Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-01
TYROLEAN MUSHROOMS.
Big as Kittens-PeriIs of Collecting.

We Europeans think of America as a
country given somewhat to exaggera-
ton, when it comes to the production
of trees, fruits and other vegetable
growths. The little Austrian Tyrol is
sometimes given to eXaggeration in
this direction too.
In front of our house, which hung
over n blue depth of valley, and olung
to the mountain side like tarnacle
to n rock. space was dug out so that
enc could walk for as much as three
wards on the level. Once leave this
srace and one either climbed upward
balanced on the slant, or plunged
downward.
Around the house and bordering the
road that led up the mountain, were
Italian chestnut trees so large that 1t
took from three to five of us to span
the trunks of most of them. Under one
of these enc evening / saw crouehing
what I took to be small, dark gray
kitten. STOPPING, | found that 1t was
not kitten, but a mushroom.
Our good peasant neighbor, hurrying
toward me, begged that L would not
disturb it, saying that she depended on
this every year. After few days or
rain, what had seemed a kitten, now
looked stately cat, and when It reach
toe weight of six pounds it was gath
cred and eaten.
1t seems that this solid growth Of
gray velvet fleshy leaves appears every
year on the roots of these big chestnut
trees. The next day l promptly scaled
the mountain and hunted round every
Zig chestnut tree | came to. In vain.
got finally so high up on steep, gras-
sy slone that in order to return [ had
TO resort to method which we had
commonly adopted as the safest way of
descent
Croucking down l slid rapidly down
tho grassy coast as though it had been
iced and landed on my head in a nice
soft swamp.
AS l sat UP with disheveled hair and
very wet shoulder, I saw two ladies
hurrying toward me. The one in I'M
lnaculate white. stately with shining
white hair and delicate features, might
have been the Snow Queen come down
the mountain to my rescue. Her com
panion, a woman of about 90, with
highly aristocratic features, wore
mannish suit of light flannel, sandals
en- her bare feet and had a big cigar In
Ter mouth. Finding that l was unhurt,
they said they had lost their way ana
inquired the shortest route TO the near
nv town of Brixen. Having seen from
the point whence l had so rapidly de-
seconded that fierce storm was close
upon us. [ urged them to take shelter
with me in my house, and we bounded
rolled, tottered and slid down the
mountain, gaining the shelter just as
the flooding rain burst upon us. After
pleasant chat, during which they toid
No where the best mushroom grounds
were. they resumed their way, leaving
cards which read, Princess Se-and-
So" and Countess So-and-So' of vi
emma. So this was all | brought nome
on my first mushroom expedition.
The rain soon improved matters anu
next time | went | bagged mushroom
weighing LIZ pounds. | found IL no
Joke getting it and myself safely down
the mountain. 1t had to be chopped llhe
and boiled long time, changing the
water. But finally with plenty of butter
and onion we had delicious stew, and
rs every bit of the 91z pounds was edl-
bile il lasted us many days and reduced
the butchers bill surprisingly, beng
solid as meat.
Later in the season after more ram l
went on another mushroom hunt. ms
time I found six small gray mushroom
"lzittens" nesting among the great
roots. and covering them care1uiiy
from the gaze of greedy eyes l left
them to grow.
After three days of rain the sun
hurst out in revel of color The OF
anae GOLD and black of the wooden
hoIsec glowed, against the puppies ana
hines and the brooks tumplea anu
launched at every turn. I went UP the
n,o,,ntain reckoning, Six mushrooms
weighing from six lowell, l viii leave
,ne to grow till it weighs l6 pounas. NO
r,ore butchers bills for this months!
Ua1f-way up the mountain met
fo,,r friars clad in brown with ropes
round their waists and bare feet Each
friar had on either arm huge Hat
basket piled UP with these strange
,,ocnifcent specimens of gray VeiVe'
growths. ,ao,,.o
am afraid you think that because
tho size of these mushrooms has grown
CO ranidlv in this tale that the tale can
&c ON expanding like these after ram
unfortunately it can't because
when reached my trees there was not
= ,,rsbrooro left.-Boston Transcript