Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-19
MUCH GOOD FooD WASTED.
Many Edible Mushrooms Found in Every
Fieid-How the Poisonous Species
May be Detected.

SIN
The speaker was that well-bnown gas
tronomer, Mr.. John Sutherland, and the
food Of which he spoke was mushrooms.
Few persons are aware that every acre OF
orchard, meadow ard woodland produces
spontaneously bushels of edible mush-
rooms every year between April and
December, and that those delicate and
savory vegetables thus obtainable In
quantities without any expense or labor
save that of gathering them in their nu-
tritiye qualities approach nearerto animal
food than any other vegetable production.
Indeed. they are the meat Ofthe vegetable
kingdom. An eminent authority says:
"MushrOOms in their whole composition
resemble meat in 50 remarkable manner
that any methods OF cooking in vogue for
delicate preparations Of meat apply with
equal force TO mushrooms" And some
readers of the Times have no doubt heard
Mr.. Sutherland state that when he was a
boy for days together at a time during
the mushroom season his mother put no
meat upon her table, but used in
stead mushrooms that grew wild about
their home in Worcestershire.
Mushrooms are cultivated on an extern
sive scale in the old catacOmbs Of Paris,
and to a considerable extent in vaults
made for the purpose in various places
contiguous to this city. but the mushroom
of commerce Is only one Of a great many
species, and is never equal in freshness
and flavor to those that can be gathered
at the very doors Of any one who lives in
the country. In a work published in
London about two years ago Mr.. Worth
ingtOn 6. Smith, probably the best au-
thOritv on the subject, enumerates no less
than % different species of edible mush-
rooms to be found growing almost any
where in England. All OF these species,
and it is said many more besides, are to
be found, a number OF them in abundance,
all about the country surrounding this
CITY. The mushroom reprOduces itselfby
spores instead OF roots or seeds, and an
idea Of its prOlificness may be de-
rived from the statement that a sin
gle plant will sometimes produce 10000
600 spores.
1t Is no wonder then that a gentleman
sometimes wakes up in the morning and
finds his lawn literally covered with
mushrooms. Indeed, they are sometimes
so numerous that it is impossible to put
your foot down without treading upon
them. Still the growth of the mushroom
is not so rapid as is generally supposed.
It is very great mistake, says a we'll
known authority, to imagine that the
sudden mushroom" grows in a single
night. The growth of mushrooms takes
considerable time-often many weeks.
The young fungi exist Just beneath or
upon the surface Of the earth in a CON-
pressed and narrowed compass. 1t is
during this period that the cells are form
cd, and the mushroom itself fashioned
but being in a squeezed and concentrated
form, it is commonly overlooked. On the
advent Of a wet or humid night the cells
forming the fungus are expanded and
stretched out, and the mushroom is con-
sequently thrust considerably above the
surface of the ground, but although it is
much larger in size, 1t is no heavier, nei-
Their has the substance itself considerably
increased.
The great difficulty in the way OF utili-
zing the immense quantity Of food fur
nished by the mushrooms is that many OF
the species are highly poisonous, some of
them deadly, and the inability of the great
mass of people to distinguish the edible
from the poisonous species has the effect
of keeping all but one or two well-known
varieties entirely out Of use. Nature,
however, seldom fails to stamp the dan
gerOus varieties with unmistakable signs.
If a mushroom "exhales delicious and
inviting fragrance resembling fruit, spice,
or new -four" it is probably both edible
and wholesome. but IL, on the other hand,
its Odor is unpleasant or fetid, or if it be
odorless and when tasted dsagreeable or
burns the tongue like scalding water, it
had better be let alone. Still care should
be exercised in eating unknown species,
even though they be not dIsagreeable in
Odor or taste, as IN the case Of tie poison
GUS forest mushroom, by which even so
excellent judge as Mr.. Smith was once
deceived and nearly killed. In testing a
doubtful species, therefore, it should be
eaten at first very sparingly.
The first thing TO be remembered in
gathering mushrooms for the table is that
they must be young and cooked while they
are sound. The most wholesome Ofmush-
rooms is likely to be indigestible if 1t is
overgrOwn, and liable to be injurious if il
ts unsOund. In this respect also it shows
Its similarity to meat, for it is sure to be
unsavory If II Is stale. The mushroom Of
commerce, popularity called the common
meadow mushroom, grows wild in album
dance in all rich meadows. There are
several varieties of IL and its convex but
ton-like top is familiar to all. 1t is the
only species generally known as edible,
while 'a very near ally and a most deli
cious species when fresh, viz, the So
called horse mushroom Is nearly always
rejected by country folks as dangerous"
This last often grows to an enormous size.
The top in good specimens Is smooth and
snowy white; the gills are not the pure
pink of the meadow mushroom, but dirty
brownish white, ultimately becoming
Sbrown-black. 1t has a big ragged, foe
oose ring, and its pithy stem Is inclined to
be hollow. II turns brownish yellow as
soon as broken on bruised.
Probably few persons are aware that
one OF the most wholesome, delicious AID
delicate mushrooms is the neglected plant
Which yields She purplish snbst. nco com
monty called TOAD powder" tits known
70 mushroom eaters as the giant puff ball
aud to science - LVcOpefd0n gig0ateua
me name having been suggested by the
gT>es size IL frequently 1ttalns. IL is one
OF the most common Of mushr0Omf, and
genF~hlly grows 10 the size of an apple,
II iS found in mv61ows and pastures and
epon lawns, and IA easily recognized by
ia superior size, its pure white color rs
smooth skin, and the resemblance thereof
= white I'D. Young spe 3imens must be
CHOSEN for cooking. such as are frm and
snow white inside and out. $40 cook
luis species satisfactorily and we'll"
says a "ell-known writer on the subject.
"cut ~ up Into slices half an inch thick.
remove the skin or bark. dip the slices
luto y0lk OF eggs, and fry in fresh butter.
IL VIII then bee found 10 have a delicate
aud delicious flavor; or served with lam
or Jelly It VIII prove au excellent substi-
tute for pastry"
IN az old pastures, and particularly
4 sH.a. 2.