The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-12
A MUSHROOM WHICH EQUALS MEAT

they are found chiefly or only upon hicks |
Dry wood, but this Is far from being the
case; the pioneers who dubbed them thus
acted upon limited observation. They
grow as well on NAPLES, elms. oaks and
other trees MY experience leads me TO
believe that they develop in any bark
where the spawn chances to fall. except
that OF cedars and pines, the resin OF
which doubtless kills The germs. They
prefer old logs and trees-not necessarily
dead trees. but those whose bark 10
fullest OF assures; while one finds them
very often on standing trees. they are
more freadertly to be seen on logs and
stunnps. b
The same logs and trees do not bear
with equal abundance every year. The
spawn OF this, as OF all mushrooms.
grows very slowly until the time OF frult-
age. After several seasons tree or log
may cease to bear them altogether. For
this there are several srasons; one Is
that q succession Of crops may have torn
the bark loose 30 that there Ii no longer
protection for development OF the germs;
the germs have their own foes; and In
course OF time the spawn exhauats its
reprodu ctive9 powers.
" Ill
that was thickly strewn with logs dozen
OF bushels OF this mushroom growing
at the same time, II have confirmed by
my own observation Professor Bioyd's
staten ent that tons OF this food annual-4
Ely 60 to waste; our people have not yet
|slearned to value the natural growths OF
mushrooms as have the European peas
ants, who know we'll all the varieties
gather them carefully and dry many OF
them for the making Of soups In vim
ter. Again, one may wander through
many woods and find no sign OF this 4
fungus; ono may search at the wrong 4
time OF the month and discover nothing 4
but withered or putrid specimens, or he
may happen upon woods whcro there
Is none or tho spawn Of this fungus and
where 1t never grows.
Coming upon q bit OF woodland where
trees and logs are bearing abundantly
the "beefsteak mushroom, ono Is struck !
by the profusion OF their growth and
their size as compared with other fungi
They suggest the tropical and the rank; 4
they. seem to belong to3undisturbed prime
val forests: one would expect to find
these giants OF the mushroom growing on
trees and logs OF mightier bulk than those
OF our OF ten-cut DDS, where a tree Of
three or four feet In diameter is a rarity.
Fancy centuries up the aboriginal forests
with bears and deer, with giant trees, wit
vast logs feled by age or storm. and
the huge N beet steak"S fungi growing In
exuberance: these would seem more In 4
proportion to their surroundings. 8
5S I have never observed any creature
save insects, feeding upon these fungi;
neither bird nor squirrel or raccoon nor
opossurn, n either tooth nor bill & makes
a mark upon them. Possibly the wild
things, II any there were, that made food
OF their succulent and nourishing quail
Gtses, were Of some OF those species that
have been destroyed BY civilizatlon:s now
they come to their growth and wither Or
decay or fall a prey to insects unless
they are gathered by man. =
In looking for the masses Of the hum
BILE fsteak 5mu shroo m'' one may find
the kingdom OF the fun 81 !; one comes
to look for some Of these on every walk
and drive. There was a man who had
Il penchant for indian relics who said he
could see stone Ratchet IN The road a
hundred yards from his buggy. So one
gets to be able to discover q mushroom
at a long distance. He finds mushrooms
Of all shapes and colors * he finds the
red, the yellow, the purple. the white
1.-THE brown and the pink; ne finds them
on "a trees. on u logs, on Etumps, among
weeds and grasses, In 81 orchards and
|tupon lawns \; he finds tn efn In h singles
In masses and In rings. and that in the
same places where he may 4 have been
many times previous to the i awakening
Of his Interest In them and where then
he had never noticed them. He grows
familiar with any edible and nonedible
stoadstco lis; mushrooms are all toadstools,
contrary to popular notions; frog stools,
8toad's caps, toad's hats and toad S, meat
are various names for the same things;
the off ference is only In edible and poi
Ssonous qualities. III He may never dis
cover a toad or q frog sitting under his
umbrella nor find fairies dancing among
the fairy ring s5nlushroo ms. but he will
see $50 many wonderful ghts that he
will not be prepared to deny anything In
regard to either, toads@ or fairies.
Having entered at this humble gate.
as well as a t another, one may get into
sympathy with nature 8as never before
Sinto3the right mood + into sympathy with
trees and grasses and insects and BIRDS
with colors. forms and sounds. With the
spirit and habits OF nature. The way to-
nature Is through any Of her gates. En-
ter anywhere, but SO In.