a sort of white putty-like clay in about equal proportions4 ,running along in parallel lines1 and disappearing from view in the darkness1 one knows not what to compare them to1 unless it be to barked pine trees in the hold of a ship4 ,everywhere on the surface of these little beds small mushrooms were peering forth in quantity2 as the beds are regularly gathered from every day1 no very large ones are seen4 ,they are preferred when about the size of a chestnut1 and are removed root and branch1 a small portion of finely sifted earth being placed in each hole1 so as to level the bed as in the caves at ,montrouge4 ,if the old superstition that a mushroom never grows after being seen by human eyes were true1 the trade of a champignonniste would never answer here1 as the little budding individuals come within view every day during the gathering and earthing operations4 ,the most perfect cleanliness is observed everywhere in the neighbourhood of these beds1 and the whole surface of each avenue is covered by them1 leaving passages of ten inches or a foot between the beds4 ,at the time of my visit 7,sept4 #bi1 #ahfh7 the crops of the cultivator were reduced to their lowest ebb1 and yet about #djj lbs4 per day were sent to market4 ,the average daily quantity from this cave is about #hhj lbs41 and sometimes that is nearly doubled4 ,in some parts of the cave the work of ripping out the stone by powder and simple machinery continually goes on4 ,the arches follow the veining of the stone1 so to speak2 their lower parts are of hard stone1 the upper ones of soft1 except the very top1 which is again hard4 ,there is but a slight crust of stone above the apex of each arch1 and above that the earth and trees4 ,it may be supposed that the profits from such an extensive culture are great2 and so they are1 but the expense is great also4 ,the proprietor informed me that culture on a more limited scale than he pursued last year at ,mry gave the best return in proportion to expense1 the care and supervision required by so many miles of beds being too great4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bd4 ,extracting the stone in subterranean quarries4 ,all the manure employed is brought from ,paris by rail1 as the place is twenty-five miles from that city by road4 ,in the first place1 so much per month is paid in ,paris for the manure of each horse2 then it has to be carted to the railway station and loaded in the waggons2 next it is brought to the station of ,auvers1 and afterwards carted a couple of miles to the quarries1 paying a toll for a bridge over the ,oise on the way4 ,that surely is difficulty enough for a cultivator to begin with6 ,then it is placed in great flat heaps a yard deep by about thirty long and ten wide1 not far removed from the mouth of the cave1 and here it is prepared1 turned over and well mixed three times1 and as a rule watered twice4 ,about five or six weeks are occupied in the preparation1 long manure requiring more time than short4 ,the watering is not usually done regularly over the mass1 but chiefly where it is dry and overheated4 ,every day manure is brought from ,paris2 every day new beds are made and old ones cleared out--the spent manure being used for garden purposes1 particularly in surfacing or mulching1 so as to prevent over-radiation from the ground in summer4 ,the chief advantage the cultivator here has is the facility of taking his manure or anything else in or out in carts1 as easily as if the beds were made in the open air4 ,near ,paris1 on the contrary1 everything has to be sent up and down through shafts like those of an old well1 and the men have to creep up and down a rough pole like mice4 ,many men are employed in the culture1 the daily examination of sixteen miles of beds being a considerable item in itself4 ,here and there a barrier in the form of straw nailed between laths may be seen blocking up the great arch to a height of six feet or so4 ,this is to prevent currents of air wandering about through the vast passages4 ,the mode of preparing the spawn here is entirely different to ours4 ,they prefer virgin spawn--that is to say1 spawn found naturally in a heap of manure4 ,but as this material cannot be obtained in sufficient quantity to meet the wants of such extensive growers1 they put a small portion of it into a mushroom-bed to spread1 and instead of allowing this bed to produce mushrooms1 it is all used as spawn1 and is valued more than any other4 ,of course abundance of spawn occurs in the old beds1 but it is never used directly4 ,it is1 however1 frequently employed to spawn a small bed when virgin spawn cannot be obtained4 ,in this case the small bed devoted to the propagation of spawn is placed in the open air1 and covered with straw1 and as soon as it is permeated with the spawn it is carried into the caves and used4 ,as the making and spawning of beds is a process continually going on1 a bed of this sort must be ready at all times4 ,it is never made into bricks as with us1 but simply spread through short1 partly-decomposed1 manure4,a ,a ,mr4 ,speed1 superintendent of the gardens at ,chatsworth1 has recently prepared his own spawn1 as described on p4 #gc1 and with perfect success4 ,i was informed that coal-mines are not adapted for growing mushrooms1 and the smallest particle of iron in the beds of manure is avoided by the spawn1 a circle around it remaining inert4 ,it is said to be the same with coal4 ,if an evil-disposed workman wishes to injure his employer1 he has only to slip along by the beds with a pocketful of rusty old nails1 and insert one here and there4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #be4 ,view in old subterranean quarries devoted to mushroom culture1 and in the occupation of ,m4 ,renaudot4 ,sept4 #bi1 #ahfh4 ,the beds remain in good bearing generally about two months1 but sometimes last twice and three times as long4 ,a useful contrivance for facilitating the watering of the beds has lately been invented2 it consists of a portable water-cistern to be strapped to the back and fitted with a rose and tubing1 so that a workman may carry a larger quantity of water1 and apply it more regularly and gently than with the old-fashioned watering-pots--while one hand is left free to carry the lamp4 ,an iron frame has also been invented1 in which the bed is first compressed and shaped1 the frame being then reversed and the bed placed in position4 ,another invention for earthing the beds over as soon as the spawn has taken will soon be in operation if not already so4 ,as on an average #bejj yards of beds are made every month1 simple mechanical contrivances to facilitate the operation will prove of the greatest advantage to the cultivator4 ,in addition to the caves in the localities above alluded to there are other places near ,paris where the culture is carried on--notably at ,moulin de la ,roche1 ,sous ,bictre1 near ,st4 ,germaine1 and also at ,bagneux4 ,the equability of temperature in the caves renders the culture of the mushroom possible at all seasons2 but the best crops are gathered in winter1 and consequently that is the best time to see them4 ,i1 however1 saw abundant crops in the hottest part of the very hot season of #ahfh4 ,these mushroom caves are under ,government supervision1 and are regularly inspected like any other mines in which work is going on4 ,as regards the depth at which this culture is practised1 it usually varies from twenty to one hundred feet1 sometimes reaching one hundred and fifty and one hundred and sixty feet from the surface of the earth4 ,they are so large that sometimes people are lost in them4 ,in one instance the proprietor of a large cave went astray1 and it was three days before he was discovered1 although soldiers and volunteers in abundance were sent down4 ,is it possible that in a great mining and excavating country like ours we cannot establish the same kind of industry8 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,culture ,,on ,,prepared ,,beds ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,air ,,in ,,gardens ,,and ,,fields4 ,,mushrooms may be grown with ease in the open air in gardens2 and this is a phase of the culture with which gardeners are not by any means sufficiently conversant4 ,in fact1 mushroom-culture in the open air in private gardens may be said not to exist at present1 so very rarely is it seen4 ,in a little pamphlet on mushroom-growing that has lately appeared ,i find it stated that mushrooms may be grown out of doors 8in summer10 but nothing about them being grown in the open air in winter4 ,the ,paris growers never attempt their culture in summer3 the ,london ones very rarely4 ,it is in winter that their cultivation is carried on in full vigour in the open air4 ,abundant crops are grown in the open air by the market-gardeners of ,london and ,paris4 ,from their beds mushrooms are gathered in quantities in mid-winter as well as in autumn4 ,the ,paris market-gardener does not attempt the culture in mid-summer1 and does not think it practicable2 but in the hot summer of #ahfh1 and in the midst of the heats of ,july1 ,i found about half an acre of ground at ,brompton covered with mushroom-beds bearing well4 ,the following illustration is from a sketch taken in ,nov4 #ahfi1 in market-garden fields1 between ,kensington and ,brompton4 ,the beds1 about three and a half feet high and the same in width at the base1 are covered with the long straw or litter taken from the stable manure4 ,over that is placed old bast mats1 or any like materials1 to keep the litter in its place1 and throw off the rain2 the mats being kept in place by tiles1 bricks1 old boards1 or any like objects that may be at hand4 ,this is well shown in my illustration4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bf4 ,mushroom-beds in market-gardens at ,earl's ,court1 ,kensington4 ,november1 #ahfi4 ,the manure employed is that brought from the ,london stables1 the longer litter being shaken out and put on one side to cover the beds4 ,no care whatever is taken in the preparation of the manure2 it is usually made into beds soon after it is brought home and before it is allowed to heat1 and then the beds are made in the form of potato-pits and beaten very firm4 ,the beds are spawned when at about a temperature of eighty degrees1 the pieces of spawn being placed about a foot or so apart1 and it is then immediately earthed1 the ordinary soil being used1 and the bed covered to a thickness of a couple of inches4 ,the success attained by the market-gardeners of both ,london and ,paris1 with the ordinary soil of the place in which the beds may be made1 well proves the absurdity of seeking for any particular kind of soil for covering mushroom-beds4 ,beds made in this way in the autumn and winter months1 and covered with a thick layer of litter and mats1 seldom require any watering4 ,the culture is not usually attempted in summer2 the heat acting upon the littery covering giving rise to insects which destroy the mushrooms2 but with care their culture is quite practicable at that season2 in proof of which ,i may say that during the last week of ,july1 #ahfh1 ,i saw them gathered freely in a market-garden just beside the ,gloucester ,road ,station of the ,metropolitan ,railway1 where by using a coating of litter about a foot thick1 and over that a layer of mats1 it was possible to procure them in good condition throughout the hottest summer within memory4 ,there are many acres of ground covered with beds made thus in the market-gardens round ,london4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bg4 ,uncovered end of mushroom-bed in ,paris market-garden4 ,january1 #ahfg4 ,we will next turn to the culture of the mushroom in the open air near ,paris4 ,in old times the market-gardeners there used to grow it amongst their ordinary crops with great profit1 but since the champignonnistes cultivate it under no danger from cold in the caves1 the market-gardeners1 who used to raise it to a great extent in the open air1 do so now in a less degree4 ,they begin with the preparation of the manure1 and collect that of the horse for a month or six weeks before they make the beds2 this they prepare in some firm spot of the market-garden1 and take from it all rubbish1 particles of wood1 and miscellaneous matters2 for1 say they1 the spawn is not fond of these bodies4 ,after sorting it thus1 they place it in beds two feet thick1 or a little more1 pressing it with the fork4 ,when this is done the mass or bed is well stamped1 then thoroughly watered1 and finally again pressed down by stamping4 ,it is left in this state for eight or ten days1 by which time it has begun to ferment1 after which the bed ought to be well turned over and re-made on the same place1 care being taken to place the manure that was near the sides of the first-made bed towards the centre in the turning and re-making4 ,the mass is now left for another ten days or so1 at the end of which time the manure is about in proper condition for making the beds that are to bear the mushrooms4 ,little ridge-shaped beds--about twenty six inches wide and the same in height--are then formed in parallel lines at a distance of twenty inches one from the other4 ,in a market-garden they may stretch over a considerable extent1 their length being determined by the wants of the grower4 ,the beds once made of a firm1 close-fitting texture1 the manure soon begins to warm again1 but does not become unwholesomely hot for the spread of the spawn4 ,when the beds have been made some days1 the cultivator spawns them1 having of course ascertained beforehand that the heat is genial and suitable4 ,generally the spawn is inserted within a few inches of the base1 and at about thirteen inches apart in the line4 ,some cultivators insert two lines1 the second about seven inches above the first4 ,in doing so1 it would of course be well to make the holes for the spawn in an alternate manner4 ,the spawn is inserted in flakes about the size of three fingers1 and then the manure is closed in over1 and pressed firmly around it4 ,this done1 the beds are covered with about six inches of clean litter4 ,ten or twelve days afterwards the growers visit the beds1 to see if the spawn has taken well4 ,when they see the white filaments spreading in the bed they know that the spawn has taken2 if not1 they take away the spawn they suppose to be bad and replace it with better4 ,but1 using good spawn1 and being practised hands at the work1 they rarely fail in this particular2 and when the spawn is seen spreading well through the bed1 then1 and not before1 they cover the beds with fresh sweet soil to the depth of about an inch or so4 ,for cover1 the little pathway between the beds is simply loosened up1 and the rich soil of the market-garden applied equably1 firmly1 and smoothly with a shovel4 ,with these open-air beds they succeed in getting mushrooms in winter4 ,a covering of abundance of litter is put on immediately after the beds are earthed1 and kept there as a protection4 ,they have not long to wait till the beds are in full bearing1 and when they are in that state it is thought better to examine and gather from them every second day1 or even every day where there are many beds4 ,and thus they grow excellent mushrooms1 and in great quantity1 all the further attention required being to renew the covering when it gets rotten1 and an occasional watering in a very dry season4 ,of course this kind of cultivation is perfectly practicable in private gardens--where1 however1 ,i have not yet seen it carried out4 ,where there is a mushroom-house or empty shed in which mushrooms may be grown1 there would be less occasion to pursue it1 but there are many places