The Detroit times., 1913-09-02
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN.
Times Washington Bureau, Metropolis
tan Bank Building.

Times Washington Bureau, Metropolis.
tan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON. Sept, 2-Recent
rains In various parts of the east and
middle west have
Toadstoot hast tened tn
Poisoning. growth OF mush'
rooms and large
quantities have been thrown on the
markets In practically all OF the large
cities. In many cases small boys
anxious TO make few pennies have
gone out into the fields and gathered
the peculiar fungus plants and car.
ried them TO the street corners in
the nearest cities to sell them for the
best price they could obtain. Every
year many poisoning cases from
mushrooms are recorded and most
OF them are traced to the eating OF
some OF the umbrella shaped fungi
which have been purchased from per
sons who do not know the poisonous
varieties from the ones which are
edible.
Among most people the name toad
stool Is restricted to the poisonous
species of fungi, and that OF ''mush
room" to the edible kind. This IL
known to be very unsatisfactory. be-
cause II is impossible to tell excep,
by trial whether a particular mush
room or toadstood Is poisonous or not
A few toadstools are extremely poi
sonous, considerable number are
slightly poisonous and the majority
are what the scientists call limo
cent" that Is. not poisonous. Some
OF the innocent species are edible
How can | tell an edible from a
poisonous toadstool?' This question
Ia often asked officials In the United
states Department OF Agriculture
Scientists say there Is only one way
to tell; that Is by studying toad
stools and becoming as familiar with
the vurious kinds as one IL with the
ordinary plants of the hill and fores,
and garden. The various tests which
are familiar to the people Of some
sections OF the country are generally
unreliable. One OF the most common
OF these tests Is the so-called SILVER
test" which consists OF the placing
Of silver spoon or coin with the
mushroom while cooking in the be
lief that the blackening or the fail
ure to blacken will determine wheth
er the fungi are safe to eat or not II
has been found out, however, thai
both poisonous and innocent species
OF mushrooms will act alike on sill
ver,' and that, therefore, the test II
Of no value Some people think thai
II the outer skin of the top OF the
toadstool peals of readily the species
is edible.
This test Is also unsafe. because
some poisonous species also will peel
Testing by tasting, dangerous
method. il also common in some part.
Of the country, the belief being thai
poisonous species are bitter or pep
perry and disagreeable in flavor. Mos
poisonous toadstools. however. are
rot at all disagreeable as regards fla
vor of the raw flesh, and consequent
ly the tate test offers no certain way
to distinguish the poisonous from the
innocent or edible toadstools. The
presence or lack Of a milky juice
when the toadstools are broken II
thought by some to determine theiI
non-poisonous or poisonous character
and the presence Of insects on the
fungus is also used by soihe people
as an indication. These and othel
tests, however, are known to be equal
ly useless, according to patHologisti
in the United States Department o.
Agriculture.
The only certain method to tes'
toadstools il by eating them, and this
process is tedious and Is not decom
mended, especially to beginners. The
best method. scientists say, Is Il
learn by the experience of others, and
whenever the opportunity offers K
study the fungus growths In the field
Housewives who are fond of mush
rooms as food accessories or condi
ments are advised by Uncle Sans
experts to purchase them whenever
possible from men who have cult
waited the fungus. The cultivation o.
tosdstools Is now an established in
dustry In most parts Of the country
and when mushrooms are purchased
from regular dealers who handle on!!
the cultivated product careful
housewife is not only sure Of gettins
the edible kind, but usually may pro
cure a mushroom which Is OF more
delicate texture and OF more agreea
bile flavor than the kind purchased
1T haphazard from unknown dealers
Plans have been perfected for two
important extensions Of Uncle SAM
new agriculture
Extending News news service. Dur
OF Agriculture. ing the week thu
Department OF Az
riculture will issue the first numbe
of It's new publication, the Agricultu
raj Outlook. This new periodical il
not connected in any way with thu
magazine whose name 1t Is like, II
part, and which is edited by DR.. Ly
man Abbott and former Presiden
Roosevelt, but 1t Is a new govern
ment medium for disseminating farm
information throughout the country
The Agricultural Outlook will have
no regular date Of issue. but, as AS