Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10


up 10 the fact that an important source OF
food supply in the United States has been
hitherto neglected. In Europe various
kinds of fungi contribute largely to the
support of the population in certain regions.
need hardly speak Of the cultivation of
agarics, which is conducted in France On
such a great scale. Already something is
being done in that direction on this side
OF the water When the American farmer
realizes that he can produce at almost TO
eXpence a winter crop for which there is
always market demand, new agricul-
tural industry will quickly develop The
manure required for the purpose is all the
better for applying to land after it has done
service in mushroom beds. There is more
money in the business for farmers wives
than in hens, and Il may De carried at
time OF year when hens are not laying.
Some Exploded Ideas.
There are some popular notions about
mushrooms which ought to be explod Il.
one of them is to the effect that silver
spoon used for stirring them while they
cook will turn black if any toadstoolS are
among them. There is no reliance TO be
placed on such test and similar belief
entertained respecting a white onion is
equally without foundation. Mushrooms
that change color when cut are not ALWAYS
poisonous Edible fungi usually have an
odor like fresh meal, and a flavor Of hazel
nuts. But no absolute fdith is to be placed
in smell and taste. Certain species that
are dangerous when raw become escuent
when cooked. The safest plan is to avoid
mushrooms that have a disagreeable flavor.
Specimens growing in filthy places should
be looked upon with suspicion. Brilliant
hues, such as mark the false orange are
also suspicious. The only security in this
matter is in the identification of species.
Not long ago a man wrote to me from
Oregon, saying: With this mail | send YOU
what L shall call the poultry mushroom
till you give me a better name for it. In
its habits ii seems a link between VcSe-
table and animal life. 1t lives in FIR and
hazel woods, on hill or fiat grounl. At
first 1t pushes itself up through the ground
and sits up on end just like an egg, FROM
the size of 4 gr0use's egg to that of Il giant
goose egg. The period of the hatch de-
ponds upon the degree of humidity and heat
in the atmosphere. Generally 1t requires
about three days. One other quality IL has
in common with it's bipe1 relative. il some
times dies and rots in the egg OF course
this description might apply to any of the
amanita family.
The manner in which a mushroom grows
and develops iS no longer a mystery It's
seeds are produced on the under side of the
top. microscopic and of such vast numbers
that a single agaric often has as many as
1O.WOOOo. These Spores as they are
called, when they fall upon suitable ground.
send forth fire cotton-l!ke threads which
bring nOurishment to them. The spore be-
ing thus supplied with food from the earth,
swells into a fleshy kernel. From this
velo2ed before it shows above the ground.
1t requires several weeks TO form, hning
held compact and in small compass Then
moist night comes, the cells expand, and
the mushroom pushes itself out above the
surface. Though much bigger. it is no
heavier than the day before. when 1t lay
hidden under the top layer of soil Such IS
the fact. opposed to the fiction that
mushrooms grow in a night.
The bliShts and mildews which attack
plants are now known to be diseases caused
by parasitic fungi. related to mushrooms
which feed upon vegetable Growths. 1t used
to be supposed that such diseases. when
they reduced the yield Of the crODs. were
occasional by supernatural agencies. To
INQUIRE about them was certainly hopeless
and probably impiOus. It is now known
that there are nearly as many species of
fungi as of towering plants"
TruireS Can he Cultivated.
Until recently it was supposed that the
edible fungus known as the 'truffle'' could
not be produced by cultivation. But it has
been discovered that this was a mistake
In fact. this sort of farming is now carried
on in France to considerable extent. the
land selected for the purpose being as poor
and barren as possible 1t is not practi-
cable to plant the trutfies themselves but
plantations of oaks set out as saplngs in
dry and rocky ground will produce them.
They grow about the roots of the young
trees, and il only remains 10 dig them up.
Acorns may be sown for the same par
pose. but that method is slower. This is
great improvement on the old plan of gath
ering wild truffles by the aid of pigs.
The primitive method to drive the
pigs about. and, when one of them CHANGED
to root up a truffle-they are extremely
fond of the delicacy-to whack the animal
on the snOut and make him drop it. Later
on trained dogs were pressed into the
service, and even now they are employed
to a large extent at truffle hunting They
are fed preliminarily truflles. until they
have acquired a taste for them. BY cult
walton it is reckOned that two acres of
land will yield SlIJ worth of trufles an
nually.
The natural production of the trufie used
to be regarded as highly mysterious. but
it is now known that little blue-winGei
fly is responsible for it. July is the insects
period OF activity. and during that month
1t seeks an oak tree and cuts a little wound
in the root. There it lays it's eggs. From
the scar thus made exudes a viscous sub
into truffie. The truffie is about big
as q walnut. rough, brown and warty.
When cut open, it's interior reveals r black,
shiny and slightly marbled flesh. There is
more than one variety.
TrutIles occur in some portions of the
United States. but. for obvious reasons.
very little is known about them in this
country, nobody taking the trouble to dig
them up. They grow in various parts of
Europe. but the French are the best France
annually produces 3D0.OOO pounds of this
fungus, valued at 81 pound. In Australia
grows truflle of two pounds weight. which
IS known as native bread" The only way
TO be sure of getting real truifles is to buy
them whole because they are much imi-
tated. The counterfeit article usually relies
on appearance for deceiving, possessing
no flavor worth mentioning.