in which no such conveniences exist4 ,in any case it is desirable that gardeners generally should know to what a large extent this phase of the culture is pursued round ,london and ,paris1 and how simply it is done4 ,instead of mats1 it would be an improvement to cover the beds with tarpaulin or some other cheap material that would keep out the wet4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,culture ,,in ,,gardens1 ,,etc41 ,,with ,,other ,,crops ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,air4 ,,this is a phase of culture which may be pursued to great advantage in every private garden1 almost without cost and attention4 ,the low ridge-like hotbeds1 for example1 made for both long and short prickly cucumbers1 gourds1 marrows1 c41 are admirably suited for growing a crop of mushrooms under the leaves of the subjects for which they were made4 ,if the spawn be inserted soon after the beds are made1 or at any convenient time in early summer1 the beds will come into bearing in due course4 ,perhaps they may do so when mushrooms are found abundantly in the fields2 but there are thousands of persons possessing gardens who have no fields in which to cull mushrooms1 and who would like to gather them fresh in summer or autumn1 if they could not afford to grow them in any covered structure in winter4 ,and this is but one way in which they may be grown with summer garden crops1 as will appear from the following communication1 by ,mr4 ,ayres1 to the ,field3-- 8,the finest crop and the best mushrooms ,i ever saw were grown in the open ground1 and without any protection at all4 ,i will tell you how it happened4 ,some years back ,i had the charge of the garden of a noted hunting establishment in ,northamptonshire1 one of the aids to success being that the manure of an average of nearly fifty highly-fed horses went to the garden1 the owner remarking that1 whatever other things ,i might run short of1 there would be plenty of #8muck4' ,well1 the best of the hunters during the summer were soiled in loose boxes1 principally under cover1 and in these boxes the manure was allowed to accumulate until it began to grow too hot for the feet of the horses2 then it was indispensable that it should be removed4 ,about midsummer it so happened that nearly three acres of ground had been cleared of the spring crop1 spinach1 early peas1 beans1 c41 and ,i had determined to devote the whole plot to winter brassicas1 broccoli1 ,brussels sprouts1 c4 ,the ground was brashy and very poor1 and consequently ,i determined to clear the boxes and put the whole of the manure upon it4 ,it was carted away so rich in ammonia that the men who loaded it shed tears1 not from sentiment1 but from compulsion2 and when the manure was spread upon the surface it was nothing less than a foot thick--so thick1 that the proprietor said it was impossible for it to be dug into the ground4 ,however1 clearing a trench at one end of the piece1 thirty inches wide and nearly a foot deep1 the subsoil was broken up with strong steel forks1 and upon that the dung covering the next strip was placed1 and covered with the surface soil of the next trench2 and so the work proceeded until the manure was put out of sight4 ,i may remark that the dung1 especially that around the walls1 contained evidence of being strongly impregnated with mushroom spawn1 though this was not regarded as being likely to produce a crop of the esculent4 ,a soaking rain falling1 the ground was immediately planted with brassicas1 which grew as if they could not help growing--and in fact they could not4 8,we had not planted for mushrooms1 nor were mushrooms expected2 but1 walking round one morning early in ,september1 a bunch of splendid fellows presented themselves1 so large and thick and solid1 that when ,i took them in for breakfast my chef de cuisine and #8better half' had grave doubts as to whether they were #8the real thing4' ,however1 they were eaten1 and the present writing is a proof that they did not poison me4 ,returning to the plot1 ,i found the bunch gathered was not a solitary one--on the contrary1 the ground was literally paved with mushrooms1 many of them so large that bushels were gathered for ketchup within a few hours2 while the retainers of a large establishment1 down to the lowest labourer1 were in a fortnight positively sick of them1 and cartloads rotted upon the ground4 8,the evidence of this unexpected success demonstrated two things--first1 that if the ground is freely manured with fresh dung from well-fed horses1 mushrooms are almost sure to be produced2 and1 secondly1 that the more the ground is covered with the foliage of plants1 the more certain will be the crop4 ,thus we found more mushrooms under savoys and broccoli than under ,brussels sprouts--the former no doubt protecting the crop from heavy drenches of rain1 which we know are very injurious to the mushroom crop4 ,since this example of mushroom-growing turned up1 nearly fifteen years ago1 ,i have frequently concentrated the fresh manure under a row of savoys or broccoli1 throwing in at the same time a dust of mushroom spawn or the dung of a spent mushroom bed2 and1 except in very wet seasons1 ,i have rarely failed to have a fine supply during the months of ,september and ,october4 ,one point of success ,i believe to be essentially necessary1 and that is1 that water shall have a free passage through the ground at all times2 hence the necessity of trenching the ground1 if you expect mushrooms as well as brassicas40 ,even in gardens where mushrooms are well grown in enclosed structures such results in early autumn will often be desirable2 while in numbers of places where there are few or no opportunities of gathering them in abundance under other circumstances1 crops in the garden will be very welcome4 ,therefore utilise the old mushroom-beds6 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,mushroom ,,culture ,,in ,,pastures1 ,,etc4 ,,notwithstanding the extreme abundance of the common mushroom in the meadows and pastures of the ,british islands1 and probably in similar positions all the world over1 it is scarce in many situations1 and1 it may be1 not a few persons would be willing to make it of more frequent occurrence in their fields4 ,there is an opinion not uncommon that this cannot be done2 that the mushroom is1 to a great extent1 a creature of chance1 and that it cannot be cultivated4 ,this is not a philosophical notion3 there can be no doubt that the mushroom has to abide the results of the struggle for life as well as any other species of plant4 ,considering that we have taken the spawn from the fields and cultivated it with great success in all sorts of positions1 none of which it could ever inhabit naturally1 it is absurd to suppose that we cannot induce it to grow in positions exactly similar to its native habitat4 ,found in open1 sunny meadows and pastures1 and avoiding the shade of trees1 it is grown1 as we have seen1 in dark and deep mines2 yet people suppose it cannot be grown in those pastures in which it happens not to be found4 ,it is erroneously inferred that there is something in its constitution or habit which causes it to occur in certain spots exclusively2 but as well might we say this of any other plant4 ,we know well that hundreds of native plants are hardy enough to grow almost anywhere1 yet how many of them are but locally distributed and rare6 ,again1 many plants are weeds in one district and unknown in another1 perhaps1 neighbouring one4 ,as the ,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,berkeley remarks3--8,it is almost useless to advert to the notion1 though a very common one1 which would regard these productions as the creatures of chance or of a happy concurrence of circumstances favourable to their growth from inorganic elements4 ,it is true they often occur in unexpected situations1 and from their extreme rapidity of development seem as if they could not have originated from anything like seed4 ,but1 as accurate inquiry has now thrown much light on the mystery in which the origin of intestinal worms was lately involved1 so the phenomena which attend the growth of fungi are gradually receiving light1 and they are found to follow essentially the same laws as more perfect vegetables40 ,it is1 in fact1 quite fair to conclude that mushrooms1 like most other plants1 occupy but a small space in the vast expanse of soil and site which are naturally adapted for their growth4 ,i read in a gardening journal that 8it is impossible to command a crop of out-door mushrooms40 ,i am positive that it can be done with almost as much certainty as any other crop1 provided we take into consideration certain conditions4 ,of course1 we must remember its natural wants2 the more we do so1 the more certain of success we may be4 ,we know that it grows most abundantly in rich1 upland pastures where water does not lie1 associated with the meadow foxtail1 meadow and hard fescue and cock's-foot grasses1 clovers1 cowslips1 daisies1 yarrow1 c41 and also with the thistles 7,cnicus lanceolatus and ,c4 arvensis71 and other plants fond of similar soils4 ,we know that it is rarely found where the marsh plume-thistle 7,cnicus palustris71 tufted hair-grass1 and other marsh grasses and plants abound1 and from the presence or absence of these plants we may easily make up our minds as to the positions that suit it best4 ,now1 it has long since been proved in gardens that it is quite possible to cultivate plants to a much higher degree of perfection than they ever attain in a wild state1 under conditions entirely different1 and it is not improbable that we should be able to grow the common mushroom in soils and positions far removed from those in which it naturally occurs4 ,but there is no occasion for anything of the kind4 ,it loves well-drained and dry pastures and meadows1 and is not the country covered with such8 ,after selecting the position in which we wish to propagate mushrooms1 and no moderately dry pastureland need be without them1 the next thing to consider is the providing of the spawn4 ,hitherto this has probably been the great difficulty4 ,when nearly #bjl4 worth of mushroom spawn was annually used in the mushroom-houses of a large garden1 the expense necessary to spawn a large pasture might well alarm the richest of mushroom-loving landholders2 but there is not the slightest occasion for purchasing the spawn for this purpose4 ,every farmer and country gentleman can make it as easily as1 or more easily than1 the spawn-manufacturer1 without any expense or inconvenience1 the essential thing being a quantity of rather short stable-manure4 ,where this is gathered in large heaps it will be easy to obtain the requisite materials at once4 ,where it is not so1 a few loads of stable manure unmixed with long straw may be thrown together in the open air and prepared for the purpose4 ,there is no occasion to place it in a shed of any kind1 though if there be one at hand so much the better4 ,if prepared in the open air it should be on a dry place2 the materials should be subjected to exactly the same preparation as when used for making a mushroom-bed1 before described4 ,they should be made into a potato-pit-shaped bed1 and spawned in the usual manner4 ,for this spawning it is of course necessary to obtain a little spawn1 whether home-made or bought from the seedsman1 or found in what the ,french call 8a virgin condition0 in the dunghill4 ,in any case it will not be found difficult to spawn one or more beds in this way1 particularly as there is nothing to prevent people drying as much home-made spawn at one time as will suffice for a year or more4 ,the spawn should be allowed to run through this bed1 which should be covered with a slight sprinkling of earth1 and beaten pretty firm4 ,when it has penetrated through the bed1 it should1 just before it arrives at a bearing condition1 be ready to be used as spawn4 ,the number of beds to be spawned in this way may be limited according to the extent of ground on which it is proposed to grow the mushrooms4 ,this spawn may be inserted in the meadows in early summer1 the most suitable time is in genial weather in ,may1 and the spawn should be inserted in holes from six to ten feet apart4 ,the most expeditious and best way of inserting it is that termed ,t-planting1 striking the spade in the line represented by the perpendicular of the ,t1 and then in the horizontal one on the top1 pressing the spade back when in the last position1 so as to readily admit of the insertion of one or more pieces of spawn4 ,the kind of spawn made as ,i have recommended usually falls into small pieces1 more likely to impregnate the earth quickly than the stiff1 brick-like pieces of nursery spawn4 ,the ground1 after the insertion of the spawn1 should be pressed firm with the foot4 ,as to the depth at which the spawn should be deposited1 it would be better not to put it at any given depth1 but so that while one piece of a flake may be at a depth of six inches or nearly so1 others may touch the very surface4 ,this1 it need hardly be pointed out1 would allow of the spawn vegetating at the depth and temperature most congenial to it4 ,it would be most desirable to spawn at slightly different times1 and1 if possible1 with different samples of spawn3 thus1 for example1 it would be well to use a mixture of old and dried spawn with that taken fresh from one of the beds alluded to4 ,if this were not convenient1 some part of the large bed of spawn might be laid by to dry1 and used a week or two afterwards4 ,probably the most economical way of doing this on a large scale would be by employing a number of boys1 guided by an experienced workman4 ,it is scarcely desirable to attempt the culture in kept lawns1 as no matter how suitable these are for it1 the appearance of a large crop of mushrooms would have anything but a tendency to beautify the carpet of turf1 and would probably become offensive from their odour4 ,the preceding refers to the cultivation of mushrooms in pastures1 meadows1 c4 ,there is not the slightest reason why a similar course of culture would not succeed in fields amongst green crops4 ,as large crops of mushrooms have been produced in gardens under broccoli1 c41 there is no reason whatever why they might not be grown in the same manner under field-turnips1 mangold-wurtzel1 c4 ,the spawn which could be so easily prepared by any farmer1 could be readily inserted in the sides of the drills in which these crops are usually grown1 the slight elevation of which1 by preserving the spawn from excessive wet1 will favour its development1 and it would take possession of1 and impregnate the manure in the drill4 ,in fact1 prodigious quantities might be raised in this and similar ways1 with but little trouble2 and should the fields be afterwards laid down1 as is not uncommonly the case1 the pasture or meadow would probably become a regular mushroom-ground4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,common ,,mushrooms4 ,agaricus campestris 7,true ,meadow ,mushroom74 ,,the common meadow mushroom varies considerably1 but1 8common to all are a fleshy pileus1 which is sometimes smooth1 sometimes scaly1 in colour white1 or of different shades of tawny1 fuliginous1 or brown2 gills free1 at first pallid1 then flesh-coloured1 then pink1 next purple1 at length tawny-black2 the stem white1 full1 firm1 varying in shape1 furnished with a white persistent ring2 the spores brown-black1 and a volva which is very fugacious40--,badham's ,esculent ,funguses of ,england4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bh4 ,agaricus campestris 7the ,true ,meadow ,mushroom74 ,pastures1 autumn2 colour1 white or pale brown2 gills1 salmon1 