The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-23
Tho Boston BIycologists.

In tho dark backward and abysm or time
Boston was famous for the Anthology Club,
which developed into the North american
RcptetD, q publication written and edited by
many good authors and scholars, and finally
transferred to this town, to which the scat
Of authorship took It's way. VIII the his
tory Of the Boston theological Club follow
similar linesi VIII the study Of mush-
rooms bc as the study Of mani Will thero
be Theological Repietr, and will Now York
become ultimately the homo Of the scientific
testers of fungii Probably, for there are
Joy edible mushrooms than can DO found
anywhere else. At any rate, the work Of
the Boston theological Club IL interesting
and important. Few Of the numbers on the
long programme Of things At to eat are
equal to tho mushroom In temperament
and the capacity to give pleasure. To honor
that meritable fungus and silence the cal
umny of toadstools In tho chief purpose Of
the Boston theological Club. "To study
edible mushrooms and toadstools and
those noxious and poisonous kinds
which may be mistaken for them; to
arouse wider appreciation Of the value Of .
cheap and abundant food supply which IL In
America comparatively neglected; and by
exhibitions, lectures, and publications to
make easy and certain the recognition of
the few fungi that are poisonous and Of the
many that are delicious and substantial
food" A hundred societies In Boston pur-
sue noisily ends less valuable to the world.
The man who has never roamed the fields
and hunted mushrooms before breakfast
and for breakfast, and had them worthily
cooked after his successful return. knows
little Of nature and nothing Of art. It some
times seems to fish blooded outsiders that
the Boston Of these days devotes herself to
matters of small moment and warnings
over Of literary subjects naturally cold. In
returning to mushrooms, she returns to
some Of the principal and intrinsic facts
of life
Every Saturday, from 1e to 3, the Boston
theological Club has an exhibition and .
talk in horticultural Hall. II meets during
the winter for discussions and lectures,
and II conducts excursions for study and
collection in the field" With good cook
such excursions must be trips to the midst
Of the terrestrial paradise.
Mr.. HOLLIS WEBSTER Of Cambridge, the
Secretary Of the club, Is the author of an
account OF the Edible Fungi Collected
and Eaten by Members OF the Boston Myco-
logical Club, mainly during 1896" We
take the liberty Of extracting from his re-
port information OF value to all lovers Of
mushrooms; that Is, to n large majority
OF the friends of beauty and progress.
We must premise, however, that Mr..
WEBSTER and his theological colleagues
go little further in their philo-
mycology than the nero ordinary friend of
mushrooms is prepared to go. Mr.. WEB
sTER and his colleagues eat all sorts Of
fungi, and Of those wherefrom they fail to
die they say pleasant things This is an
admirable spirit, but 1t seems excessive to
hope that 1t will be generally initiated.
Take, for instance, Amantta nuscdrta L.
Falso Orange) Mr.. JULIUS A. PALMER,
the President Of the MycoloRers, knows
people who have eaten False Orange and
survived, and SO he has suggested that It Is
not poisonous. Mr.. EDMUND MICHAEL Of
Auerbach, Germany, whose "Guide for
Mushroom Lovers" is still in German, has
cooked and eaten " q fair-sized specimen "
Of False Orange, latter removing tho
skin Of the cap" He lived, and "be-
yond an unpleasant feeling In the throat
he was not affected. But the taste
was disagreeable Raw, in salad, IL was
still more disagreeable." This shows the
industry Of tho true fungus tester. His
taste must be catholic. He lives to test.
II he dies, he has died In q good cause, but
1t does not necessarily follow that the
fungus which slew him will slay other
folks. ut is we'll to say in regard to this
and other suspected fungi" remarks Mr..
WEBSTER, that experiments In eating
them should be made with great caution.
1t Is quite possible that what is safe for ono
person may be dangerous for another" 1t
is equally possible that what is danger
GUS for one person may be safe
for another. OF the edible amanitas
as whole, it is pleasant to hear that they
"are Of delicate flavor, require little cook
ing, and are excellent baked on toast, tight
ly covered" What more could be asked,
False Orange, also known as Fly Killer
and supposed to be deadly poison, should
not be allowed to prejudice the just mind
against the amanltas. There are constitu-
tions to which even the Fly Killer is not
dangerous, even II disagreeable. But why
not consider fungi Of better charactert The
Parasol (Lepiota prOcera Scopo)is "Rener-
ally reported as excellent cooked in any way
when old is very nutty, but tough; may be
dried" Nutty even when tough and an
tique, o excellent Parasol! Lepiotd rd-
chOdes Vttl is good sauted," better, for
example, than the curious word, "saut6d."
Leptota americana PIX. is excellent when
properly cooked" 1t has the additional
INERT of appearing in abundant and re-
peated crops, and Of keeping and drying
well. One OF our members has two bushels
dried, for winter USE" A hospitable menu
Der, let us hope.
The Smooth White ARaric, sometimes
misnamed the Chalk, IL pronounced taste
less by some, "a fault which may be rome
died by adding few Fairy Rings. Others