New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14
A SMALL MUSHROOM CROP.
SCARCITY OF FUNGI IN THE NORTH
WEST


AND THE RAISING or MUsu-
ROOMS IN CELLARS.
Thi. has been 4 season OF keen disappointment 10
the mushroom enthusiast for the falls crop mas
boen unusually small. Last year the fields ard
roadways during September and October teemed
with the fungi and great quantities wc?c gathered,
not only BY those confirmed in the mushroom Na'l''
but by many others who caught the lniectiol' inc
vegetable gardens around the citys boundary lines
yielded an unexpected crop of the fruit IN some IN
stance. horse mushrooms sprinsng up the SIZE OF
dinner plates Named agarc. orc OF The most
palatable OF all varieties. 10 be seen on all
sides and they attained TO very large SIZE
This year few have appeared but Only ehous"
TO he an aggravation. For the last three weeks
.ome of this variety have been seen IN Grand
Avenue Park in front OF the new Public Library OF
Milwaukee according to THE SentineI OF tha' city
and occasional specimens have appeared in Juneau
and outlying parks. Here ana there a lawn mas
presented q specimen or two. seldom more
1t Is all the fault OF the weather. the COLLECTORS
sey IT, instead of cold fall. wo mad had a icAS
rainy season. followed by foggy weather, with 'he
air humid but warm, the result would nave peeh
different OF coarse all this relates TO Inc natura'
varieties of mushroom. Tho Gomesticated mush'
room the Agaricus campestris. which IL grown in
cellars and greenhouses, is q winter OF spring
crop. the beds being prepared in September or Oc
tober.
I. Is only @ few years since the popular mind
looked on al! outdoor varieties as poisonous, and
made 10 effort to distinguish tie good from the
bad 1t considered safer 10 avoid them az
rather than the risk OF making q fatal mistake
Tho popular idea was that the good varieties were
mushrooms and the bad toadstools. This was
mistake. however A mushroom and n toadstoo,
are one and the thirg.
THE EDIBLE AND THE DEADLY
There are over four hundred known varieties OF
the fungi and by far the larger number are edible
some are suitable for food while not danger
Gus, and the dangerous ones are ali tame aHANs
compared to a single variety, the Amania mus
caria generally referred tho deadly aman'
ia" This ore variety is supposed to he response
HE for nearly all the deaths recorded from eating
mushrooms. and It is important therefore, tha'
the mushroom gatherer should be able to know II
when It is met with II is claimed the amanl'a
has one popularity that marks it from all the
rest OF the fung-a socket at the base OK the STEM
out Of which It grows. Avoid. as you would
pestilence a mushroom having this sort Of cup
at the base and you are secure from danger at the
hands Of the most poisonous OF plants
Some people imagine that a bad-looking variety
must necessarily be noxlous which is a great mis-
take Moreover. mos: OF the various tests are
worthless, as there are poisonous varG1es ha
do not dscolor q silver spoon. and. the other
hand. there are those that are unpleasant TO the
taste which become paatable when properly
cooked Even the amanita is said to lose lis poison
when stepped In vinegar; but the vinegar which has
extracted the poison must be thrown away. Inc ap-
pearance Of a mushroom is rule for the novice
IN determining between the noxious ones and the
good ones.
When mushrooms OF the inky cap variety, Kind
that decay into a dripping. inky mass, came up IN
tho lawn OF the average resident. almost ouoo''hs
ont of the ground in great clusters, they were
looked upon as infection and disbursement
and a sure sign the man who dld the soduihg ulul'
known his business. Nowadays the resident VINO Is
,osted looks upon the appearance Of the mush-
I,tc Ioor a
and does not give the fungi a chance to disfguEe
his lawn before no has them in the sie"pan
The study Of mushrooms is really In its IN
fancy The literature on the subject is rather
limited and one Is frequently running across speci-
mans not mentioned IN the books. Several Nalu-
able pamphlets have been issued by the Govern
ment and large book by the late Wli!am HAM
- ilton Gibson, with beautifully colored plates, may
be had at the public library. This latter Work IS
sa,d 10 be responsible for the greater number OF
the mushroom cranks Of Milwaukee as 1t probably
Is In other places The call for books on the SUD
tect OF mushrooms is said to be SO great at the
reference room OF the Public Library that several
Of the works are kept constantly at hand on the
desk Of the persons In charge or the department.
THREE VARIETIES SOUGHT FOR.
,rhara .re ,hre. varieties collectors are looking
for inst now First is the named agaric called by
Gibson the shaggy name. This is beautiful speci-
men and very fine eating for the person VINO mas
taste for mushrooms. II first appears above me
ground g a small White nODDln GROWING HUN '""'
size in a few days to height OF about hve inches
Its flesh is snowy white and It's exterior somewhat
rough as IL the skin were being rubbed into
fbrey roughness. When full grown 'he rover
part Of the gills separate from the STOCK anu II
then has the form OF miniature closed japanese
umbrella The named agaric is a wholly safe va
riety especially 60 far as the unnitiatcd are con-
cerned, as there are no noXlous Varieues "a' re-
senble It. When 1t has attained us run CROWN
~ begin, TO dellouesce and drip away in an inky
tleg la
Of mushroom can be cooked In various ways either
broled and served toast. OF steUed or fired or
baked like scaoped oysters.
The horse mushroom which Just at this season
ought To cot the fields and pastures is n falrly
easy variety pick out. II is as white rs KID glove
on the outside and the flesh is also white and more
kpongy than solid. When the cap grows away from
tho stem II leaves a small ring that is not sohdly
fixed TO the stem and can DC easily brushed on
This is one Of the marks that distinguishes it from
the deadly amsnita in which tho ring IS firmly
attached.
The smanita IL usually Of a bright color on TOP
and the base Of its stem there - sort or cup
or socket sometimes so hidden underground as
20 cvade the eye Of the careless collector The
smanifa also usually has fakes top % the cap.
IT is Of fine favor and agreeable to the smell ana
sight, but most dangerous thing TO take INTO the
stomach there being no known antipote Tor us
poison. Atropnc has been said TO be on service IN
such cases, whore only a little had Dech eaten.
For this reason Il Is well 20 exercise the greatest
care IN gathering mushrooms and 20 throw away
q specimen where there IS any doubt. Gibson be-
llrves the amanta Is responsible for almost every
fatal case of mushroom poisoning. Fortunately
II ia not very common in this vicinity.
The horse mushroom is easily determined al'c'
one il familiar with the variety. Where found IN
the fields Il Is seldom larger in circumference than
a silver dollar. while In favorable weather, ana
where it comes up in potato or other garden
patches Il sometimes attains tho size OF dinner
plate 1t can be broied. fried or stewed. and has
fine flavor.
The Agaricus rnelius is A favorite specimen with
many collectors. although only 10 be found In oc-
tDd llan