at length black2 diameter1 #c to #f inches4 ,the spores are magnified #gjj diameters4 ,there is scarcely any one in ,england who does not feel himself competent to decide on the genuineness of a mushroom2 its pink gills easily distinguish it from a kindred fungus1 ,ag4 arvensis1 the gills of which are of a flesh-coloured grey1 and out of the pickings of ten thousand hands1 a mistake is of rare occurrence2 and yet no fungus presents itself under such a variety of forms1 or such singular diversities of aspect6 ,the inference is plain2 less discrimination than that employed to distinguish this would enable anyone who should take the trouble to recognise at a glance many of those esculent species1 which every spring and autumn fill our plantations and pastures with plenteousness4 ,neither is this left to be a mere matter of inference2 it is corroborated in a singular manner by what takes place at ,rome2 there1 whilst many hundred baskets of what we call toadstools are carried home for the table1 almost the only one condemned to be thrown into the ,tiber1 by the inspector of the fungus market1 is our own mushroom2 indeed1 in such dread is this held in the ,papal ,states1 that no one knowingly would touch it4 8,it is reckoned one of the fiercest imprecations10 writes ,professor ,sanguinetti1 8amongst our lower orders1 infamous for the horrible nature of their oaths1 to pray that one may die of a ,pratiolo20 and although it has been some years registered among the esculent funguses of ,milan and ,pavia 7on the authority of ,vittadini71 it has not yet found its way into those markets4 ,mr4 ,worthington ,g4 ,smith1 in his 8,mushrooms and ,toad-stools10 qualifies this statement of ,dr4 ,badham4 ,agaricus campestris is not generally appreciated in ,italy1 and indeed is seldom eaten1 and never appears in the markets1 for the simple reason that there would be no sale for it4 ,there is an edict in existence ordering certain fungi to be thrown into the ,tiber1 but it is now1 and has long been altogether effete2 and whilst there is an abundance of ,a4 ,csareus 7avowedly the most delicious of all fungi7 for the markets of ,italy1 it is not to be expected the consumption will be given up for another and little known species4 ,the ,modes of ,cooking this ,species4--8,the mushroom1 having the same proximate principles as meat1 requires1 like meat1 to be cooked before these become changed4 ,the ,ag4 campestris may be prepared in a great variety of ways3 they give a fine flavour to soup1 and greatly improve beef-tea2 where arrowroot and weak broths are distasteful to the patient1 the simple seasoning of a little ketchup will frequently form an agreeable change4 ,some roast them1 basting with melted butter and white 7,french7 wine sauce4 ,in patties and vols-au-vent they are equally excellent2 in fricassees1 as everybody knows1 they are the important element of the dish4 ,roques recommends in all cases the removal of the gills before dressing1 which though it secures a more elegant-looking entremets1 is only flattering the eye at the expense of the palate40--,badham4 ,agaricus arvensis 7,horse-,mushroom74 8,pileus fleshy1 obtusely conico-campanulate1 then expanded1 at first floccose1 then smooth1 even1 or rivulose2 stem hollow1 with a floccose pith2 ring broad1 pendulous1 double1 the outer split in rays2 gills free1 wider in front1 at first dirty white1 then brown1 tinged with pink40--,berkeley's ,outlines of ,british ,fungology4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bi4 ,agaricus arvensis 7,horse-,mushroom74 ,pastures1 in autumn2 colour1 yellowish2 gills pallid1 at length black2 diameter1 #f to #bd in4 8,this species is very nearly allied to the meadow mushroom1 and frequently grows with it1 but it is coarser1 and has not the delicious flavour4 ,it is usually much larger1 often attaining enormous dimensions2 it turns a brownish yellow as soon as broken or bruised4 ,the top in good specimens is smooth1 and snowy white2 the gills are not the pure pink of the meadow mushroom1 but dirty brownish white1 ultimately becoming brown-black4 ,it has a big1 ragged1 floccose ring1 and the pithy stem is inclined to be hollow4 ,it is the species exposed for sale in ,covent ,garden ,market4 ,indeed1 after knowing the market for many years1 ,i have rarely seen any other species there2 when the true mushroom1 however1 is there1 it is frequently mingled with horse mushrooms1 which seems to show that the dealers do not know one from the other4 ,in the wet days of autumn1 children1 idlers1 and beggars go a few miles from town into the meadows to gather whatever they can find in the mushroom line2 they then bring their dirty stock to market1 where it is sold to fashionable purchasers2 stale1 vapid1 and without taste--unless it be a bad one4 8,when young and fresh1 the horse mushroom is a most desirable addition to the bill of fare3 it yields an abundant gravy1 and the flesh is firm and delicious4 ,it is a valuable plant when freshly gathered1 but when stale it becomes tough and leathery1 and without aroma or juice4 8,there is a curious1 large1 brown1 hairy variety1 of rather uncommon occurrence1 similar to the hairy variety of the meadow mushroom1 the ,a4 villaticus of ,dr4 ,badham4 ,it is a splendid form1 but1 ,i think1 very rare4 ,i have only seen it once4 8,many country-folk readily distinguish the meadow from the horse mushroom1 and show antipathy to the latter1 although they are always willing to put it into the jar as one of the ingredients of ketchup4 ,opinions appear to differ greatly regarding the excellence of this species4 ,mr4 ,penrose writes3--#8,i think young1 and especially button1 specimens of this very indigestible2 until they are well opened out1 they are unfit for use4' ,such1 however1 ,i must say1 is not my experience of button specimens4 8,there is a strong odour attached both to the fungus and the spawn1 the ground just below the surface being frequently white with the latter2 or if horse-dung be kicked aside in a rich meadow frequented by graminivorous animals1 the earth will frequently present a snowy whiteness from the spawn of this species1 from which the young individuals may be seen springing up4 8,i once saw a sheep eat a large specimen with great apparent gusto1 although the fungus was full of maggots40--,worthington ,g4 ,smith4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,modes ,,of ,,cooking ,,the ,,common ,,mushrooms4 ,the following modes of cooking mushrooms may prove useful to some3-- ,to ,stew ,mushrooms4--,trim and rub clean half a pint of large button mushrooms2 put into a stew-pan two ounces of butter1 shake it over the fire till thoroughly melted2 put in the mushrooms1 a tea-spoonful of salt1 half as much pepper1 and a blade of mace pounded2 stew till the mushrooms are tender1 then serve them on a hot dish4 ,they are usually sent in as a breakfast dish1 thus prepared in butter4 ,mushrooms la ,crme4--,trim and rub half a pint of button mushrooms1 dissolve two ounces of butter rolled in flour in a stew-pan2 then put in the mushrooms1 a bunch of parsley1 a tea-spoonful of salt1 half a tea-spoonful each of white pepper and of powdered sugar1 shake the pan round for ten minutes1 then beat up the yolks of two eggs1 with two table-spoonfuls of cream1 and add by degrees to the mushrooms2 in two or three minutes you can serve them in the sauce4 ,mushrooms on ,toast4--,put a pint of mushrooms into a stew-pan1 with two ounces of butter rolled in flour2 add a tea-spoonful of salt1 half a tea-spoonful of white pepper1 a blade of mace powdered1 and half a tea-spoonful of grated lemon2 stew till the butter is all absorbed1 then add as much white roux as will moisten the mushrooms2 fry a slice of bread in butter1 to fit the dish1 and as soon as the mushrooms are tender serve them on the toast4 ,to ,pot ,mushrooms4--,the small open mushrooms suit best for potting4 ,trim and rub them2 put into a stew-pan a quart of mushrooms1 three ounces of butter1 two tea-spoonfuls of salt1 and half a tea-spoonful of ,cayenne and mace mixed1 and stew for ten or fifteen minutes1 or till the mushrooms are tender2 take them carefully out and drain them perfectly on a sloping dish1 and when cold press them into small pots1 and pour clarified butter over them1 in which state they will keep for a week or two4 ,if required to be longer preserved1 put writing paper over the butter1 and over that melted suet1 which will effectually preserve them for many weeks1 if kept in a dry1 cool place4 ,to ,pickle ,mushrooms4--,select a number of small1 sound1 pasture mushrooms as nearly as possible alike in size2 throw them for a few minutes into cold water2 then drain them2 cut off the stalks1 and gently rub off the outer skin with a moist flannel dipped in salt2 then boil the vinegar1 adding to each quart two ounces of salt1 half a nutmeg sliced1 a drachm of mace1 and an ounce of white pepper-corns2 put the mushrooms into the vinegar for ten minutes over the fire2 then pour the whole into small jars1 taking care that the spices are equally divided2 let them stand a day1 then cover them4 ,another ,method4--,in pickling mushrooms take the buttons only and while they are quite close1 cut the stem off even with the gills and rub them quite clean4 ,lay them in salt and water for forty-eight hours1 and then add pepper1 and vinegar in which black pepper and a little mace have been boiled4 ,the vinegar must be applied cold4 ,so pickled they will keep for years4 ,mushrooms en ,ragot4--,put into a stew-pan a little stock1 a small quantity of vinegar1 parsley1 and green onions chopped up1 salt1 and spices4 ,when this is about to boil1 the mushrooms being cleaned1 put them in4 ,when done remove them from the fire1 and thicken with yolks of eggs4 ,mushrooms and ,toast4--,peel the mushrooms1 and take out the stems4 ,fry them over a quick fire4 ,when the butter is melted take off the pan4 ,squeeze the juice of a lemon into it4 ,let the mushrooms fry again for some minutes4 ,add salt1 pepper1 spices1 and a spoonful of water1 in which a clove of garlic1 having been cut into pieces1 has soaked for half an hour2 let it stew4 ,when the mushrooms are done1 make a thickening of yolks of eggs4 ,pour the mushrooms on bread fried in butter1 and laid in the dish ready for them4 ,mushrooms en ,caisse4--,peel the mushrooms lightly1 and cut them into pieces4 ,put them into cases of buttered paper1 with a bit of butter1 parsley1 green onions1 and shalots chopped up1 salt and pepper4 ,dress them on the gridiron over a gentle fire1 and serve in the cases4 ,mushrooms la ,provenale4--,take mushrooms of good size4 ,remove the stems1 and soak them in olive oil4 ,cut up the stems with a clove of garlic and some parsley4 ,add meat of sausages1 and two yolks of eggs to unite them4 ,dish the mushrooms1 and garnish them with the forcemeat4 ,sprinkle them with fine oil1 and dress them in an oven1 or in a four de campagne4 ,baked ,mushrooms4--,peel the tops of twenty mushrooms2 cut off a portion of the stalks1 and wipe them carefully with a piece of flannel dipped in salt4 ,lay the mushrooms in a tin dish1 put a small piece of butter on the top of each1 and season them with pepper and salt4 ,set the dish in the oven1 and bake them from twenty minutes to half an hour4 ,when done1 arrange them high in the centre of a very hot dish1 pour the sauce round them1 and serve quickly1 and as hot as you possibly can4 ,mushrooms au ,gratin4--,take twelve large mushrooms about two inches in diameter1 pare the stalks1 wash1 and drain the mushrooms on a cloth2 cut off and chop the stalks4 ,put in a quart stew-pan an ounce of butter and half an ounce of flour2 stir over the fire for two minutes2 then add one pint of broth2 stir till reduced to half the quantity4 ,drain the chopped stalks of the mushrooms thoroughly in a cloth2 put them in the sauce with three table-spoonfuls of chopped and washed parsley1 one table-spoonful of chopped and washed shalot1 two pinches of salt1 a small pinch of pepper2 reduce on a brisk fire for eight minutes1 put two table-spoonfuls of oil in a saut pan2 set the mushrooms in1 the hollow part upwards2 fill them with the fine herbs1 and sprinkle over them lightly a table-spoonful of raspings2 put in a brisk oven for ten minutes1 and serve4 ,mushroom ,soup4--,take a good quantity of mushrooms1 cut off the earthy end1 and pick and wash them4 ,stew them with some butter1 pepper1 and salt in a little good stock till tender2 take them out1 and chop them up quite small2 prepare a good stock as for any other soup1 and add it to the mushrooms and the liquor they have been stewed in4 ,boil all together1 and serve4 ,if white soup be desired1 use the white button mushrooms1 and a good veal stock1 adding a spoonful of cream or a little milk1 as the colour may require4 ,the following 8family receipts0 have been communicated by a friend3 ,clean a dozen or so of medium-size1 place two or three ounces of nice clean beef-dripping in the frying-pan1 and with it a table-spoonful or more of nice beef gravy4 ,set the pan on a gentle fire1 and as the dripping melts place in the mushrooms1 adding salt and pepper to taste4 ,in a few minutes they will be cooked1 and being soaked in the gravy and served upon a hot plate1 will form a capital dish4 ,in the absence of gravy1 a soupon of 8extractum carnis0 may be substituted4 ,mushrooms with ,bacon4--,take some full-grown mushrooms1 and having cleaned them1 procure a few rashers of nice streaky bacon1 and fry it in the usual manner4 ,when nearly done1 add a dozen or so of mushrooms1 and fry them slowly until they are cooked4 ,in this process they will absorb all the fat of the bacon1 and with the addition of a little salt and pepper1 will form a most appetising breakfast relish4 ,mushroom ,stems1 if young and fresh1 make a capital dish for those who are not privileged to eat the mushrooms4 ,rub them quite clean1 and after washing them in salt and water1 slice them to the thickness of a shilling1 then place them in a saucepan with sufficient milk to stew them tender2 throw in a piece of butter and some flour for thickening1 and salt and pepper to taste4 ,serve upon a toast of bread1 in a hot dish1 and add sippets of toasted bread4 ,this makes a light and very delicate supper dish1 and is not bad sauce to a boiled fowl4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,some ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,common ,,and ,,useful ,,edible ,,fungi4 8,whole hundredweights of rich1 wholesome diet rotting under the trees2 woods teeming with food1 and not one hand to gather it2 and this1 perhaps1 in the midst of potato-blight1 poverty1 and all manner of privations1 and public prayers against imminent famine40 ,dr4 ,badham4 ,,valuable as is the common mushroom1 it is indisputable that not a few other kinds are also capable of affording excellent food4 ,therefore1 figures are given of the most prevalent1 useful1 and easily recognised kinds of edible fungi1 as well as of the common mushrooms of our gardens and markets4 ,these figures have been admirably drawn by ,mr4 ,w4 ,g4 ,smith1 and are accompanied by what seemed the most satisfactory accounts of the characters and properties that are obtainable4 ,the spores which accompany the figures are uniformly enlarged seven hundred diameters4 ,marasmius oreades 7,fairy-ring ,champignon74 ,pileus smooth1 fleshy1 convex1 subumbonate1 generally more or less compressed1 tough1 coriaceous1 elastic1 wrinkled2 when water-soaked1 brown2 when dry1 of a buff or cream-colour1 the umbo often remaining red-brown1 as if scorched2 gills free1 distant1 ventricose1 of the same tint as the pileus1 but more pale2 stem equal1 solid1 twisted1 