Chapter XII (2)

“In October, 1866, while on the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee, a plateau less than 1000 feet above the valleys below, although having very little leisure for examination during the two days spent there, I counted eighteen species of edible fungi. Of the four or five species which I collected there for the table, all who partook of them, none of whom had before eaten mushrooms, most emphatically declared them delicious. On my return homeward, while stopping for a few hours at a station in Virginia, I gathered eight good species within a few hundred yards of the dépôt. And so it seems to be throughout the country. Hill and plain, mountain and valley, woods, fields, and pastures, swarm with a profusion of good, nutritious fungi, which are allowed to decay where they spring up, because people do not know how, or are afraid, to use them. By those of us who know their use their value was appreciated, as never before, during our late war, when other food, especially meat, was scarce and dear. Then such persons as I have heard express a preference for mushrooms over meat had generally no need to lack grateful food, as it was easily had for the gathering, and within easy distance of their homes if living in the country. Such was not always the case, however. I remember on one occasion during the gloomy period, when there had been a protracted drought, and fleshy fungi were to be found only in damp, shaded woods, and but few even there, I was unable to find enough of any one species for a meal; so gathering of every kind, I brought home thirteen different kinds, had them all cooked together in one grand _pot pourri_, and made an excellent supper. Among these was the Chantarelle, upon which I would say a few words in confirmation of what I have already said upon the varying qualities of mushrooms in different regions and localities. You have somewhere written of this mushroom as being so highly esteemed a delicacy, that it is much sought for when a dinner of state is given in London. Can this be because it is a rarity? (for nothing common and easily obtained is deemed a delicacy, I believe), or because you have it of finer flavour in England? Here, where it abounds, no one seems to care at all for it, and some would forego mushrooms entirely rather than eat this. It certainly varies much in quality, as I have occasionally found it quite palatable, and again, though cooked in the same mode, very indifferent. I have been unable to ascertain whether this difference is due to locality, exposure, shade, soil, moisture, or temperature. That soil has much to do with the flavour of some species of mushrooms I am well convinced. In a parcel of pink gills I have sometimes found one or two specimens, though perfectly sound, of such unpleasant odour and taste as would spoil a whole dish. So also with the snowball (_A. arvensis_), of which I annually find a few beautiful specimens growing near my residence, upon a grassy turf which covers a pile of trash made up of decomposed sticks, leaves, and scrapings from the adjoining soil. Their taste and odour are perfectly detestable. I had one specimen cooked, but no amount of seasoning could abate the offensiveness of the odious thing; yet within a hundred yards of these I gather specimens of the same identical species, which are of fine flavour, equal to that of the best mushrooms. As I have before intimated the varying flavour of mushrooms growing on different kinds of wood, so here I suppose the unpleasant qualities of some specimens of these two well-known and favourite species, may be owing to something in the soil where they grow which they cannot assimilate, and so render a palatable and wholesome species totally unfit for the table. Whether such specimens, if eaten, would be poisonous or unwholesome, I do not feel any temptation to prove. It is not probable that they will ever do any mischief, for it is incredible that any human being should so pervert his instincts as to swallow such a villanous concoction.

“Experience and observations like these would perhaps justify the inference that an innocent species may sometimes be deleterious, on account of its taking up some bad element from the soil. But as I have never known a case of poisoning in families that are well acquainted with the common mushroom or pink gill, that gather the specimens for themselves, and have used this article of food annually for many generations, I cannot agree with a suggestion somewhere made by you, that perhaps all mushrooms contain a poisonous element, but some of them in such small quantity as to have no appreciable effect. Now, had you seen the quantities of stewed mushrooms swallowed at a single meal which I have seen thus devoured, and with no more harm than from the same amount of oyster or turtle soup, I think you would be forced to the conclusion that such an amount, even of poisonous infinitesimals, must have had some very unpleasant manifestations, or else be a very innocent diet.

“It is said that the sale of the pink gill (_A. campestris_) is forbidden in the Italian markets, because that species has often proved to be poisonous. May not this have been occasioned by ignorant and careless collectors or by worthless inspectors? To us in America, who use this species so freely and fearlessly, the Italian’s curse, ‘May he die of a Pratiolo!’ would have no more terror than ‘May he die of aromatic pain.’

