The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-06
'MUSHROOMlNG."
An Exhilarating Pleasure IN a Clear
September Day.

RNRpNAhbSA 0oJ
There are few country pleasures more
exhilarating, says the London Globe, than
mushrooming on a typical September day,
when there is a soft blue autumnal sky
overhead, a blaze Of ripening sunshine,
and delicious breezes waited up from the
southwest. The quest for mushrooms,
wherever it be undertaken, is always full
of mild excitement. 1t has quite a charm
and fascination of its own. 1t is a little
like angling or shooting, for you never
know when you will happen on a prize.
Even as you often wait patiently to catch
your fish, or trudge over much StubDle or
through turnips to flush your covey OF
partridges, so have you to exercise due
patience sometimes before you sight the
glistening white flaps you are in search OF.
How eagerly you pounee down upon the
first specimens, discarding nothing, not
even the smallest Of buttons Present.
ly, however, cool down a little and be-
come more fastidious, selecting only the
finest mushrooms, for you feel certain that
your bag or basket will be well filled. You
pass from field to field, to the pastures
where the grass is short and crisp, where
the true meadow mushroom lAgaricu5
oampestris) is to be found, on to the anker
grass where there are the great white glist-
ening flaps of the ketchup, or horse,
variety.
OF all places where mushrooms are TO
be gathered, commend us to the breezy
downs, or pastures, near the sea. The hlgh
downs are covered with edible fungi, TOT
not only is the meadow mushroom In great
abundance. but the fairy-ring champlgnons
are most prolific. There are great circular
patches of them-some fresh, with creamy
gills, others a day or two old OF a rlcn
brown color. There Is a most sumptuous
feast for you all around, or, rather, the
provision for one, and yet you see that the
fairy-ring champignons which are so de-
licious and of such fine flavor, and so hign-
ly esteemed on the Continent, have been
neglected and are untouched, or simply
Kicked over, and the symmetry OF their
shining circles destroyed. Perhaps by the
side of a gorse bush, or just beneath II,
you light upon a few flaps of the partridge
on parasol mushroom, with close white
mealy gills, q fleshy ring on their stalks
and their flaps, often goodly sized. marked
and dotted somewhat like a partridge 5
breast. The '.agaricus procerus' is one or
the most delicious varieties of the edible
fungi. Provide yourself with a few fresh
specimens, and it grows SO large sometlmes
that one is nearly sufflcient-detacn tne
stalk, put a pat Of butter in its place, grill
over q clear fire, or toast In a Dutch oven,
and YOU will have a feast ft for the gods.
On the Kentish and Essex marshes ooth
the meadow and horse mushrooms I'M G gr9~
not far from .Gad'g Hill, and near Cod
ling, in the Dickens country, is the happy,
hunting ground of the professional, and
sometimes amateur, mushroomer; ana on
the opposite, Or Essex, side, in the MARSH,
land near Thames Haven, successful
mushroom quests can be pursued also.
Now and then you flush a convey of part
ridges in the patches of rough, coarse
grass, or startle a hare out of her FORM.
These marshlands are not without a
beauty Of their own, but to the ordinary
observer they are barren, MAJ tracts OIL
land, intersected with brackish dxches.
along whose sides the sea starwort hauntS
and the sword grass and reeds ana
Gvnsias are axnert mushroomers, and
they do not sometimes discard the fairy
ring champignons. the partridge, and some
other edible varieties, the plewlts' TOT
and although you take the field petlmes,
he is nearly sure to be before you. You
will either see his tracks in the graSs
or meet him returning from MS quest
with a pretty full basket, or sight him
pacing up and down the field after the
manner of an expert mushroomer, Win
his greyhound or lurcher at his heels
ready to spring upon a rabbit or mare.
How savory sometimes Is the odor ol
the stew issuing from the pot IN the centre
of the wooden tripod by the gypsy,s van.
1t makes your mouth water, especially II
you be sharp set. as you often are when
mushrooming. The Migrants are sittlng
around In hungry expectancy, wmtthhs
sticks or hanging out their buds to dry on
the hedge, and there is pretty sure to be
a ragged old red shawl or petticoat max
ing a nice warn bit Of color: presently.
there will be served a steaming dish OF
steWed rabbit or hare and mushrooms
gathered fresh, with the dew on their glis,
tening white flaps and pinky gills, and
the fragrance of the wild thyme clinging
to them. The gypsy is certainly an ANA
teur mushroom bette noir, for 1t IS provok.
ing to CLEAN, so to speak, after an expert
such as he. -.
Still, ever IL the mushroomer meets with
little success, he has his compensations.
How refreshing and exhilarating is the
delicious southwest breeze which rams ms
cheeks; what a lovely soft blu is the Sep
exuuisite color there are all aroundi And
If he be successful IN his quest. his eyes
beam with satisfaction as he Chances at
his well-flled basket.