very tough and fibrous1 of a pale silky-white colour4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cj--a4 ,marasmius oreades 7,fairy-ring ,champignon74 ,pastures1 roadsides1 and downs1 in the autumn2 colour1 pale buff2 gills broad and far apart2 diameter1 #a to #b inches4 ,fig4 #cj--b4 ,marasmius urens 7,false ,champignon74 ,woods and pastures in the autumn2 colour1 pale buff2 gills narrow and crowded together2 diameter1 inch to #a inches4 ,the fairy-ring agaric is a valuable little fungus1 and common on almost every lawn4 ,in hilly pastures it generally appears in broad brown patches1 either circular or forming a portion of a circle4 ,m4 urens1 the most acrid of all allied funguses1 usually grows in woods1 though sometimes in the fairy-ring4 ,however1 its flat top and narrow crowded gills cause it to be readily distinguished anywhere4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,marasmius oreades as an edible ,fungus4--8,on the ,continent this species has long been considered edible1 but on account of its coriaceous texture it is dried and employed in the form of powder1 to season various made-dishes40--,dr4 ,greville4 8,the common fairy-ring champignon is the best of all our funguses1 yet there is scarcely one person in a thousand who dare venture to use it4 ,with common observation no mistake need be made with regard to it4 ,it has an extremely fine flavour1 and makes perhaps the very best ketchup that there is40--,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,berkeley4 8,an excellent flavour1 as good as that of most funguses40--,dr4 ,badham4 ,modes of ,cooking ,marasmius oreades4--,general ,use4--8,cut in small pieces and seasoned it makes an excellent addition to stews1 hashes1 or fried meats1 but it should only be added a few minutes before serving1 as the aroma is dissipated by over cooking4 ,it is the mushroom used in the ,french la mode beef-shops in ,london40--,dr4 ,badham4 ,when stewed1 the champignons require rather longer time to ensure their being made perfectly tender4 ,they are readily dried by removing the stems from the fungus1 threading them on a string1 and hanging them up in a dry airy place4 8,when dried1 it may be kept for years without losing any of its aroma or goodness1 which1 on the contrary1 becomes improved by the process1 so as1 in fact1 to impart more flavour to the dish than would have been imparted by the fresh fungus2 though it is not to be denied that the flesh then becomes coriaceous 7or tough71 and less easy of digestion40--,dr4 ,badham4 ,champignon ,powder4--,put the champignons in a stew-pan with a little mace and a few cloves1 and a sprinkling of white pepper4 ,simmer1 and shake constantly to prevent burning1 until any liquor that may exude is dried up again4 ,dry thoroughly in a warm oven until they will easily powder4 ,put the dried agaric1 or the powder1 into wide-mouthed glass bottles1 and store in a dry place4 ,it will keep any length of time4 ,a tea-spoonful added to any soup1 or gravy1 or sauce1 just before the last boil is given1 will produce a very fine mushroom flavour4 ,pickled ,champignons4--,collect fresh buttons of the fairy-ring agaric and use them at once4 ,cut off the stems quite close and throw each one as you do so into a basin of water in which a spoonful of salt has been put4 ,drain them from it quickly afterwards1 and place them on a soft cloth to dry4 ,for each quart of buttons thus prepared1 take nearly a quart of pale white wine vinegar1 and add to it a heaped tea-spoonful of salt1 half an ounce of whole white pepper1 an ounce of ginger-root bruised1 two large blades of mace1 and a fourth of a salt-spoon of cayenne pepper tied in a small piece of muslin4 ,when this pickle boils throw in the agarics and boil them in it over a clear fire moderately fast1 from six to nine minutes4 ,when tolerably tender put them into warm wide-mouthed bottles1 and divide the spice equally amongst them4 ,when perfectly cold1 cork well1 or tie skins and paper over them4 ,store in a dry place1 and keep out the frost4 ,full-sized champignons may be pickled exactly in the same way1 but will require longer boiling1 until indeed they become tender4--,modified from ,miss ,acton4 ,champignons quickly ,pickled4--,place the prepared buttons in bottles with a blade of mace1 a tea-spoonful of pepper-corns1 and a tea-spoonful of mustard seed in each1 and cover with the strongest white wine pickling vinegar boiling hot4 ,cork or tie down as before1 but do not expect them to keep above three months4 ,agaricus procerus 7the ,parasol ,agaric74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ca4 ,agaricus procerus 7,scaly ,mushroom74 ,pastures1 c41 in autumn2 colour1 pale brownish buff2 diameter1 #e to #ab inches4 ,pileus fleshy1 ovate when young1 then campanulate1 and afterwards expanded and umbonate 7blunt pointed71 from three to seven inches across4 ,cuticle more or less brown1 entire over the umbo1 but torn into patches1 or scales which become more and more separated as they approach the margin4 ,flesh white4 ,gills unconnected with the stem1 fixed to a collar on the pileus surrounding its top4 ,ring persistent1 loose on the stem4 ,stem six or eight inches high1 tapering upwards from a pear-like bulb at the root1 hollow with a loose pith1 whitish brown1 but more or less variegated with small and close-pressed scales4 ,whenever an agaric on a long stalk1 enlarged at the base1 presents a dry cuticle more or less scaly1 a darker coloured umbonated top1 a moveable ring1 and white gills1 it must be ,agaricus procerus1 the parasol agaric1 and it may be gathered and eaten without fear4 ,when the whitish flesh of this agaric is bruised it shows a light reddish colour4 ,there are but two other agarics that at all resemble it1 and both are edible4 ,one about the same size is ,agaricus rachodes4 ,it is not generally considered so good in flavour as ,a4 procerus4 ,mrs4 ,hussey1 however1 says plainly1 8,if ,agaricus procerus is the king of edible funguses1 ,agaricus rachodes is an excellent viceroy40 ,the other is the ,agaricus excoriatus1 a very much smaller fungus1 with a more slender habit1 a shorter stem1 and no true bulb at the base4 ,this elegant little fungus is also very good eating4 ,the parasol agaric has a very wide range of growth4 ,it is a common fungus1 and is in high request all over the ,continent4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,agaricus procerus as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,a most excellent mushroom1 of a delicate flavour1 and it must be considered a most useful species40--,the ,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,berkeley4 8,were its excellent qualities better known here1 they could not fail to secure it a general reception into our best kitchens1 and a frequent place among our side dishes at table40--,dr4 ,badham4 8,if once tried1 it must please the most fastidious40--,worthington ,g4 ,smith4 ,there can be no question but that1 when young and quickly grown1 the parasol agaric is a delicious fungus4 ,it has a light and delicate flavour without the heavy richness which belongs to the ordinary field mushroom4 ,the writer has prevailed on many persons to try it2 all without exception have liked it1 many have thought it quite equal1 and some have proclaimed it superior1 to the common mushroom4 ,modes of ,cooking the ,agaricus procerus4--,broiled ,procerus4--,remove the scales and stalks from the agarics1 and broil lightly over a clear fire on both sides for a few minutes2 arrange them on a dish over fresh-made1 well-divided toast2 sprinkle with pepper and salt1 and put a small piece of butter on each2 set before a brisk fire to melt the butter1 and serve up quickly4 ,if the cottager would toast his bacon over the broiled mushrooms1 the butter would be saved4 ,agarics delicately ,stewed4--,remove the stalks and scales from young half-grown agarics1 and throw each one as you do so into a basin of fresh water slightly acidulated with the juice of a lemon1 or a little good vinegar4 ,when all are prepared1 remove them from the water1 and put them into a stew-pan with a very small piece of fresh butter4 ,sprinkle with white pepper and salt1 and add a little lemon-juice2 cover up closely1 and stew for half an hour4 ,then add a spoonful of flour1 with sufficient cream1 or cream and milk1 until the whole has the thickness of cream4 ,season to taste1 and stew again gently until the agarics are perfectly tender4 ,remove all the butter from the surface1 and serve in a hot dish1 garnished with slices of lemon4 ,a little mace1 nutmeg1 or ketchup may be added2 but there are those who think that spice spoils the mushroom flavour4 ,cottager's ,procerus ,pie4--,cut fresh agarics in small pieces1 and cover the bottom of a pie-dish4 ,pepper1 salt1 and place them on small shreds of fresh bacon1 then put in a layer of mashed potatoes1 and so fill the dish1 layer by layer1 with a cover of mashed potatoes for the crust4 ,bake well for half an hour1 and brown before a quick fire4 ,a la ,provenale4--8,steep for two hours in some salt1 pepper1 and a little garlic2 then toss in a small stew-pan over a brisk fire1 with parsley chopped1 and a little lemon-juice40--,dr4 ,badham4 ,agaric ,ketchup4--,place agarics of as large a size as you can procure1 but which are not worm-eaten1 layer by layer1 in a deep pan1 sprinkling each layer as it is put in with a little salt4 ,the next day stir them well up several times1 so as to mash and extract their juice4 ,on the third day strain off the liquor1 measure1 and boil for ten minutes1 and then to every pint of the liquor add half an ounce of black pepper1 a quarter of an ounce of bruised ginger-root1 a blade of mace1 a clove or two1 and a tea-spoonful of mustard-seed4 ,boil again for half an hour2 put in two or three bay leaves1 and set aside till quite cold4 ,pass through a strainer1 and bottle2 cork well1 and dip the ends in resin4 ,a very little ,chili vinegar is an improvement1 and some add a glass of port wine1 or a glass of strong ale to every bottle4 ,care should be taken that the spice is not added so abundantly as to overpower the true flavour of the agaric4 ,a careful cook will keep back a little of the simple boiled liquor to guard against this danger3 a good one will always avoid it4 8,doctors weigh their things10 said a capital cook1 8but ,i go by taste40 ,but then1 like poets1 good cooks of this order must be born so2 they are not to be made4 ,coprinus comatus 7the ,maned ,agaric74 ,pileus cylindrical1 obtuse1 campanulate1 fleshy in the centre1 but very thin towards the margin4 ,the external surface soon torn up into fleecy scales1 with the exception of a cap at the top4 ,gills free1 linear1 and crowded4 ,quite white when young1 becoming rose-coloured1 sepia1 and then black1 from the margin upwards4 ,they then expand quickly1 curl up in shreds1 and deliquesce into a black inky fluid which stains the ground4 ,stem of a pure white1 four to five inches high1 contracting at the top1 and bulbous at the base2 hollow1 fibrillose1 stuffed with a light cottony web4 ,the bulb is solid and rooting1 the ring is movable4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cb4 ,coprinus comatus 7,maned ,mushroom74 ,pastures1 parks1 and roadsides1 summer and autumn2 colour1 snow-white2 height1 #e to #ab inches4 ,this very elegant agaric has also been called ,ag4 cylindricus1 ,schff2 ,ag4 typhoides1 ,bull2 and ,ag4 fimetarius1 ,bolt4 ,it is common throughout the summer and autumn months1 on road-sides1 pastures1 and waste places4 ,it is extremely variable in size4 ,its general appearance is so distinct and striking1 that it cannot possibly be mistaken for any other agaric4 ,it grows so abundantly on waste ground in the dwellings and farm-yards that it may be1 says ,dr4 ,bull1 called the 8agaric of civilization20 and for both these reasons it is most valuable as an edible agaric4 ,if its merits were known1 it would be eaten as freely as the common field mushroom4 8,the maned mushrooms10 ,miss ,plues has well said1 8grow in dense clusters1 each young plant like an attenuated egg1 white and smooth4 ,presently some exceed the others in rapidity of growth1 and their heads get above the ground1 the stem elongates rapidly1 the ring falls loosely round the stem1 the margin of the pileus enlarges1 and the oval head assumes a bell-shape2 then a faint tint of brown spreads universally or in blotches over the upper part of the pileus1 and the whiteness of its gills changes to a dull pink4 ,a few more hours and the even head of the pileus has split in a dozen places1 the sections curl back1 melt out of all form into an inky fluid1 and on the morrow's dawn a black stain on the ground will be all that remains4 ,and so on with the others in succession40 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,coprinus comatus as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,esculent when young40--,berkeley4 8,young specimens should be selected40--,badham4 8,no despicable dish1 though perhaps not quite equal to the common mushroom40--,m4 ,c4 ,cooke4 8,if ,i had my choice1 ,i think there is no species ,i should prefer before this one3 it is singularly rich1 tender1 and delicious40--,worthington ,g4 ,smith4 ,dr4 ,m#8,cullough1 ,dr4 ,chapman1 ,elmes ,y4 ,steele1 ,esq41 and some other members of the ,woolhope ,club1 hold ,mr4 ,w4 ,g4 ,smith's opinion as the result of considerable experience4 ,it must be noted1 however1 that when too young this agaric is rather deficient in flavour1 and its fibres tenacious4 ,its flavour is most rich1 and its texture most delicate when the gills show the pink colour with sepia margins4 ,modes of ,cooking the ,coprinus comatus4--,the best and simplest method is to broil it and serve on toast in the ordinary way4 ,it may be added also with great advantage to steaks and made-dishes1 to give flavour and gravy4 ,comatus ,soup4--,take two quarts of white stock1 and put in a large plateful of the maned agaric roughly broken out2 stew until tender2 pulp through a fine sieve2 add pepper and salt to taste2 boil and serve up hot4 ,two or three table-spoonfuls of cream will be a great improvement4 ,the agarics for this soup should be young1 in order to keep its colour light and good4 ,the maned agaric is recommended on all sides for making ketchup1 but here1 also1 it should be quickly used1 and the ketchup quickly made4 ,agaricus gambosus 7the ,true ,st4 ,george's ,mushroom74 ,pileus thick and fleshy1 convex at first1 often lobed1 becoming undulated and irregular1 expanding unequally2 the margin more or less involute1 and at first flocculose2 from three to four inches across2 of a light yellow colour in the centre1 fading to almost opaque white at the edges2 it is soft to the touch2 more or less tuberculated1 and often presenting cracks4 ,gills yellowish-white1 watery1 narrow1 marginate1 annexed to the stem with a little tooth3 they are very numerous and irregular1 with many smaller ones interposed1 8lying over each other like the plaits of a frill0 7from #e to #aa1 ,vittadini74 ,stem firm1 solid and white1 swelling at the base in young specimens2 but in older ones1 though usually bulging1 they are frequently of even size1 and when in long grass they occasionally even taper downwards4 ,this agaric is usually nearly white1 smooth1 soft1 and firm1 like kid leather to the touch1 and1 as ,berkeley has happily said1 8in appearance it very closely resembles a cracknel biscuit40 ,they grow in rings2 have a strong smell1 and appear about ,st4 ,george's ,day 7,april #bc71 after the rains which usually fall about the third week in ,april4 ,they continue to appear for three or four weeks1 according to the peculiarities