“Our best and standard mushrooms are the pink-gill (_A. campestris_); snowball (_A. arvensis_); peach-kernel (_A. amygdalinus_); nut (_A. procerus_); French (_A. prunulus_); morel (_M. esculenta_); coral (_Clavaria_); and omelette (_Lycoperdon giganteum_). These are almost universally in high esteem. Yet tastes differ on these things as on fruits and vegetables; some putting one, some another, at the head of the list, though fond of all and ever ready to use any of them--as one who prefers a peach may yet relish an apple. There are some among us who regard _A. procerus_ as fully equal to _A. campestris_, and I am almost of the same opinion. When broiled or fried it truly makes a luscious morsel. I mention in this connexion, that this species here bears the name of nut mushroom, from a quality that I do not find mentioned in the books which describe it. The stem when fresh and young has a sweet nutty flavour, very similar to that of the hazel nut. Is this the case with you? Its flavour is so agreeable that I am fond of chewing the fresh stems. From this peculiarity in connexion with its movable ring, its form and colours, I deem it a perfectly safe species to recommend for collecting. We have no species likely to be mistaken for it, except _A. rachodes_, and I fully tested the innocence of this before commending the first to others. This has been suspected by some, but I have found it harmless. Though pretty well flavoured, it is not comparable with _A. procerus_, and the flesh is so thin and spongy that no one would choose it when those of more compact texture are to be had. _A. excoriatus_, of the same group, is a much preferable species.

“The Morel is one of my greatest favourites, but this is not found in quantity except in calcareous districts. A few days since (April 21) I had a dozen for supper, the largest number I ever had at one time.

“The _Lycoperdon giganteum_ is also a great favourite with me, as it is, indeed, with all my acquaintances who have tried it. It has not the high aroma of some others, but it has a delicacy of flavour that makes it superior to any omelette I have ever eaten. It seems, furthermore, to be so digestible as to adapt it to the most delicate stomachs. This is the South Down of mushrooms.

“In this latitude (about 36 degrees) we can find good mushrooms for the table during nine or ten months of the year. Including _A. salignus_, which some are quite fond of, we can have them in every month, as this species comes out during any warm spell in winter. _A. campestris_ makes its appearance here as early as March, but is not in full crop until September. Several excellent species of the _Tricholoma_ group do not spring up until after frost sets in, and continue into December. Such is the case too with _Boletus collinitus_, which sometimes emerges from the earth frozen solid.

“These observations and experiences are confined chiefly to the Carolinas; though I presume, from casual observations elsewhere, and from information derived from correspondents in other States, that, making some allowance for difference of climate and length of seasons, what I have said is generally applicable to the whole country.”

_Why we should not eat Funguses._

The following interesting paper from the Rev. J. D. La Touche was read at a meeting of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club:--

“It is said that at Rome, when a mortal is about to be raised to the dignity of sainthood, the precaution is taken of providing a ‘devil’s advocate,’ who, by pointing out as strongly as he can all the faults of the candidate, secures the fair discussion of both sides of the question, and is a guarantee, moreover, that no unworthy aspirant to such exalted honours should be rashly admitted to them.

“On the present occasion I make bold to present myself in this unamiable capacity. No member, indeed, of this respected Club is seeking canonization, yet, a step not less important is contemplated in the enrolment of a hitherto despised and even abhorred member of the vegetable kingdom among the list of its edible products; indeed, some may consider such a step as of more importance to our race than the apotheosis of a peccant mortal; and therefore it would appear that, if in the one instance it is desirable that all the peccadilloes of the candidate should be exposed, _a fortiori_, it must be so in the other.

“Let me, then, first observe that these gentlemen at the bar have actually a very bad character, and that it is not likely that this would be the case unless they were really great sinners.

“Here, some will exclaim, no doubt, ‘Prejudice, my dear sir! vulgar prejudice is capable of the grossest injustice--ignorant prejudice has driven from our tables a delicious article of food, and deprived the poor of a wholesome diet.’ It is often said that he was a brave man who first ate an oyster, and truly a more uninviting mouthful than it was could scarcely be imagined; and yet the fact that it _is_ good and wholesome soon disposed of any prejudice against it. And is it not likely that such would be the case, were the fungus tribe fit for human food? Can we suppose any prejudice arising from their leathery looks would not evaporate like mists before the morning sun, were they really the nutritious and delicious dainties they are described to be by their enthusiastic advocates?

“I think it may be observed that the general character which a man bears is, on the whole, a true one. That big school, the world in which we live, contrives, in some way or other, to hit off pretty accurately our average merit and take our measure, and though it may make a mistake now and then in some particular instance, its general estimate is a fair one; and so with funguses. There may be a too-sweeping condemnation of all kinds of them: nay, it may be even probable that _Agaricus campestris_ is not the best that grows, and yet, after all, the prevalent distrust of the tribe is well founded.

