Charlevoix county herald., 1919-02-28

stEH1SSllSIltI
There is no simple test for distin-
gushing between edible and poison
Gus mushrooms. according to special
lists in the u. S. Department OF Agri-
culture. For example, the common be-
lief that any mushroom may be eaten
with safety il the skin can be peeled
readily from the cap is quite unbound
ed. Peeling of this character is pos
sible with many poisonous species.
The presence of insects on mush.
rooms. too, is no proof that they
are safe for human consumption
Insects infect some OF the most poi.
sonous as well as some of the best
species of fungi. Again. there is a
common belief that il poisonous
mushrooms are soaked or boiled in
salt water they will do no harm This
is dangerous and unfounded suppo-
sition. f,
The only safe mushrooms to eat are
those which are gathered by col
lector who knows exactly what he is
doing In order to make easier the
allimportant distinction between poi.
sonous and nonpoisonous growths, the
Department of Agriculture has pub
lshed a new bulletin entitled, "Some
Common Edible and Poisonous Mush.
rooms" Farmers Bulletin 796. The il
lustratiors and text of this bulletin
should enable collectors to avoid
doubtful species. The authors point
out, however. that it is most important
TO pick only those which it is abso-
lutely certain are harmless. No at
tempt should be made to gather rare
forms or those species which are not
readily recognizable.
The most common edible mushroom
is known to scientists as agaricus
Campestris. This variety is not
only cultivated commercially. but it is
widely distributed and is abundant in
the wild state. The cap Is fieshy and
hemispherical in shape, but later be-
comes expanded and nearly fiat. II is
smooth, in color white or light brown,
and the flesh is white and firm The
gills are white at first, later become
pink, and finally turn a blackish
brown. The stem is stout, smooth,
and furnished with ring. This type
of mushroom is readily recognized,
but there is some possibility that 1t
may be confused with an amanita,
of which there are several varieties,
most of them extremely poisonous.
The risk of mistaking the common
mushroom for one of these may be
avoided il the fungus is not picked
until the gills are pink or turning
to brown. The gills of the Amanita
remain white. These poisonous fungi,
however, may be distinguished from
edible mushrooms with white gills by
the presence of a veil or of a volva,
a membraneous envelope or sack
which completely surrounds the plant
in the young state. After this volva
breaks away a part remains on the
top of the cap around its margin as
scales and as broken cup at the base
of the stem. Certain edible varieties
do have such volvas, but as they are
rare and the poisonous species COM
mon and dangerous, the only safe
plan is to leave alone all the fungi
which possess this feature.
In addition to describing the varie-
ties of edible mushrooms, the bulletin
already mentioned gives number of
recipes for their preparation. Many
people, it is said, believe that mush-
rooms are best eaten with no other
seasoning than salt, pepper, and but
ter. The fungi may, however, be pre-
pared in any of the ways which have
been found suitable for oysters.