of the season4 ,they are usually to be found on hilly pastures in woodland districts4 ,the ,st4 ,george's mushroom cannot well be mistaken for any other4 ,the fact of its appearance at this early season1 and growing so freely in rings1 when so very few other funguses are to be found1 is almost enough to distinguish it4 ,it has1 however1 very distinctive characters in itself in the thickness of its pileus2 the narrowness of its gills1 which are very closely crowded together2 and the solid bulging stem4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cc4 ,agaricus gambosus 7,st4 ,george's ,mushroom74 ,pastures1 in the spring2 colour1 cream2 diameter1 #d to #f inches4 ,the ,st4 ,george's mushroom is not an uncommon agaric in this country1 and where it does appear it is usually plentiful--a single ring affording generally a good basket full4 ,it should be gathered when young1 or it will be found grub-eaten1 for no fungus is more speedily and more voraciously attacked by insects than this one4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,agaricus gambosus as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,this rare and most delicious agaric1 the mouceron of ,bulliard1 and the ,agaricus prunulus of other authors1 abounds on the hills above the valley of ,staffora1 near ,bobbio1 where it is called ,spinaroli1 and is in great request2 the country people eat it fresh in a variety of ways1 or they dry and sell it at from twelve to sixteen francs a pound40--,letter from ,professor ,balbi to ,persoon4 8,the most savoury fungus with which ,i am acquainted 444 and which is justly considered over almost the whole continent of ,europe as the ne plus ultra of culinary friandise4 8,the prunulus 7gambosus7 is much prized in the ,roman market1 where it easily fetches1 when fresh1 thirty baiocchi--i4e41 fifteen pence per pound--a large sum for any luxury in ,rome4 ,it is sent in little baskets as presents to patrons1 fees to medical men1 and bribes to ,roman lawyers40--,dr4 ,badham4 ,the ,agaricus gambosus 8is one that a person cannot well make any mistake about4 ,it sometimes attains a large size1 is excellent in flavour1 and particularly wholesome40--,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,berkeley4 ,mode of ,cooking ,agaricus gambosus4--8,the best mode of cooking ,agaricus gambosus is either to mince or fricassee it with any sort of meat1 or in a vol-au-vent1 the flavour of which it greatly improves2 or simply prepared with salt1 pepper1 and a small piece of bacon1 lard1 or butter1 to prevent burning1 it constitutes of itself an excellent dish40--,dr4 ,badham4 8,served with white sauce1 it is a capital appendage to roast veal40--,edwin ,lees4 ,it may be broiled1 stewed1 or baked4 ,breakfast ,agaric4--,place some fresh-made toast1 nicely divided1 on a dish1 and put the agarics upon it2 pepper1 salt1 and put a small piece of butter on each2 then pour on each one a tea-spoonful of milk or cream1 and add a single clove to the whole dish4 ,place a bell-glass1 or inverted basin1 over the whole2 bake twenty minutes1 and serve up without removing the glass until it comes to the table1 so as to preserve the heat and the aroma1 which1 on lifting the cover1 will be diffused through the room4 ,it dries very readily when divided into pieces1 and retains most of its excellence4 ,a few pieces added to soups1 gravies1 or made-dishes1 give a delicious flavour4 ,agaricus rubescens 7,brown ,warty ,agaric74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cd4 ,agaricus rubescens 7,red-fleshed ,mushroom74 ,woods1 summer and autumn2 colour1 sienna-brown2 diameter1 #d to #aj inches4 ,pileus convex1 then expanded1 cuticle brown1 scattered over with warts varying in size4 ,margin striate4 ,gills white1 reaching the stem1 and forming very fine decurrent lines upon it4 ,ring entire1 wide and marked with stri4 ,stem often scaly1 stuffed1 becoming hollow2 when old1 bulbous4 ,volva obliterated4 ,the whole plant has a tendency to turn a sienna-red1 or rust colour4 ,this is very distinctly shown some little time after it has been bruised4 ,it is very common all through the summer and autumn months2 indeed1 one of the most abundant mushrooms2 8and it is one of those species that a person with the slightest powers of discrimination may distinguish accurately from others40--,badham4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,agaricus rubescens as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,a very delicate fungus1 which grows in sufficient abundance to render it of importance in a culinary point of view40--,badham4 8,from long experience ,i can vouch for its being not only wholesome1 but1 as ,dr4 ,badham says1 #8a very delicate fungus4'0--,f4 ,currey1 ,editor of ,dr4 ,badham's 8,esculent ,funguses40 ,modes of ,cooking the ,agaricus rubescens4--,it may be toasted1 boiled1 or stewed in the ordinary way4 ,fried ,rubescens4--,place the full-grown agarics in water for ten minutes1 then drain1 and having removed the warty skin1 fry with butter1 pepper1 and salt4 ,the ketchup made from ,agaricus rubescens is rich and good4 8,as it grows freely1 and attains a considerable size1 it is very suitable for that purpose1 quantity being a great desideratum in ketchup-making40--,plues4 ,agaricus nebularis 7,clouded ,mushroom74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ce4 ,agaricus nebularis 7,clouded ,mushroom74 ,woody places1 in autumn2 colour1 cream1 with slate-coloured top2 diameter1 #d to #aj inches4 8,pileus from two and a half to five inches across2 at first depresso-convex2 when expanded1 nearly flat or broadly subumbonate2 never depressed2 margin at first involute and pruinose2 occasionally somewhat waved and lobed1 but generally regular in form2 smooth1 viscid when moist1 so that dead leaves adhere to it2 grey1 brown at the centre1 paler towards the circumference4 ,flesh thick1 white1 unchanging4 ,gills cream-colour1 narrow1 decurrent1 close1 their margins waved1 unequal1 generally simple4 ,stem from two to four inches long1 from a quarter of an inch to an inch thick2 incurved at the base2 not rooting1 but attaching by means of a floccose down round its lower portion and for one-third of its length1 a large quantity of dead leaves1 by which the plant is held erect2 subequal1 more or less marked with longitudinal pits1 firm externally1 within of a softer substance4 ,the odour strong1 like that of curd cheese40--,badham4 8,common in certain places1 but very rare near ,london4 ,this species comes up late in the autumn on dead leaves in moist places1 principally on the borders of woods4 ,the gastronomic excellences of this species are well known4 ,when gathered1 it has a wholesome and powerful odour2 and when cooked1 the firm and fragrant flesh has a particularly agreeable and palatable taste40--,w4 ,g4 ,smith4 8,the ,agaricus nebularis requires but little cooking2 a few minutes' broiling 7 la ,maintenon is best71 with butter1 pepper1 and salt1 is sufficient4 ,it may also be delicately fried with bread crumbs1 or stewed in white sauce4 ,the flesh of this mushroom is perhaps lighter of digestion than that of any other40--,badham4 ,lactarius deliciosus 7,orange-milk ,mushroom74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cf4 ,lactarius deliciosus 7,orange-milk ,mushroom74 ,under fir-trees1 in autumn2 colour1 brown-orange2 milk at first orange1 then green2 diameter1 #c to #aj inches4 ,pileus smooth1 fleshy1 umbilicate1 of a dull rufous orange1 turning pallid from exposure to light and air1 but zoned with concentric circles of a brighter hue2 margin smooth1 at first involute1 and then becoming expanded2 from three to five inches across4 ,flesh firm full of orange-red milk1 which turns green on exposure to the air1 as does any part of the plant when bruised4 ,gills decurrent1 narrow1 each dividing into two1 three several times from the stem to the edge of the pileus2 of a dull yellow by reflected light1 but being translucent1 the red milk shines brightly through them4 ,stem from one to three inches high1 slightly bent and tapering downwards2 solid1 becoming more or less hollow with age2 short hairs at the base2 sometimes pitted 7scrobiculate74 ,there is no possibility of mistaking this fungus4 ,it is the only one which has orange-red milk1 and which turns green when bruised4 ,these properties distinguish it at once from ,lactarius torminosus or necator1 the only fungus which in any way resembles it4 ,this acrid fungus 7,lactarius torminosus7 is somewhat similar in shape and size1 and is also zoned4 ,but the involute edges of the pileus are bearded with close hairs4 ,it is of a much paler colour1 and with gills of a dirty white4 ,the milk1 also1 is white1 acrid1 and unchangeable in colour4 ,the ,orange-milk agaric chiefly affects the ,scotch fir-tree1 and is generally to be found beneath the drip of the branches around the tree4 ,it is also found in hedgerows occasionally1 but is most abundant in plantations of ,scotch fir or larch4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,lactarius deliciosus as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,this is one of the best agarics with which ,i am acquainted1 fully deserving both its name and the estimation in which it is held abroad1 it reminds me of tender lambs' kidneys40--,dr4 ,badham4 8,very luscious eating1 full of rich gravy1 with a little of the flavour of mussels40--,sowerby4 8,cook them well1 and you will have something better than kidneys1 which they much resemble both in flavour and consistence40--,mrs4 ,hussey4 ,modes of ,cooking ,lactarius deliciosus4--8,the rich gravy it produces is its chief characteristic1 and hence it commends itself to make a rich gravy sauce1 or as an ingredient in soups4 ,it requires delicate cooking1 for though fleshy it becomes tough if kept on the fire till all the juice is exuded4 ,baking is perhaps the best process for this agaric to pass through4 ,it should be dressed when fresh and pulpy40--,edwin ,lees4 ,stewed ,deliciosus4--8,the tourtire 7or pie-dish7 method of cooking suits ,lactarius deliciosus best1 as it is firm and crisp in substance4 ,be careful to use only sound specimens4 ,reduce them by cutting across to one uniform bulk4 ,place the pieces in a pie-dish1 with a little pepper and salt1 and a small piece of butter on each side of every slice4 ,tie a paper over the dish1 and bake gently for three-quarters of an hour4 ,serve them up in the same hot dish40--,mrs4 ,hussey4 ,deliciosus ,pie4--,pepper and salt slices of the agaric1 and place them in layers with thin slices of fresh bacon1 until a small pie-dish is full2 cover with a crust of pastry or mashed potatoes1 and bake gently for three-quarters of an hour4 ,if with potato crust1 brown nicely before a quick fire4 ,deliciosus ,pudding4--,cut the agaric into small pieces2 add similar pieces of bacon1 pepper1 and salt1 and a little garlic or spice2 surround with crust1 and boil three-quarters of an hour4 ,fried ,deliciosus4--,fry in slices1 properly seasoned with butter1 or bacon and gravy2 and serve up hot with sippets of toast4 ,a steak in addition is a great improvement4 ,morchella esculenta 7the ,morel74 ,every one knows the ,morel--that expensive luxury which the rich are content to procure at great cost from our ,italian warehouses1 and the poor are fain to do without4 ,it is less generally known that this fungus1 though by no means so common with us as some others 7a circumstance partly attributable to the prevailing ignorance as to when and where to look for it1 or even of its being indigenous to ,england71 occurs not unfrequently in our orchards and woods1 towards the beginning of summer4 ,roques reports favourably of some specimens sent to him by the ,duke of ,athol2 and others1 from different parts of the country1 occasionally find their way into ,covent ,garden ,market4 ,the genus ,morchella comprises very few species1 and they are all good to eat4 ,persoon remarks1 that though the ,morel rarely appears in a sandy soil1 preferring a calcareous or argillaceous ground1 it frequently springs up on sites where charcoal has been burnt1 or where cinders have been thrown4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #cg4 ,morchella esculenta 7the ,morel74 ,woods1 c41 in the spring2 colour pale buff2 height1 #c to #e inches4 ,pileus very various in shape and hue1 the surface broken-up into very little cells1 made by folds or plaits of the hymenium1 which are more or less salient1 and constitute the so-called ribs4 ,these ribs are very irregular1 and anastomose with each other throughout2 the pileus hollow1 opening into the irregular stem4 ,spores pale yellow4 ,neither of these funguses should be gathered after rain1 as they are then insipid and soon spoil4 8,m4 ,roques says the ,morel may be dressed in a variety of ways1 both fresh and dry1 with butter or in oil1 au gras or la crme4 ,the following receipts for cooking them are from ,persoon4 #ast4 ,having washed and cleansed them from the earth which is apt to collect between the plaits1 dry thoroughly in a napkin1 and put them into a saucepan with pepper1 salt1 and parsley1 adding or not a piece of ham2 stew for an hour1 pouring in occasionally a little broth to prevent burning2 when sufficiently done1 bind with the yolk of two or three eggs1 and serve on buttered toast4 #bnd4 ,morelles l',italienne4--,having washed and dried1 divide them across1 put them on the fire with some parsley1 scallion1 chervil1 burnet1 tarragon1 chives1 a little salt1 and two spoonfuls of fine oil4 ,stew till the juice runs out1 then thicken with a little flour2 serve with bread-crumbs and a squeeze of lemon4 #crd4 ,stuffed ,morels4--,choose the freshest and whitest morels1 open the stalk at the bottom1 wash and wipe them well1 fill with veal stuffing1 anchovy1 or any rich farce you please1 securing the ends1 and dressing between thin slices of bacon2 serve with a sauce like the last40--,badham4 ,hygrophorus pratensis4 8,pileus convexo-plane1 then turbinate1 smooth1 moist2 disc compact1 gibbous2 margin thin2 stem stuffed1 even1 attenuated downwards2 gills deeply decurrent1 arcuate1 thick1 distant40--,grev4 t4 #ia2 ,huss4 ,,ii4 t4 #dj4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ch 7#a74 ,hygrophorus pratensis4 ,pastures1 in autumn2 colour1 full buff2 diameter1 #b to #c inches4 ,fig4 #ch 7#b74 ,hygrophorus virgineus 7,viscid ,white ,mushroom74 ,pastures1 in autumn2 snow-white2 diameter1 inch to #a inches4 8,on downs and short pastures4 ,very common4 ,pileus tawny or deep buff1 sometimes nearly white1 as in the next4 ,probably esculent40--,berkeley4 ,hygrophorus virgineus 7,viscid ,white ,mushroom74 8,pileus fleshy1 convexo-plane1 obtuse1 moist1 at length areolato-rimose2 stem stuffed1 firm1 short1 attenuated at the base2 gills decurrent1 distant1 rather thick40--,grev4 t4 #aff4 8,on downs and short pastures4 ,extremely common4 ,mostly pure ivory-white40--,berkeley4 ,this species1 exquisite in form and flavour1 is one of the prettiest ornaments of our lawns1 downs1 and short pastures at the fall of the year4 ,in these situations it may be found in every part of the kingdom4 ,it is essentially waxy1 and feels and looks precisely as if made of the purest virgin wax4 ,the stem is firm1 stuffed1 and attenuated1 and the gills singularly distant from each other2 it changes colour a little when getting old1 at which time it is unfit for culinary purposes4 ,a batch of fresh specimens1 broiled or stewed with taste and care1 will prove agreeable1 succulent1 and flavorous eating1 and may sometimes be obtained when other species are not forthcoming4 8,several allied species enjoy the reputation of being esculent1 notably ,h4 niveus2 and my