Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-05-01
Fungi.
A Talk About Toad-stoois.
(Written for the TRIBUNE.)


| And the tulip curls it's leaves in pride,
And the blue-eyed violet turns aside.
| But the lily msy faunt and the tulip stare,
| For what does the honest toad stool carep'
OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
Almost everyone knows what are
mushrooms, and our intention now is
to have little talk about them and
other fungal growths. It is ordinari-
ly supposed that every fungus except
the common mushroom is poisonous;
such however, is far from being the
case, although, some kinds are SO ex-
ceedingly poisonous that people I'M
| acquainted with the mushroom tribe
in general, had better leave them all
I I alone. While some kinds have a
poisonous effect, others are merely in
toxicating; but there are fungi land a
large class they are) that kill by nei-
| ther poison, intoxication nor stupor,
of which We shall make mention, later
on.
insignificant as the fungi may, and
do appear to the ordinary observer,
they perform, nevertheless, a vast and
important work in the economy Of
nature. They, like every other class
in the natural kingdom, are divided
into groups, the various species of
each group bearing such closely re-
lated characteristics as to prove them
| to be relative. while their differences
are SO distinct as to prove them to be
distinct kinds. The common mush-
room and the commoner toadstool, be-
long to one group, the Agarics.
Comparatively few care to study
the works of Nature Still, some find
time profitably spent and derive great
pleasure from the study OF birds, in
sects and flowers; but how often will
you come across person VIII, can
find anything interesting in a toad
stool. Few there are who ever have
thought for such lowly vegetation,
and should they chance to see toad
stool anywhere, they give it kick,
breaking the tender plant into many
fragments; at the same time mutter-
ing something about, 'those confound-
ed toad stools. I don't see what they
were made for. What good are they
anyhow" Having thus relieved their
minds, they dismiss the subject.
| The structure Of the fungi is
marvellous; their growth interesting,
ard the vast variety Of form and color,
which they exhibit, is attractive to
the eager eye. But when ve come to
| the microscopic examination Of these
curious plants, we are more than ever
surprised, and cannot refrain from
e1claiming: How wonderful and
beautiful is the structure Of a fungus.
Late in autumn, when the flowers
are gone and few withered leaves,
rattle among the naked twigs of the
trees, many of these plants are in
their prime; and, so again in early
spring. when the tender buds begin
to unfold, and springtime flowers be-
gin to bloom, the fungi faunt their
many hues above the still brown
herbage. Is there an emblem Of de
cay? The fungus is it. When all
else is dead, it arises, spectre-like
from that very decay. Where ami
NAL or vegetable life is passing away,
it luxuriates; and often times it at
tacks the weak and sickly, Fastening
their death.
It is said there are upwards of a
thousands known species of toad
stools. But that group, large as it is,
covers only small proportion of the
fungus world. AS before mentioned,
there are many poisonous fungi. Some
produce violent abdomenal spasms,
the very severity of which is sufficient
to cause the death OF the victim; some
cause a swelling Of the body and
limbs, chemically changing and des-
troying the blood, and others again,
taken into the stomach, grow there,
causing the death Of the sufferer in
that way. Man is not the only one
liable to the attack of these insiduous
plants; for, birds, animals, reptiles,
fishes, insects and plants are all sub
ject to fungal growths.
Not only are living objects some
times forced to yield subsistence, but
dead Or deeaying matter; each in it's
turn yields rich feast to the fungus.
The writer has good cause to re-
member the effect of the common
mushroom. When at school he and
and another little boy collected a lot
of mushrooms and ate them raw just
before going to bed. After they had
been in bed an hour or two, the mush-
rooms began to work The boys had
violent stomach ache and naucea,
without being able to vomit. Then
these sweet cherubs became frighten-
ed. They repeated their prayers,