Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/197

* MUSHROOM. 161 MUSHBOOM. seldom in woodlamis unless open and grassy, growing throughout the summer, but most al)undant in the early autumn. It is the most commonly cultivated species, is exten- sively grown for market, especially near large cities, and is about the only species imported and offered for sale in American markets. Tliis species never attains a very large size; when young the stalk and fleshy cap are white, changing to light brown when older. The stalk is solid and tapers slightly toward the base. The ring is usuallj' conspicuous, the gills pink when young, changing to brownish purple in older specimens. Slushrooms are usually gath- ered for market when in the ball or button stage before the veil has been broken. They have a plensant taste and smell, and when the flesh is bruised, turn a reddish brown. The horse mush- room {Agdririis arix'nsis), a close relative, looks very much like the connnon mushroom, but is much larger and the top of the cap is more shining white. The stalk becomes a little hollow with age; the gills are white at first, changing to brownish purple when comparatively old. The methods employed m cultivating the com- mon mushroom do not offer any great difficulties. They may be grown out of doors or where the temperature is fairly constant, as in dry cellars or in caves, abandoned mines, and quarries. Beds are made containing at the bottom a deep layer of fresh stable manure, over which is a layer of well-rotted manure. In this the spawn is planted after the temperature of the bed has fallen to about 90° F. The commercial spawn comes in two forms, bricks and flakes, made of horse manure impregnated with the mycelium of the fungus. Mien planted, both kinds are broken up and distributed through the bed. The beds, which must be kept moist, but not wet, are then well covered with straw or mats to keep the surface moist. After a week or ten days the mulch is removed and the beds covered with good loam to a depth of two inches. They may be again covered with the mulch^ which should be removed when the nuishrooms, which should be gathered daily, begin to appear. In addition to the species of Agaricus de- scribed above, there are a great many other edible species of mushrooms belonging to other genera. Among them are the horse-tail or nianed agaric (Coprinus comaius), the ink caps (C'oprimis atramcntarius), and the glistening comatus i Coprinus micaceus) . These have black spores; the cap does not expand, but remains more like a partly closed umbrella. When old, these species become very watery and dissolve, forming a black, inky fluid. For eating they should be taken only while young. The parasol fungus {Lepiota procrrii) is a white-spored edible mushroom rather aliiuidant in grassy places. It is rather tall on a slender stem. The cap is whitish or light brown and covered with coarse scales. The ring is free and not fastened to the stalk. Another highly prized species is the chanterelle (CantliarcIIiis ciharius). an egg-yel- low species common in moist woods. The cap lias an irregular, crumpled margin, is more or less depressed on the upper surface, and has shallow, blunt gills prolonged down the stalk. The fairy ring fungus (Mnrasmitis orendes), common in lawns and meadows, is also edible. There are some species having the same habit of growing in circles, that are reputed poisonous. The edible ones are white-spored, have hollow stalks, and are seldom more than two inches across the pale yellow or drab cap, which is often concave on top and raised in the centre. One class of gill-bearing fungi exude, when broken, a milky juice. The species of this kind belong to the genus Lactarius. Some have a very acrid juice, but one (Liictariiis dcliciosus) is consid- ered verj' choice by mushroom lovers. It grows in damp woods in mountainous regions, but is not common in lowlands. It cannot be mistaken for any injurious species, as the milk exuded by it is always red with a tinge of orange, and slowly changes color to greenish. The fungus is a little lighter in color than the milk exuded by it. Boletus is one of the' most common genera. The species are rather difficult of identification and should not be eaten by a novice. Some of the Gasteromj'cetes, for example, the puffballs {Ly- coperdon giganteum and Lycoperdon cyathi- forinr), are common edible species. The former attains a diameter of ten inches or more; has a smooth, white, kid-like surface when young, with a firm white or pale yellow flesh. The other is six inches in diameter, flattened and tessellated on top, and contracted at the base. In color it varies from white to brown. The puffljalls should be taken while young and before the spores are developed. One species {Scleroderma vulgare) , related to the ones just described, and suspected of being injurious, ma}' be recognized by its tough, hard, yellowish-brown, warty exterior, and purplish-black interior mottled with white. Among the most highly prized of all the edible fiuigi are the morels and truffles (Tuber melano- sporiim ). Since several species of mushrooms have not yet been proved harmless and since occasional cases of poisoning are still attributed to their use as food, the following rules, formulated by Farlow, are given as guides for the inexperi- enced collector; "Avoid fungi when in the button or unexpanded stage ; also those in which the flesh has begun to decay even if only slightly. Avoid all fungi which have stalks with a swollen base surrounded by a sac-like or scaly envelope, especially if the gills are white. Avoid fungi having a milky juice, unless the milk is reddish." These rules are not absolute, because there are exceptions to them, but are safe for the novice to follow. See Fungi, Edi- ble AND Poisonous. IMusnROOMS AS Food. Since mushrooms and other edible fungi are often said to be nutritious food, to contain large quantities of protein, and to rank close to meat as sources of nitrogenous material, extravagant statements have been made concerning them. When fresh, mushrooms have the following percentage conijiosition : Water, 88.1; protein, 3.5; fat, 0.4; nitrogen-free extract, G.O; crude fibre, 0.8; and ash, 1.2. Other edible fungi closely resemble them so far as analyses have been reported. Like all green vegetables, mushrooms have a high water content in propor- tion to their bulk, and as regards protein con- tent, they rank about the same as potatoes, to which they are decidedly inferior in food value, since they contain much less carbohydrates, and the nitrogen present is largely in the form of non-albuminoids, which are thought to have little food value. The niimerous studies which have been made show that mushrooms are not thor-