friend ,mr4 ,f4 ,c4 ,penrose has eaten1 and speaks favourably of ,h4 psittacinus--a highly ornamental yellow species1 with a green stem1 sometimes common enough in rich pastures 7and said to be very suspicious740--,w4 ,g4 ,smith4 ,cantharellus cibarius 7,chantarelle74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ci4 ,cantharellus cibarius 7,chantarelle74 ,woods1 autumn2 rich golden yellow2 diameter1 #b to #d inches4 ,when young its stalk is tough1 white1 and solid2 but as it grows this becomes hollow and presently changes to yellow2 tapering below1 it is effused into the substance of the pileus1 which is of the same colour with it4 ,the pileus is lobed1 and irregular in shape2 its margin at first deeply involute1 afterwards when expanded1 wavy4 ,the veins or plaits are thick1 subdistant1 much sinuated1 running some way down the stalk4 ,the flesh is white1 fibrous1 dense1 8having the odour of apricots0 7,purton7 or of 8plums0 7,vitt474 8,the colour yellow1 like that of the yolk of eggs1 is deeper on the under surface2 when raw it has the pungent taste of pepper3 the spores1 which are elliptic1 are of a pallid ochre colour40 7,vitt47 ,the ,chantarelle grows sometimes sporadically1 sometimes in circles or segments of a circle1 and may be found from ,june to ,october4 ,at first it assumes the shape of a minute cone3 next1 in consequence of the rolling in of the margin1 the pileus is almost spherical1 but as this unfolds it becomes hemispherical1 then flat1 at length irregular and depressed4 8,this fungus10 observes ,vittadini1 8being rather dry and tough by nature1 requires a considerable quantity of fluid sauce to cook it properly40 8,the common people in ,italy dry or pickle1 or keep it in oil for winter use4 ,perhaps the best ways of dressing the ,chantarelle are to stew or mince it by itself1 or to combine it with meat or with other funguses4 ,it requires to be gently stewed1 and a long time to make it tender2 but by soaking it in milk the night before1 less cooking will be requisite40--,badham4 ,hydnum repandum 7,hedgehog1 or ,spine-bearing ,mushroom74 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #dj4 ,hydnum repandum 7,spine-bearing ,mushroom74 ,woods1 autumn2 colour1 pale buff2 diameter1 #b to #e inches4 ,pileus smooth1 irregular in shape1 depressed in the centre1 more or less lobed1 and generally placed irregularly on the stem 7eccentric72 of a pale buff or cinnamon colour2 from two to five inches in diameter4 ,flesh firm and white2 when bruised it turns slightly brown4 ,spines crowded1 awl-shaped1 slanting1 soft and brittle1 varying in size and length1 and of a faint cinnamon tint4 ,stem white1 short1 solid1 crooked1 and often lateral4 ,there is no possibility of mistaking the hedgehog mushroom3 when once seen it is always to be remembered4 ,its awl-shaped spines are crowded beneath the pileus2 its size and colour are most marked2 it resembles closely1 as has been said1 a lightly-baked cracknel biscuit in colour4 8,this fungus occurs principally in woods1 and especially in those of pine and oak2 sometimes solitary1 but more frequently in company and in rings40--,badham4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,hydnum repandum as an ,edible ,fungus4--8,the general use of this fungus throughout ,france1 ,italy1 and ,germany1 leaves no room for doubt as to its good qualities40--,roques4 8,when well stewed it is an excellent dish1 with a slight flavour of oysters4 ,it makes also a very good pure4--,dr4 ,badham4 8,a most excellent fungus1 but it requires a little caution in preparation for the table4 ,it should be previously steeped in hot water and well drained in a cloth2 in which case there is certainly not a more excellent fungus40--,berkeley4 8,a wholesome fungus and not to be despised2 but not in the first class as to flavour1 requiring the help of condiments4 ,it has the advantage1 however1 of growing later than most funguses1 and may be found up to the middle of ,november40--,edwin ,lees4 8,one of the most excellent fungi that grows2 its flavour very strongly resembles oysters40--,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,houghton4 ,modes of ,cooking ,hydnum repandum4--,the hedgehog mushroom is dense in structure1 and in whatever way it may be cooked1 all authorities agree that it must be done slowly at a low temperature until it is tender1 and with plenty of stock or white sauce to supply its deficiency in moisture4 ,stewed ,hydnum4--8,cut the mushrooms in pieces and steep for twenty minutes in warm water2 then place in a pan with butter1 pepper1 salt1 and parsley2 add beef or other gravy1 and simmer for an hour40--,trans4 from ,m4 ,roques4 8,stew in a brown or white sauce40--,mrs4 ,hussey4 8,cut up in bits about the size of a bean1 and stew in white sauce1 when it will almost pass off as oyster sauce40--,the ,rev4 ,w4 ,houghton1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,agaricus orcella 7,orgelle or ,vegetable ,sweetbread74 ,pileus thin1 irregular1 depressed in the centre1 lobed1 with undulated borders1 from two to three inches across4 ,in colour clear white1 sometimes tinted with pale brown on its prominences1 and occasionally with a grey centre or even lightly zoned with grey4 ,its surface is soft and smooth to the touch1 except in wet weather1 when it becomes soft and sticky4 ,the flesh is soft1 colourless1 and unchangeable4 ,gills crowded1 decurrent1 at first nearly white1 then pinkish grey1 taking at length a light brown tint4 ,spores pale brown4 ,stem smooth1 solid1 short1 decreasing in size2 central when young1 but becoming eccentric from the pileus growing irregularly4 ,odour pleasant1 usually compared to that of fresh meal1 but ,dr4 ,badham and others think it resembles more closely the smell of cucumber or syringa leaf4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #da4 7#a7 ,agaricus orcella and 7#b7 ,agaricus prunulus 7,plum ,mushroom74 ,woody places1 in autumn2 colour1 snow-white1 with pale rose gills2 diameter1 #b to #d inches4 ,agaricus prunulus 7,plum ,mushroom74 ,pileus fleshy1 compact1 at first convex1 then expanded1 becoming depressed in the centre1 irregularly waved1 and slightly pruinose2 from two to five inches broad2 surface dry1 soft1 white1 or sometimes grey4 ,the flesh thick1 white1 and unchangeable4 ,gills crowded1 deeply decurrent1 at first white1 then a pale dull flesh-colour1 or yellowish brown4 ,spores pale brown4 ,stem white1 solid1 firm1 slightly ventricose1 an inch or more long1 and half an inch thick2 naked1 often striate1 and villose at the base2 often eccentric4 ,odour like that of new meal1 but usually too strong to be agreeable4 ,there has been considerable confusion1 writes ,dr4 ,bull1 between the two ,agarics orcella and prunulus2 some thinking that we have only orcella in ,england 7,dr4 ,badham72 and others only prunulus 7the ,rev4 ,m4 ,j4 ,berkeley71 and others again that they are both the same fungus1 differing only in size4 ,dr4 ,badham and some others again confuse prunulus with gambosus1 the fungus of early spring1 and this has arisen from the ,french term mousseron being often applied to both these funguses2 but they are so essentially different as not to be liable in any way to be mistaken for each other4 ,agaricus orcella and ,a4 prunulus are both placed on the same page in the illustration1 so that their close alliance may be seen at a glance4 ,fries treats them as separate funguses1 8in deference to ancient authority1 since their differences are chiefly in degree40 ,these differences are1 nevertheless1 so well marked1 that they are kept separate here4 ,orcella is a smaller and more delicate fungus than prunulus4 ,it is thinner and less fleshy1 more undulated in its borders1 and has a lighter and more agreeable odour4 ,orcella grows in more open glades than prunulus2 it is usually much whiter in colour1 sometimes in high situations white and glazed as an egg-shell1 or even pottery4 ,orcella grows more solitary than prunulus1 in light1 scattered groups1 showing an inclination for the neighbourhood of oak-trees1 and where it does grow it may be found year after year in the same place1 but seldom more than two or three in a spot4 ,last year1 #ahfi1 when orcella was pretty plentiful1 prunulus was not to be found in the situations where it grows usually most abundantly4 ,prunulus is the reverse of all this4 ,it prefers more shaded places1 is larger1 more fleshy1 and with a strong odour rather heavy and overpowering4 ,it grows in greater quantities together1 and not unfrequently in crowded rings from four to six feet in diameter4 ,as edible funguses they should certainly be kept distinct4 ,orcella is light and pleasant in odour1 and excellent in flavour3 it is so tender and delicate as to be termed1 not inaptly1 8vegetable sweetbread40 ,prunulus1 on the other hand1 though always good1 is to many people too strong in odour1 and more coarse in taste4 ,opinions on the ,merits of ,agaricus orcella and ,a4 prunulus4--8,a very delicate mushroom40--,dr4 ,badham4 8,the flavour of orcella is very delicate1 and equal to anything amongst fungi1 or rather superior to the majority4 ,the same remarks apply to prunulus1 which ,i think is the same thing4 ,it belongs to the first rank of edible fungi40--,edwin ,lees4 ,modes of ,cooking ,agaricus orcella and ,agaricus prunulus4--,orcella being usually found in small quantities1 is best1 perhaps1 when broiled and served on hot toast4 ,prunulus will yield an abundance for broiling or stewing1 or both4 8,orcella should be eaten the day it is gathered1 either stewed1 broiled1 or fried with egg and bread-crumbs like cutlets40--,dr4 ,badham4 8,however prepared1 it is most excellent2 the flesh is firm and juicy1 and full of flavour1 and whether broiled or stewed1 it is a most delicious morsel40--,worthington ,g4 ,smith4 8,orcella will dry1 and may be preserved in this way4 ,it loses much of its volume1 but it acquires un aroma suavissimo40--,vittadini4 ,from the ,transactions of the ,woolhope ,naturalists' ,field ,club4 ,edible ,fungi in ,america4--,to give an idea of the rich stores of fungi that spring up in some distant parts of the earth1 and in climes so different to ours that one would at first sight suppose such fragile and fugacious bodies as fungi would not abound in them1 the following interesting communication from ,dr4 ,curtis1 of ,south ,carolina1 to the ,rev4 ,w4 ,berkeley is here given4 ,it will prove well worthy the attention of ,american readers3-- 8,you have asked me to give you my #8experience with the eatable mushrooms of ,america4' ,this will be most satisfactorily done1 ,i presume1 in pretty much the same style in which ,i would narrate it to you at your own fireside4 ,my experience runs back only about twelve or fifteen years4 ,you may remember that previous to this period ,i expressed a fear of these edibles1 as ,i had grown up with the common prejudices against them entertained by most people in this country4 ,having occasionally read of fearful accidents from their use1 and there being abundance of other and wholesome food obtainable1 ,i felt no inclination to run any risks in needlessly enlarging my bill of fare4 ,thus ,i had passed middle life without having once even tasted a mushroom4 8,but as under your guidance and assistance my knowledge of fungi increased1 a confidence in my ability to discriminate species grew up with it1 and a curiosity to test the qualities of these much-lauded articles got the better of timidity2 and now1 ,i suppose1 ,i can safely say1 that ,i have eaten a greater variety of mushrooms than anyone on the ,american continent4 ,i have even introduced several species before untried and unknown4 ,from the beginning of my experiments1 however1 ,i have exercised great caution1 even with species long recognised as safe and wholesome4 ,in every case ,i began with only a single mouthful4 ,no ill effect following1 ,i made a second essay upon two or three mouthfuls1 and so on gradually until ,i made a full meal of them4 ,fortunately1 ,i have never blundered upon any kind that was mischievous1 although ,i have eaten freely of forty species4 ,this is due1 perhaps1 to my general acquaintance with species that have been long used in ,europe1 and hence ,i have made no experiments upon new species which had not some affinity or analogy with them4 8,for instance1 ,a4 campestris and ,a4 arvensis being wholesome1 ,i did not doubt but that ,a4 amygdalinus 7a new species closely allied to ,a4 arvensis7 might be safely attempted1 and it has proved equally safe and palatable4 ,indeed1 this may be regarded as the safest of all species for gathering1 as it can be discriminated from all others even by a child or a blind person4 ,its taste and odour are so very like those of peach kernels or bitter almonds1 that almost invariably the resemblance is immediately mentioned by those who taste it crude for the first time4 ,this flavour is lost by cooking1 unless the mushroom be underdone4 ,when thoroughly cooked ,i cannot myself distinguish it from ,a4 campestris4 ,one or two persons have expressed the opinion that they can distinguish it1 and that it is not quite so good4 ,others1 again1 are equally positive that it is better4 ,in the crude state ,i deem it the most palatable of all mushrooms1 as it leaves a very agreeable aftertaste upon the palate1 fully equal to that of almonds4 ,this is the thing ,i sent you some years since for cultivation1 but which failed to grow4 ,i very much wish it might be propagated in ,england1 so that we might ascertain whether it would undergo any change of qualities in a different soil and climate4 ,i have for some time been entertaining the suspicion that such is the case with many of our species4 ,thus1 in ,european books the ,morel is described as possessing a peculiar flavour1 that has given its name to the ,morello cherry4 ,i can detect nothing of the sort in our morel4 ,you speak of ,a4 ,csareus 7in ,introd4 ,crypt4 ,bot47 as being #8perhaps the most delicious of all fungi4' ,this grows in great quantities in our oak-forests1 and may be obtained by the cartload in its season2 but to my taste1 and that of all my family1 it is the most unpalatable of all our fungi1 nor can ,i find many of our most passionate mycophagists who will avow that they like it4 ,i have tried it in almost every mode of cookery1 but without success4 ,there is a disagreeable saline flavour that we cannot remove nor overlay4 8,in the ,tricholoma section1 in which are several species long known as edible1 ,i did not hesitate to experiment upon any that had the odour and taste of fresh flour4 ,i began with ,a4 frumentaceus1 not learning from books whether it had been eaten in ,europe4 ,to this ,i subsequently added three new ,american species belonging to the same group4 ,all are excellent when stewed1 and are especially valuable for their appearance in late autumn1 even during hard frosts1 when other agarics are mostly out of season4 8,again1 there seemed such a similarity of texture and habit between ,a4 cspitosus 7,lentinus1 ,berk47 and ,a4 melleus1 although the former belongs to ,clitocybe1 that the temptation to a trial of it was irresistible4 ,as it is found here in enormous quantities1 and a single cluster will often contain fifty to a hundred stems1 it might well be deemed a valuable species in a time of scarcity4 ,it would not be highly esteemed where other and better sorts can be had2 but it is generally preferred to ,a4 melleus4 ,i have found this species very suitable for drying for winter use4 8,among the ,boleti ,i ventured1 in ignorance if it had ever been eaten1 to try ,b4 collinitus1 on account of its close relationship with ,b4 flavidus4 ,i am not particularly