The Washington times., 1906-12-19
MUSHROOM LOVERS
LEARN NEW LESSON
New Way Discovered to
Serve the Delicious
Edible.

ROSLYN, /. l.. Dec 19-TO all things
the seasons seasoned are" says an old
axiom, and Tennyson has declared, In
the spring a young mans fancy lightly
turns To thoughts of loVe'-and nun
dreds of mushroom lovers. with the
knowledge that September rains have
washed into the ground the fertilization
Of the summer. and sunny days have
baked the soil well for the development
of the dainty they love. have gone for
aging far afield. since this delicacy rare
ly shows itself Ia dooryards. or even Oh
lawns subject 10 much soil feeding,
Even To one trained by years of obser-
walton and experience. the danger of
poisonous relations is ever In mind,
though with knowledge risk seems far
removed. Old theories ana statements
are as often disproved IN regard 10
mushrooms as in everything else.
For instance a man who has grown
them from spawn under glass. and
gathered them ln many states and lands
FOR hdT 4 century FOUND Inem growing
. luNuTiantly i'm a ncW-madc lawn re-
Gently plOwed over and seeded down
with grass and clover.
Thirty years ago, when the lawn WAS
field. he had occasionally found a
dozen or two al a time. and when he
saw the men plowing he remembered
the common decTGC that such treatment
killed all germs Yet mushrooms re-
1 Gently gathered on this plOwCd field
measured over twelve inches in CirCum-
ference. In two days he had gathered
bushCl. and was able 10 discard All
| but the best
A popular idea is that the button is
/ the best, while, 90 the contrary, mush-
rooms fully developed and even lacking
the pink color so attractive are much
I finer favored. OF course, the older
they are the more rigid must be the dis
section, looking for the inevitable worm,
as fond of the dchCaCy as the verIest
gOurmand
The directions given by professional
growers for the artificial production
state that the temperature OF the at
mOsphcre must bc kept between 80 ana
60 degrees. in order 10 insure their
growth ON Long Island they nave
been gathered In the nelds as late as
November. and when the night fTosts
were severe enough 10 stiffeu the sur
face soil Thirty odd years ago, az
ROslyu, an expert and high priced
gardener planted spawn in the green
house cellar. with the promise that
six weeks later he would supply mush-
rooms Of quality and quantity. He
failed TO produce even Oue-OF the soil
did-and though the spawn and como
tiuuS were rrSt-ClISs no mushrooms
appeared. but few years later this
soil was removed 10 small Couserva-
tory near by 10 furnish nutrimenf Tor
q big tree fern, and here the result
was what the gardener had promised
from the orthodox planting. In six
weeks from the time llf tiN S1tl WIS
put about the fern, the mushrooms be-
gan TO arrive and continued 20 do 50
for quite a while thus showing that
the germ or spawn may remain in
dormant condition for long period
Of time
Block Island. thirty years ago, used
TO furnish on its sandy hillsides a
veritdble treasure house for visiting
yachtSmen. with a loving for mush-
rooms.
delicious way to serve them IS
10 butter dish and sprinkle with
first layer Of bread crumbs and alter
nate layers OF mushrooms and bread
crumbs with bits Of butter. pepper
and salt and a liberal supply Of butter
over the last layer OF bread crumbs
Rich milk or half cream poured over
each LAYER makes "a proper finish. and
mushrooms SO cooked are At for-fOr
those who enjoy them.