The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-10
CONSIDER THE
MUSHROOM, ITS
FINE EATING
Also Cheap Food, Says North
Dakota Fan" Who Urges
Attention To 1t
MAY FORM A CLUB
(By Herbert Hard)

The unusual abundance of deli
cious edible mushrooms this season
growing in North Dakota, reminds
the housewife that she may have
something to serve besides eighteen
cent potatoes, to reduce the "high
cAs.s of living. Literally there are
bushels Of Shaggy Mane,' buttons,
and straw-coloredN clitocybe, equally
apetizing), puff-balls, etc. on vacant
lots, the filled-in ground, the river
drives, etc, if one but knows where
to look and what to look for.
The average housewife would glad
ly serve these tempting and very nu-
tlitious dishes, could she but know
the good from the bad ones. While
it surely behooves one to be on the
safe side, taking no chances on get
ting deadly poisonous 'toadstool,
it is fact that there are very few
varieties that are at all poisonous.
The vast majority are good food, for
one who has relish for them. Sta
tistics show that in Paris and many
other European and American cities,
mushrooms are staple article of
diet, many millions of pounds being
annually consumed. They are half
the food of many peasants-and dis
eliminating Americans!
Use of the present Dakota crop in
any such degree as all Europeans
eat them would mean many hundreds
of dollars of food value in this city
alone. The identical article in the
cast and in the twin cities sells from
75c to dollar a pound. Some Fargo
groceries, and cafes are introducing
fresh mushrooms at a low price to
Cultivate a local taste for local
product which can be had free in the
fields.
1t is naturally almost worth per-
sons reputation being a'mushroom
h'g'; many people wag their heads
and smile knowing at the few local
bugs" who "hunt toadstools", little
approaching what they are passing
up'-or the Indifference Of the en-
thusiast! Many more, however,
would only be too glad to eat them,
could they but have the edible kinds
identified positively for them. Any
one of the half dozen local enthus-
lasts who are cup on mushrooms
will be only too glad to identify
them if called upon anytime between
4. m. and midnight!
Those wishing to learn mushrooms
scientifically from the botany side
and be able to identify them for them
selves will find great pleasure il
Clements and Peck's booklets thu
bulletins of the u. S. Department Of
Agriculture or in the finely illus
trated but more costly complete vol
umes of Atkinson. McIlvane and o.
Myron Hard, all of which can be h.
in local libraries or from eastern
publishers.
+. f. Clement, now of the Car
negc Foundation as food expert>ant
dictitian, c'ys of the Minnesota
mushroom crop; "An object to tin
guide book 10 mushrooms is t
make ava liable the enormous Hnnra
crop, which is now almost waste
through fear or neglect. Figured OF
the market price of cultivated mush
rooms, the total value of the crop il
Minnesota can hardly be less thar
million dollars. Just what woul'
be the effect of utilizing this foo
supply is matter of conjecture, blu
there is little doubt it would prov
very valuable from the standpoint
OF. economics as we'll as dietetics."
Twin city lobbyists have maintain
large Mushroom Club for man
years, holding regular meetings, oe
casionA1 mush room hanOuetS and eX
hibits at the State Fair. Farg
bugs are seriously considering de-
ing likewise.