fond of ,boleti1 but this species has been pronounced delicious by some to whom ,i have sent it4 8,so among the ,polypores1 ,i had no fear of harm from the use of a new ,american species 7,p4 poripes1 ,fr471 on account of its relation to ,p4 ovinus1 in its texture and its flavour4 ,the taste of the crude specimen is like that of the best chestnuts or filberts4 ,it has been compared even with the cocoa-nut1 and is certainly of very agreeable flavour4 ,it does not1 however1 make a superior dish for the table1 being rather too dry1 but it is innocent and probably nutritious4 8,of the #8,merisma' group of ,polypores1 having already tried ,p4 frondosus1 ,p4 confluens1 and ,p4 sulfureus1 ,i ventured1 after some hesitation1 and with more than usual caution1 to test the virtues of a new ,american species 7,p4 ,berkelei1 ,fr471 notwithstanding the intense pungency of the raw material1 which bites as fiercely as ,lactarius piperatus4 ,when young1 and before the pores are visible1 the substance is quite crisp and brittle1 and in this state ,i have eaten it with impunity and with satisfaction1 its pungency being all dissipated by stewing4 ,i do not1 however1 deem it comparable with ,p4 confluens1 which is rather a favourite with me1 as it is with some others to whom ,i have introduced it4 ,p4 sulfureus is just tolerable2 safe1 but not to be coveted when one can get better4 ,when ,i say safe1 ,i mean not poisonous4 ,i cannot recommend it as a diet for weak stomachs1 which should be said of some other fungi of similar texture4 ,i am here reminded of an experience ,i had three or four years ago with this species1 which would have greatly alarmed me had it happened at an earlier date in my experiments1 and which would probably have deterred anyone unused to this kind of diet from ever indulging in it again4 ,i had a sumptuous dish of it on my supper-table1 of which most of my family1 as well as a guest staying with us1 partook very freely4 ,during the night ,i became exceedingly sick1 and was not relieved until relieved of my supper4 ,my first thought on the accession of my illness was of ,polyporus sulfureus2 but as ,i remembered that inflammation was one of the symptoms of fungus-poisoning1 and ,i could detect no indications of this in my case1 ,i soon dismissed the rising fear1 did not send for the doctor1 nor take any remedy4 ,others1 who had partaken of the fungus more freely than myself were not at all affected2 and ,i presume my sickness was no more induced by the ,polyporus than by the bread and butter ,i had eaten4 ,and yet1 had ,i alone partaken of the dish1 or had one or two others been affected in like manner1 doubtless the night attack would have been very confidently attributed by some to the mushroom2 or had this been my first trial of that article1 possibly ,i might ever after have regarded it with suspicion4 ,i learned a few days afterwards from one of our physicians1 that this kind of sickness was then somewhat prevalent in the community1 and could be attributed to no known cause4 ,for the credit of this species1 therefore1 we were fortunately able to distinguish the post hoc from the propter hoc4 8,there are families in ,america that for generations have freely and annually eaten mushrooms1 preserving a habit brought from ,europe by their ancestors4 ,in no case have ,i heard of an accident among them4 ,i have known no instance of mushroom-poisoning in this country1 except where the victims rashly ventured upon the experiment without knowing one species from another4 ,among the families above mentioned1 ,i have not met with any whose knowledge of mushrooms extended beyond the common species 7,a4 campestris71 called pink gill in this country4 ,several such families live near me1 but not one of them was aware1 until ,i informed them1 that there are other edible kinds4 ,everything but the pink gill1 which had the form of a mushroom1 was to them a toadstool1 and poisonous4 ,when ,i first sent my son with a fine basket of ,imperials 7,a4 ,csareus71 to an intelligent physician1 who was extravagantly fond of the common mushroom1 the lad was greeted with the indignant exclamation1 #8,boy1 ,i wouldn't eat one of those things to save your father's head6' ,when told that they were eaten at my table1 he accepted them1 ate them1 and has eaten many a one since1 with all safety and with no little relish4 ,since that time our mycophagists eat whatever ,i send them1 without fear or suspicion4 8,i have interested myself to extend the knowledge of these things among the lovers of mushrooms1 and also their use among those who have not before tried them4 ,in the latter work ,i am not always successful1 on account of a strong prejudice against vegetables with such contemptible names1 and an unconquerable fear of accidents4 ,yet1 as in my own case1 curiosity often conquers these errors4 ,when away from home ,i have frequently obtained permission from a kind hostess to have cooked a dish of mushrooms that ,i have found on her premises4 ,it has rarely occurred in such cases that the dish1 then tasted for the first time1 was not declared to be delicious1 or the best thing ever put in the mouth4 ,this latter phrase was once used in reference to so indifferent an article as ,a4 salignus4 ,indeed1 ,i have found several persons who class this amongst the most palatable species4 ,to such persons a dish of fresh mushrooms need seldom be wanting1 as this one can be had every month of the year in this latitude4 ,i am induced to believe that the quality of this species varies with the kind of wood it grows from1 and that it is better flavoured when gathered from the mulberry1 and especially from the hickory1 than when taken from most other trees4 ,its fitness for the table seems also to depend much upon the rapidity of its growth2 those which grow slowly1 as is the case with some of our garden vegetables1 being of tougher texture and of less delicate flavour4 ,a warm sun after heavy rains brings them out in greatest perfection4 8,i have several times been asked by persons eating mushrooms for the first time1 whether these things belong to the vegetable or animal kingdom4 ,there is certainly a very noticeable resemblance in the flavour of some of them to that of flesh1 fish1 or mollusc1 so that the question1 as founded merely on taste1 is not an unnatural one4 ,but ,i was much struck with its propriety when reading an article in #8,fraser's ,magazine1' a few years since1 written by the late ,mr4 ,broderip1 who therein says that mushrooms contain osmazome4 ,if this be so1 it accounts both for their flavour and for their value as food4 ,of this latter quality ,i had become so well convinced that1 during our late war1 ,i sometimes averred1 and ,i doubt if there was much1 if any1 exaggeration in the assertion1 that in some parts of the country ,i could maintain a regiment of soldiers five months of the year upon mushrooms alone4 8,this leads to a remark which should not be overlooked1 upon the great abundance of eatable mushrooms in the ,united ,states4 ,i think it is ,dr4 ,badham who boasts of their unusual number in ,great ,britain1 stating that there are thirty edible species in that kingdom4 ,i cannot help thinking that this is an under-estimate4 ,but if the ,doctor is correct1 there is no comparison between the number in your country and this4 ,i have collected and eaten forty species found within two miles of my house4 ,there are some others within this limit which ,i have not yet eaten4 ,in the catalogue of the plants of ,north ,carolina1 you will notice that ,i have indicated one hundred and eleven species of edible fungi known to inhabit this ,state4 ,i have no doubt there are forty or fifty more1 as the alpine portion of the ,state1 which is very extensive and varied1 has been very little explored in search of fungi4 8,in ,october1 #ahff1 while on the ,cumberland ,mountains in ,tennessee1 a plateau less than #ajjj feet above the valleys below1 although having very little leisure for examination during the two days spent there1 ,i counted eighteen species of edible fungi4 ,of the four or five species which ,i collected there for the table1 all who partook of them1 none of whom had before eaten mushrooms1 most emphatically declared them delicious4 ,on my return homeward1 while stopping for a few hours at a station in ,virginia1 ,i gathered eight good species within a few hundred yards of the dpt4 ,and so it seems to be throughout the country4 ,hill and plain1 mountain and valley1 woods1 fields1 and pastures1 swarm with a profusion of good1 nutritious fungi1 which are allowed to decay where they spring up1 because people do not know how1 or are afraid1 to use them4 ,by those of us who know their use their value was appreciated1 as never before1 during our late war1 when other food1 especially meat1 was scarce and dear4 ,then such persons as ,i have heard express a preference for mushrooms over meat had generally no need to lack grateful food1 as it was easily had for the gathering1 and within easy distance of their homes if living in the country4 ,such was not always the case1 however4 ,i remember on one occasion during the gloomy period1 when there had been a protracted drought1 and fleshy fungi were to be found only in damp1 shaded woods1 and but few even there1 ,i was unable to find enough of any one species for a meal2 so gathering of every kind1 ,i brought home thirteen different kinds1 had them all cooked together in one grand pot pourri1 and made an excellent supper4 ,among these was the ,chantarelle1 upon which ,i would say a few words in confirmation of what ,i have already said upon the varying qualities of mushrooms in different regions and localities4 ,you have somewhere written of this mushroom as being so highly esteemed a delicacy1 that it is much sought for when a dinner of state is given in ,london4 ,can this be because it is a rarity8 7for nothing common and easily obtained is deemed a delicacy1 ,i believe71 or because you have it of finer flavour in ,england8 ,here1 where it abounds1 no one seems to care at all for it1 and some would forego mushrooms entirely rather than eat this4 ,it certainly varies much in quality1 as ,i have occasionally found it quite palatable1 and again1 though cooked in the same mode1 very indifferent4 ,i have been unable to ascertain whether this difference is due to locality1 exposure1 shade1 soil1 moisture1 or temperature4 ,that soil has much to do with the flavour of some species of mushrooms ,i am well convinced4 ,in a parcel of pink gills ,i have sometimes found one or two specimens1 though perfectly sound1 of such unpleasant odour and taste as would spoil a whole dish4 ,so also with the snowball 7,a4 arvensis71 of which ,i annually find a few beautiful specimens growing near my residence1 upon a grassy turf which covers a pile of trash made up of decomposed sticks1 leaves1 and scrapings from the adjoining soil4 ,their taste and odour are perfectly detestable4 ,i had one specimen cooked1 but no amount of seasoning could abate the offensiveness of the odious thing2 yet within a hundred yards of these ,i gather specimens of the same identical species1 which are of fine flavour1 equal to that of the best mushrooms4 ,as ,i have before intimated the varying flavour of mushrooms growing on different kinds of wood1 so here ,i suppose the unpleasant qualities of some specimens of these two well-known and favourite species1 may be owing to something in the soil where they grow which they cannot assimilate1 and so render a palatable and wholesome species totally unfit for the table4 ,whether such specimens1 if eaten1 would be poisonous or unwholesome1 ,i do not feel any temptation to prove4 ,it is not probable that they will ever do any mischief1 for it is incredible that any human being should so pervert his instincts as to swallow such a villanous concoction4 8,experience and observations like these would perhaps justify the inference that an innocent species may sometimes be deleterious1 on account of its taking up some bad element from the soil4 ,but as ,i have never known a case of poisoning in families that are well acquainted with the common mushroom or pink gill1 that gather the specimens for themselves1 and have used this article of food annually for many generations1 ,i cannot agree with a suggestion somewhere made by you1 that perhaps all mushrooms contain a poisonous element1 but some of them in such small quantity as to have no appreciable effect4 ,now1 had you seen the quantities of stewed mushrooms swallowed at a single meal which ,i have seen thus devoured1 and with no more harm than from the same amount of oyster or turtle soup1 ,i think you would be forced to the conclusion that such an amount1 even of poisonous infinitesimals1 must have had some very unpleasant manifestations1 or else be a very innocent diet4 8,it is said that the sale of the pink gill 7,a4 campestris7 is forbidden in the ,italian markets1 because that species has often proved to be poisonous4 ,may not this have been occasioned by ignorant and careless collectors or by worthless inspectors8 ,to us in ,america1 who use this species so freely and fearlessly1 the ,italian's curse1 #8,may he die of a ,pratiolo6' would have no more terror than #8,may he die of aromatic pain4' 8,our best and standard mushrooms are the pink-gill 7,a4 campestris72 snowball 7,a4 arvensis72 peach-kernel 7,a4 amygdalinus72 nut 7,a4 procerus72 ,french 7,a4 prunulus72 morel 7,m4 esculenta72 coral 7,clavaria72 and omelette 7,lycoperdon giganteum74 ,these are almost universally in high esteem4 ,yet tastes differ on these things as on fruits and vegetables2 some putting one1 some another1 at the head of the list1 though fond of all and ever ready to use any of them--as one who prefers a peach may yet relish an apple4 ,there are some among us who regard ,a4 procerus as fully equal to ,a4 campestris1 and ,i am almost of the same opinion4 ,when broiled or fried it truly makes a luscious morsel4 ,i mention in this connexion1 that this species here bears the name of nut mushroom1 from a quality that ,i do not find mentioned in the books which describe it4 ,the stem when fresh and young has a sweet nutty flavour1 very similar to that of the hazel nut4 ,is this the case with you8 ,its flavour is so agreeable that ,i am fond of chewing the fresh stems4 ,from this peculiarity in connexion with its movable ring1 its form and colours1 ,i deem it a perfectly safe species to recommend for collecting4 ,we have no species likely to be mistaken for it1 except ,a4 rachodes1 and ,i fully tested the innocence of this before commending the first to others4 ,this has been suspected by some1 but ,i have found it harmless4 ,though pretty well flavoured1 it is not comparable with ,a4 procerus1 and the flesh is so thin and spongy that no one would choose it when those of more compact texture are to be had4 ,a4 excoriatus1 of the same group1 is a much preferable species4 8,the ,morel is one of my greatest favourites1 but this is not found in quantity except in calcareous districts4 ,a few days since 7,april #ba7 ,i had a dozen for supper1 the largest number ,i ever had at one time4 8,the ,lycoperdon giganteum is also a great favourite with me1 as it is1 indeed1 with all my acquaintances who have tried it4 ,it has not the high aroma of some others1 but it has a delicacy of flavour that makes it superior to any omelette ,i have ever eaten4 ,it seems1 furthermore1 to be so digestible as to adapt it to the most delicate stomachs4 ,this is the ,south ,down of mushrooms4 8,in this latitude 7about #cf degrees7 we can find good mushrooms for the table during nine or ten months of the year4 ,including ,a4 salignus1 