Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-19
THINGS WORTH KNOWING
ABOUT MUSHROOMS.

In the dark shade of lofty pine trees
and under spreading oaks in more open
woods a mushroom Is found SO remark
able in color and graceful in form that
its beauty has excited admiration for
hundreds Of years. The color of it's
bright orange cap and its chalk white
stem and gills is heightened by the sur
rounding darkness of the woods and
presents a contrast as singular as it is
beautiful.
But beneath the pleasing exterior of
this brilliant fungus a poison turks so
fatal to the lives of men and cattle that
it is called the deadly amanita, and in
different countries mothers caution
their children to beware of it's charms.
Amanita muscaria, the deadly, or fly,
amanita, is completely encased in a
fleece-like covering during the early
stages of its growth, which makes it
decidedly egg-shaped in form. AS the
stem iengthens this covering either adj
heres in loose patches to the top of the
cap or it slips away and forms a
sheathing to the cup at the base of the
stem.
Another inner covering breaks away
in it's turn from the cap as the mush-
room expands and forms a conspicuous
collar about the upper part of the stem.
The Dubious base OF the stem and these
ruptured, feecy coverings are pro-
tAAC NAio SNNSi loNiNo NiltCh dIe IllOSl
helpful in distinguishing this dangerous
fungus from the other varieties of
mushrooms.
1t is strong, free from pests and
grows to a height from fourteen to six
teen inches. In color the cap is some
times bright scarlet, again orange or
yellow or reddish in the center and
light yellow toward the edges, and it
has noticeable wartlike patches spread
over the top. On old plants the color
fades out, n late in the season par
ticularly forms of the deadly amanita
are found which are almost white. The
stem is easily separated from the cup
at it's base.
This mushroom is more generally
known than any of the other poisonous
species. 1t has long been used as a
poison in Europe, and 1t takes it's
name, muscaria, from the Latin word
for a fly. It's poisonous effect upon hui
beings begins a few hours after
it has been eaten. The symptoms are
nausea and faintness, with cold per-
spiration and stupor, followed in Sc
we're cases by death from a gradual
of the heart.
A strong emetic should be given al
and in all cases a physician
should be called. S%ulphate of atropin
Is the only known chemical ~antidote
for this poison, n to save the patient
It must be promptly administered by
hypodermic injections.
The poison may also be absorbed
through the pores of the skin, and bad
cases of poisoning have been produced
by simply holding an amanita in the
closed hand or breathing it's exhaIa-
ions in n warm room.
II poisonous mushrooms are packed
n the same box with edible ones the
from the poisonous fungi is alb
by the harmless mushrooms,
they become as dangerous to eat
Is the original offenders.
In certain countries the deadly anna
lita seems to lose some of it's virulen-
", and in the north of Russia and
PARTS of northeastern Asia it is used
n the same manner as. wine for it's -
intoxicating effects. The mushrooms g.
re gathered in hot weather and are |
lung up in the air to dry, or they are |
iometimes picked fresh and put into 1
CUP or sauces. A small amount swal- 1
owed whole is enough to produce a
lays i~ntoxication. 4
Another fatally dangerous member Il
I the amanita family is the death cup /
ph~alloides), a beautiful
Mushroom which also grows in the
FOODS, especially in pine forests. 1t
5 not so highly colored as the deadly
manita, and, unlike that mushroom,
| has a smooth, satiny cap. 1t is
.Sually white or straw colored, but
peclmens are found which are light
rown, green, yellow and spotted. The 1
tenn is white and nearly smooth, and
he cup at the base of the stem is in
present.
The death cup Is even more poison
us than the deadly amanita and stands
rst among all noxious fungi for it's
qualities. 1t grows In the 4
and middle states and in par :
large quantities near the city
{ Washington. Y
Another amanita (Amanita vernus). Y
in the woods in spring, is also s
cry poisonous and may be told by it's
DIOR, which is a creamy white
lroughout. w
The boleti, for instance, have sew =,
raj varieties which are nonedible. al .o
lough many kinds, on the other hand,
lake delicious food. The boleti are
i~stinguished by a spongelike surface
{ pores instead of gills beneath the |
ap. The harmful varieties are bitter, :
$ a rule, and change color to blue or
"a when cut or broken. The edible
a~rieties remain white.-Annie Cakes
in Youths Companion.