The Newtown bee., 1894-06-08

time or at low wages, must possess peculiar interest. ssHard times" may now and then compel us to look into Natures bountiful storehouse for supple mentary supply of food. And nature, almost always lavish in her gifts, has indeed provided bountiful supply, which in this country has been greatly overlooked and almost entirely neglected until very recent years.
 Mushrooms have been and still are much more largely consumed in Europe than in this country. In China, also, where, with her teeming population, the cost of living seems to be reduced almost to its minimum, they are extensively us- ed. China itself does not supply its own demand for them, and therefore they im- port large quantities from Japan and other islands of the Pacific ocean. In some of the cities of Europe, the con sumption of them is so great that SUD- erintendent of the market is employed to inspect those offered for sale, and to des- troy those that are unwhoiesome or un- fit for food. In this way it has been as- certained that more than 30 tons are an- nually consumed in Rome alone! They are not used by the poorer classes of peo- pie exclusively, for the wealthy and the nobility are apparently as fond of them as any other class. They are served at the tables of the hotels and on great oc- casions.
 In this country, the high price of the common or cultivated mushroom (usual ly fifty cents to 8 dollar pound) ex- cludes it from the tables of the poor who live in cities, or where they are unable to gather it in the wild state; but fortunate ly for them, there are many other species quite as good as this, which It is possible to have in the season for the trouble of gathering. No labor is expended in their cultivation, no costly hot-houses or mushroom cellars are occupied by them :; nature produces them at her own ex- pense, ard often in great abundance. They afford palatable and nutritious food; and yet they are generally allowed to decay where they grew. In this State alone, at least 75 species are known to oc- are here also nearly 600 other fies hy or similar fungi, many of which will doubt less yet be found to be edible. Experi- mentors are already in the field, and ad- ditions are frequently made to the escu- lent list. It is true that some are of small size, or of rare occurrence or limit ed range; but others occur with fre- quency, are of fair size and wide range, and in favorable seasons and localities are found in great profusion. Some oc- cur early in the season, others in mid summer, and many in late summer and in autumn; so that there is a succession of crops, which in wet seasons at least make an almost continuous supply pos sible.
 They constitute very nutritious and sustaining diet. Chemical analysis, as well as experience, indicates this. The fnrOoor hoe chnxUn that thpu contain in | their dry matter from 20 to 50 per cent of the whole. So much water causes them to shrivel greatly in drying, and so ! much nitrogenous material induces rapid decay and loathsome decomposition, un- | less quickly dried and kept dry. This should teach moderation in their use. A | hearty meal of mushrooms alone might l be expected to produce consequences | similar to those following a large repast on nothing but beefsteak. It also teaches | the necessity of care in the selection ot the specimens to be utilized. Only
 sound and fresh specimens. young ol l just mature, should be taken.
 Many insects are fond of mushrooms | Both they and their larva feed on then
 and in them. A mushroom may appear fair on it's exterior, which if cut or brok en will show it's interior to be full o1 I
 larva, and perhaps may reveal living colony of the larve themselves. It ii
 needless to say that such specimens
 should be rejected at once. The larva
 most often enter at the base of the sten
 and mine their way up through the sten to the cap. When this is the case, anl
 they have reached the cap, their presenc.
 will be revealed when the cap is GU
 from the stem, for the small holes through
 which they have passed will easily bt seen. Sometimes the eggs are deposited by the parent insect on the surface of thu cap, and when matched, the larve at once eat their way into the flesh beneath. Strange as it may seem, colony O 1 larve in the lower part of the stem of s | mushroom will often affect disastrously
 the flavor of the cap or upper part, whicl they have not yet touched. Sometimes part of cap will show signs of decay l while part remains apparently sound Better reject the whole in such cases l Also discard those that are watersoaked for this is often an indication of age an6 incipient decay.
 The fact that most mushrooms art ! shortlived and decay rapidly also teaches
 the importance of cooking them prompt | ly after they have been gathered. AS
 
 day. If the collector has been fortunate I enough to obtain more than enough fol ! meal, it is generally better to cook tht | whole lot at once, as they will not spoi
 as soon in the cooked as in the raw state ! In collecting mushrooms that have stems, it is not advisable to take the stems except in those cases in whicf l they are sufficient tender to be utilized | generally they are too tough. Care should be taken to keep the mushrooms as clean as possible. Sometimes soil | sticks and leaves are carried up in the | growth of the mushroom and remain or
 the cap. This is especially the case witt ! those species that have viscid or sticky | surface to the cap. It is better to cleal l this rubbish carefully away before put | ting the specimens in the collecting basket. If this is not done, such speci mems should at least be wrapped separate l ly in paper, that they may not soil others In preparing for cooking, all having Z l dirty. tough or viscid cuticle should be \ thoroughly washed or wiped clean ol peeled. In the case of boleti, it is wei | to remove the porous part from the cap | for these pores are apt to form shiny unpleasars mass in cooking. They art easily / parable from the flesh of the cap
 In lcras specimens the cap may be cut II | siIces.
 | The mode of cooking will depend or | the kind of mushroom, the tastes of those | that are to eat them, and the convent ences at hand. It is customary to fry 1 broil or stew them, and in each case tt
 season or dress them according to taste or the knowledge of the cook. The ob | ject to be kept in view is to make pala table and at the same time digestible dish. Sometimes mushrooms are used il small quantity, chiefly to give flavor t
 meats or other dishes. Mushroome of in