The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-07-09
Edible Fungi.

Very few specimens of fungi are pOpu-
Iarly recognized as being edible, while
prejudice IN some cases, and fear of
poison in others, will always prevent
additions to the small number now used
as food. Great caution is undoubtedly
proper In the essay of the Untried
species but prejudice and ignorance
should not stand in the way and prevent
the use of the many escUlent species
which are allowed to rot in untold
thousands. Science Will no doubt dissi-
pate these fears and prejUdices, and
make to our food crop large and cheap
addition.
In Great Britain thousands of people,
particularly of the lower classes, will
eat no mushroom except that known as
field mushroom, while IN Italy and
Hungary a strong prejudice exists
against this same species. This preiu-
dice arises from the fact that other fungi
are cOnfOunded with it through lgnOr-
ance, and fatal accidents sometimes
occur which would be prevented by OBJ
serving that the true field mushroom
always has purple spores, gills at first
of pink color and afterward of purple.
permanent ring or collar around the
stem, and that it is never found IN
woods, its home always being on the
open plains or commons.
The meadow mushroom grows In low
land pastures, and has a stronger flavor
than that of the fields. In England 1T
is sold IN great quantities and IS there
known as the "hOTse mushroom" be-
cause of the enormous size It atta1ns,
single specimen sometimes weighing
fourteen pounds. In addition to these
two there are fOrty-nine other varieties
D L N.r.4 LrrNr.v .vrvra tn hTf-
anists as escuIent and excellent, some of
them attaining a diameter of fourteen
inches, others five or six inches, and
another, "the nail fungus" scarcely ex-
| ceeding one inch In diameter.
Hills, plains, valleys, fields and pas
lures all over the world are as alive with
| these nutritious fungi as the soil of
! Nebraska is with grasshOppeTs. NIL
! lions of tons of them are allowed to rot
where they spring up, simply because
| ignorance or fear prevents their utiliza-
| ton as food. It is true that the dis
| tinctions bet Reen the edible mushroom
! and some of its unpleasant cousins can
not be easily understood by any but
/ bOtanists, and yet this difficulty might
/ be materially obviated if botanic writer's
would describe the distinctions In words
| that could be popularity understood, or
] JuaG, at ledsB, may DC lOuLS III OiCt4CA-
aries. The botanical nomenclature may
| be as good as it is ingenious, but 10
non bOtanists it is as incomprehenslble
as the inscription on the Elgin marbles:
Let it be preserved for bOOkwOrms, II
need must, but let 1t be also translated
for common use
Among the remarkable esculeDts Of
this class may be mentioned the g beef
steak fungus" It is juicy and fieshy,
and its sections resemble beef IN ap
Dearance. DR.. Badbam, a student OF
fuugi. found one of them five feet IN
circumference and weighing elght
pounds. and another was fo.'nd bV
DR.. Graves, nearly twenty tett ID or
cumference and weighing thirty on"i5
Il grows II parts of Germany where J.
| is sliced and eaten with salad, and 1t II
biehlv esteemed as nutritious food. A
species of puff ball, bOtanlcauy known
as LycopcrdOn giganteuDt, when young
| is of a cream ike cOusIsteuce and an
excellent addition TO the breakfast
menu. A single one Is large enough 10
fes d ten or twelve persons, and some
members Of the species are a good sub
gtitute for truffles. A specimen men
toned in the Gardeners Chronicle
weighed ten pounds and was three feet
four inches In cifcumfeTence.-Babt-
more Sun.