which some are quite fond of1 we can have them in every month1 as this species comes out during any warm spell in winter4 ,a4 campestris makes its appearance here as early as ,march1 but is not in full crop until ,september4 ,several excellent species of the ,tricholoma group do not spring up until after frost sets in1 and continue into ,december4 ,such is the case too with ,boletus collinitus1 which sometimes emerges from the earth frozen solid4 8,these observations and experiences are confined chiefly to the ,carolinas2 though ,i presume1 from casual observations elsewhere1 and from information derived from correspondents in other ,states1 that1 making some allowance for difference of climate and length of seasons1 what ,i have said is generally applicable to the whole country40 ,why we should not eat ,funguses4 ,the following interesting paper from the ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,la ,touche was read at a meeting of the ,woolhope ,naturalists' ,field ,club3-- 8,it is said that at ,rome1 when a mortal is about to be raised to the dignity of sainthood1 the precaution is taken of providing a #8devil's advocate1' who1 by pointing out as strongly as he can all the faults of the candidate1 secures the fair discussion of both sides of the question1 and is a guarantee1 moreover1 that no unworthy aspirant to such exalted honours should be rashly admitted to them4 8,on the present occasion ,i make bold to present myself in this unamiable capacity4 ,no member1 indeed1 of this respected ,club is seeking canonization1 yet1 a step not less important is contemplated in the enrolment of a hitherto despised and even abhorred member of the vegetable kingdom among the list of its edible products2 indeed1 some may consider such a step as of more importance to our race than the apotheosis of a peccant mortal2 and therefore it would appear that1 if in the one instance it is desirable that all the peccadilloes of the candidate should be exposed1 a fortiori1 it must be so in the other4 8,let me1 then1 first observe that these gentlemen at the bar have actually a very bad character1 and that it is not likely that this would be the case unless they were really great sinners4 8,here1 some will exclaim1 no doubt1 #8,prejudice1 my dear sir6 vulgar prejudice is capable of the grossest injustice--ignorant prejudice has driven from our tables a delicious article of food1 and deprived the poor of a wholesome diet4' ,it is often said that he was a brave man who first ate an oyster1 and truly a more uninviting mouthful than it was could scarcely be imagined2 and yet the fact that it is good and wholesome soon disposed of any prejudice against it4 ,and is it not likely that such would be the case1 were the fungus tribe fit for human food8 ,can we suppose any prejudice arising from their leathery looks would not evaporate like mists before the morning sun1 were they really the nutritious and delicious dainties they are described to be by their enthusiastic advocates8 8,i think it may be observed that the general character which a man bears is1 on the whole1 a true one4 ,that big school1 the world in which we live1 contrives1 in some way or other1 to hit off pretty accurately our average merit and take our measure1 and though it may make a mistake now and then in some particular instance1 its general estimate is a fair one2 and so with funguses4 ,there may be a too-sweeping condemnation of all kinds of them3 nay1 it may be even probable that ,agaricus campestris is not the best that grows1 and yet1 after all1 the prevalent distrust of the tribe is well founded4 8,when1 e4g41 some family in a parish is known to have been poisoned by eating a wrong sort1 it is not surprising1 nor can it be called stupid prejudice1 if their neighbours are ever after rather shy of the article of food which produced that result4 ,but it will be said that the mischief arose from ignorance--had that family known the marks that distinguish between the wholesome and the poisonous kinds this would never have taken place4 ,if ever there was a case in which ignorance was bliss1 surely this is it4 ,a short time ago1 ,i accompanied a scientific friend in a foray among the funguses1 which we made with a special view to the improvement of our intended repast1 and was on that occasion struck with the elaborate precautions which seemed to be necessary to observe in discriminating the good from the bad4 ,it would almost seem that ,nature had purposely contrived a labyrinth of ingenious stumbling-blocks to guard this mysterious product from the insatiable appetites of mankind2 and so it came to pass after all1 my good friend--who really seemed well up in the subject1 and who found at every turn some well-known test of wholesomeness or otherwise to guide him in the specimens we collected--wound up the day by nearly poisoning a member of my family3 for he had1 it appears1 mistaken ,boletus flavus1 a violent poison1 for the very similar but wholesome and excellent ,boletus luteus--the only difference being that the pores of the one are somewhat smaller and less angular than those of the other4 ,surely1 in this instance1 knowledge 7and it was not in his case a little knowledge either7 was a dangerous thing4 8,but still it may be said that there are species the characters of which are sufficiently well-defined1 and that from these1 at least1 the stigma ought to be removed4 ,but even so1 ,i would submit one or two questions to those who may be inclined to admit this4 #ast4 ,is it so clear that a fungus which agrees with one person may not be very injurious to another8 ,one man has1 to use a vulgar expression1 the stomach of a horse4 ,can ,i1 an average mortal1 calculate on possessing such a treasure8 ,i saw with my own eyes my scientific friend eat and swallow an entire ,boletus flavus1 raw1 without any apparent bad effects either that evening or the following day1 whereas a small portion of the same kind1 cooked too 7,i cannot1 however1 say secundum artem71 produced violent sickness on another individual1 who1 moreover1 had never before experienced sickness2 indeed1 this fact would seem to suggest that the stomach may be #8educated' by long habit to bear this noxious food1 and1 therefore1 that its evil effects 7harmless upon organs well trained7 happen when the experimentum in corpore vili is tried4 ,my friend assures me that he has eaten the highly poisonous ,boletus satanas with no worse effect than a little indigestion the next morning4 ,can1 ,i would ask1 the experience of such a seasoned digestive apparatus as his be any guide to those who have not gone through the course of training which he has8 8,again1 may it not be possible that the same kind of fungus which in some instances is wholesome1 may1 if grown under different circumstances1 and supplied with different nutriment1 assume very different properties8 ,and again1 are we competent to judge of the wholesomeness of a particular article of food unless it is tried by a very large number of persons--unless it be #8exhibited1' to use a medical term1 on a great variety of constitutions8 ,indeed1 is there not some ground for thinking that such an exhibition would be in many instances far from satisfactory8 8,on the whole1 it would appear that the advice of an eminent physician1 an ardent admirer of the fungus1 was good and sound4 ,when he heard of the escape my family had on this occasion1 he said that this article of diet should be partaken of with #8great caution4' ,and by the way1 is not this itself a very suspicious expression8 #8,great caution6' ,if ,i am introduced to a gentleman1 and told at the same time that ,i must conduct myself towards him with #8great caution' or he will probably do me some deadly mischief1 it would hardly be thought a very hearty and promising introduction2 yet here we are told that this excellent family to which we are so warmly introduced has some members belonging to it so villanously disposed1 that possibly we may pay for our acquaintance with our lives4 ,this is not very encouraging1 and so the course adopted by a young lady who indulges in these experiments1 to whom ,i was speaking the other day1 would seem to be a very prudent one4 ,she says she never partakes of these dainties till she has seen the effect they have had upon somebody else6 ,but even so1 only picture the ghastly scene which a banquet of this kind would present2 each guest looking anxiously into his neighbour's face1 awaiting in terror the contortions which are to show that he has partaken of the fatal dish40 ,while ,mr4 ,la ,touche's paper should not deter us from using and showing others the value of the quantities of edible fungi now generally allowed to rot in our fields and woods1 and nowhere perhaps so abundant as in the pleasure grounds and woods round country seats1 yet1 as impressing the necessity of using due discrimination in gathering1 it may be read with advantage by all4 ,,index4 ,,page ,,agaricus amygdalinus1 #adg arvensis1 #ih ,csareus1 #ig1 #aeb cspitosus 7,lentinus71 #adi campestris1 #ie cylindricus1 #aah excoriatus1 #aad fimetarius1 #aah frumentaceus1 #adh gambosus1 #aba melleus1 #adi nebularis1 #abg orcella1 #ada procerus1 #aac prunulus1 #adc rachodes1 #aad rubescens1 #abe salignus1 #aec typhoides1 #aah villaticus1 #ajj 8,agaric of civilization01 #aai ,american ,edible ,fungi1 #ade ,arches1 ,mushroom culture in1 #dg ,,boletus collinitus1 #adi flavidus1 #adi flavus1 #afc luteus1 #afc satanas1 #afd ,bricks1 mushroom-spawn in1 #be ,brown ,warty ,agaric1 #abe ,,cantharellus cibarius1 #acg ,cave-culture of mushrooms1 #eg ,cellars1 mushroom culture in1 #ea ,champignonniste at ,montrouge1 #eg ,chantarelle1 #acg ,clavaria1 #aeh ,clouded ,mushroom1 #abg ,common ,mushrooms1 #ie how to cook the1 #ajb ,coprinus comatus1 #aag ,coral ,mushroom1 #aeh ,covering for ,mushroom-beds1 #cd advantageous to ,mushroom crop1 #hg ,cucumber frames1 ,mushroom culture in1 #ef ,,fairy-,,ring ,champignon1 #ajh ,fermentation of manure1 how prevented1 #af ,floor of ,mushroom-house1 #c1 #e ,french mode of preparing manure1 #af ,mushroom-caves1 #eg1 #ga ,mushroom-spawn1 #bh ,forsyth's ,mushroom-house1 #g ,frogmore1 ,mushroom-house at1 #e ,,gardens and fields1 ,mushroom culture in1 #gg ,gardens about ,london1 ,mushroom culture in1 #gh ,greenhouses1 ,mushroom culture in1 #ec ,,habitats of the wild ,mushroom1 #ij ,heating of the ,mushroom-house1 #f ,hedgehog ,mushroom1 #aci ,horse ,mushroom1 #ih ,hydnum repandum1 #aci ,hygrophorus pratensis1 #ace psittacinus1 #acf virgineus1 #ace niveus1 #acf ,,iron injurious to ,mushrooms1 #gd ,,lactarius deliciosus1 #abi piperatus1 #aej torminosus 7necator71 #acj ,lawns1 ,mushroom culture not desirable on1 #ic ,lycoperdon giganteum1 #aei ,,maned ,agaric1 the1 #aag ,manure1 preparation of1 #ac ,mr4 ,early's method of preparing1 #ad ,mr4 ,barnes's 1 #ad ,frogmore 1 #ae how prepared by ,london market-gardeners1 #ae how kept from fermenting1 #af ,french mode of preparing1 #af summary of directions for preparing1 #ag ,marasmius oreades1 #ajh urens1 #aji ,mill-track ,mushroom-spawn1 #bg ,montrouge1 ,mushroom-caves at1 #eg ,morchella esculenta1 #acj ,morel1 the1 #acj ,mouceron or mousseron1 #abc1 #adc ,mushroom-beds1 materials for1 #ac of sawdust1 #ai of leaves and loam1 #ai1 #ba of street-sweepings1 c41 #ai chief point to be observed in making1 #ba best time for making1 #ba depth of1 #ah in a stable1 #cj covering for1 #cd how to reduce the heat of1 #cd how to ascertain the heat of1 #cd how to spawn properly1 #ce soil for earthing1 #cg the watering of1 #ch vermin in1 #ci treatment of old1 #da1 #df temperature of1 #cc1 #gi soil for covering1 #gi caves1 contrivance for watering beds in1 #ge for making beds in1 #ge localities of1 #ge depth of1 #ah1 #gf immense extent of1 #gf at ,montrouge1 #eg description of soil used in1 #fa daily produce of1 #fb appearance of beds in1 #fa kind of manure used in1 #fe difficulty in visiting1 #fe at ,frpillon1 account of1 #ff extent of beds in1 #ff plan of1 #fh appearance of beds in1 #gj daily produce of1 #ff1 #gj preparation of manure in1 #ga of spawn in1 #gc crop1 how to gather1 #db culture in a shed1 #de in arches1 #dg in stables1 #di in cellars1 #ea in bottoms of old casks1 #eb in cold greenhouses1 #ec under stages in glass-houses1 #ee in cucumber or melon frames1 #ef in caves near ,paris1 #eg open-air in ,parisian market gardens1 #hj in gardens among other crops1 #hd in gardens and fields1 #gg in summer1 #gg in gardens at ,earl's ,court1 #gh on lawns not desirable1 #ic in pastures1 c41 #hh growing in open-air1 ,mr4 ,ayres's account of1 #he ,mushrooms dislike coal and iron1 #gd tar1 #dh ,mushroom-house1 chief requirement in the construction of1 #b at back of hothouses1 #b floor of1 #c1 #e without artificial heat1 #d with slate or tiled roof1 #d with thatched roof1 #e condition of air in1 #d at ,frogmore1 #e how secured from damp1 #e1 #f best position for1 #f how heated1 #f used for forcing and blanching vegetables1 #f under shed 7,forsyth's71 #g best kind of shelves for1 #g at ,stoke ,place1 #h against wall1 best roof for1 #i proper width of1 #i ,russian 7,oldacre's71 #aj ventilation of1 #e1 #g1 #i with brick arched inner roof1 #i with close-bottomed shelves1 #i shelves of cast-iron grating for1 #aa necessity of cleaning1 #db temperature of1 #cc spawn1 what it is1 #bc how obtained in the first instance1 #bd 8natural0 or 8virgin01 #bd how to preserve1 #be in bricks1 #be recipes for making1 #bf mill-track1 #bg ,french1 #bh how to save the expense of purchasing1 #bi ,french1 experiment with1 #cj ,mushrooms not produced by chance1 #hi quantities exported from ,france1 #fd ,,nut ,mushroom1 #aeh ,,oldacre',s mushroom-house1 #aj ,old mushroom-beds1 treatment of1 #da ,omelette1 #aeh ,open-air culture of ,mushrooms at ,paris1 #hj ,orange-milk ,mushroom1 #abi ,orgelle1 #ada ,,pastures1 how to introduce ,mushrooms into1 #ib ,parasol ,agaric1 #aac ,peach-kernel ,mushroom1 #aeh ,pink-gill ,mushroom1 #aeh ,places in which ,mushrooms may be grown1 #a ,plum ,mushroom1 #adc ,polyporus ,berkelei1 #aej confluens1 #aej frondosus1 #aej ovinus1 #adi poripes1 #adi sulfureus1 #aej ,pratiolo1 #ig1 #aeh ,,rain1 injurious to mushroom-crop1 #hg ,red-fleshed ,mushroom1 #abe ,roof of mushroom-house1 #d1 #e ,russian mushroom-house1 #aj ,,sawdust for mushroom-beds1 #ai ,scaly ,mushroom1 #aac ,shed1 mushroom-house under1 #g mushroom culture in1 #de ,shelves of mushroom-house1 #g cast-iron grating for1 #aa ,snowball ,mushroom1 #aeh ,soil for earthing mushroom-beds1 #cg ,spawn1 how to prepare without expense1 #ia ,spinaroli1 #abc ,spine-bearing ,mushroom1 #aci ,stables1 mushroom culture in1 #di ,stoke ,place1 mushroom-house at1 #h ,street-sweepings for mushroom-beds1 #ai ,st4 ,george's ,mushroom1 #aba ,summer cultivation of ,mushrooms1 #gg ,,tar1 ,mushrooms' dislike of1 #dh ,temperature of mushroom-beds1 #cc of mushroom-house1 #cc ,,vegetable ,sweetbread1 #ada ,ventilation of mushroom-house1 #e1 #g1 #i ,vermin in mushroom-beds1 #ci 8,virgin0 mushroom-spawn1 #bd ,viscid ,white ,mushroom1 #ace ,,watering of mushroom-beds1 the1 #ch 8,why should we not eat ,funguses01 #afj ,,the ,,end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,missing periods and quotation marks have been supplied where obviously required4 ,all other original errors and inconsistencies have been retained1 except as follows3 ,page #ajf3 medium-sized changed to medium-size 7or so of medium-size1 place two7 ,page #abc3 ,stafora changed to ,staffora 7the valley of ,staffora1 near ,bobbio17 ,page #ach3 ,cantharelle changed to ,chantarelle 7dressing the ,chantarelle are7 ,page #afe3 person--sunless changed to persons--unless 7number of persons--unless it be7