“When, _e.g._, some family in a parish is known to have been poisoned by eating a wrong sort, it is not surprising, nor can it be called stupid prejudice, if their neighbours are ever after rather shy of the article of food which produced that result. But it will be said that the mischief arose from ignorance--had that family known the marks that distinguish between the wholesome and the poisonous kinds this would never have taken place. If ever there was a case in which ignorance was bliss, surely this is it. A short time ago, I accompanied a scientific friend in a foray among the funguses, which we made with a special view to the improvement of our intended repast, and was on that occasion struck with the elaborate precautions which seemed to be necessary to observe in discriminating the good from the bad. It would almost seem that Nature had purposely contrived a labyrinth of ingenious stumbling-blocks to guard this mysterious product from the insatiable appetites of mankind; and so it came to pass after all, my good friend--who really seemed well up in the subject, and who found at every turn some well-known test of wholesomeness or otherwise to guide him in the specimens we collected--wound up the day by nearly poisoning a member of my family: for he had, it appears, mistaken _Boletus flavus_, a violent poison, for the very similar but wholesome and excellent _Boletus luteus_--the only difference being that the pores of the one are somewhat smaller and less angular than those of the other. Surely, in this instance, knowledge (and it was not in his case a little knowledge either) was a dangerous thing.

“But still it may be said that there are species the characters of which are sufficiently well-defined, and that from these, at least, the stigma ought to be removed. But even so, I would submit one or two questions to those who may be inclined to admit this. 1st. Is it so clear that a fungus which agrees with one person may not be very injurious to another? One man has, to use a vulgar expression, the stomach of a horse. Can I, an average mortal, calculate on possessing such a treasure? I saw with my own eyes my scientific friend eat and swallow an entire _Boletus flavus_, raw, without any apparent bad effects either that evening or the following day, whereas a small portion of the same kind, cooked too (I cannot, however, say _secundum artem_), produced violent sickness on another individual, who, moreover, had never before experienced sickness; indeed, this fact would seem to suggest that the stomach may be ‘educated’ by long habit to bear this noxious food, and, therefore, that its evil effects (harmless upon organs well trained) happen when the _experimentum in corpore vili_ is tried. My friend assures me that he has eaten the highly poisonous _Boletus satanas_ with no worse effect than a little indigestion the next morning. Can, I would ask, the experience of such a seasoned digestive apparatus as his be any guide to those who have not gone through the course of training which he has?

“Again, may it not be possible that the same kind of fungus which in some instances is wholesome, may, if grown under different circumstances, and supplied with different nutriment, assume very different properties? And again, are we competent to judge of the wholesomeness of a particular article of food unless it is tried by a very large number of persons--unless it be ‘exhibited,’ to use a medical term, on a great variety of constitutions? Indeed, is there not some ground for thinking that such an exhibition would be in many instances far from satisfactory?

“On the whole, it would appear that the advice of an eminent physician, an ardent admirer of the fungus, was good and sound. When he heard of the escape my family had on this occasion, he said that this article of diet should be partaken of with ‘great caution.’ And by the way, is not this itself a very suspicious expression? ‘Great caution!’ If I am introduced to a gentleman, and told at the same time that I must conduct myself towards him with ‘great caution’ or he will probably do me some deadly mischief, it would hardly be thought a very hearty and promising introduction; yet here we are told that this excellent family to which we are so warmly introduced has some members belonging to it so villanously disposed, that possibly we may pay for our acquaintance with our lives. This is not very encouraging, and so the course adopted by a young lady who indulges in these experiments, to whom I was speaking the other day, would seem to be a very prudent one. She says she never partakes of these dainties till she has seen the effect they have had upon somebody else! But even so, only picture the ghastly scene which a banquet of this kind would present; each guest looking anxiously into his neighbour’s face, awaiting in terror the contortions which are to show that he has partaken of the fatal dish.”

While Mr. La Touche’s paper should not deter us from using and showing others the value of the quantities of _edible_ fungi now generally allowed to rot in our fields and woods, and nowhere perhaps so abundant as in the pleasure grounds and woods round country seats, yet, as impressing the necessity of using due discrimination in gathering, it may be read with advantage by all.

INDEX.

PAGE

AGARICUS amygdalinus, 147
„ arvensis, 98
„ Cæsareus, 97, 152
„ cæspitosus (Lentinus), 149
„ campestris, 95
„ cylindricus, 118
„ excoriatus, 114
„ fimetarius, 118
„ frumentaceus, 148
„ gambosus, 121
„ melleus, 149
„ nebularis, 127
„ orcella, 141
„ procerus, 113
„ prunulus, 143
„ rachodes, 114
„ rubescens, 125
„ salignus, 153
„ typhoides, 118
„ villaticus, 100

“Agaric of civilization”, 119

American Edible Fungi, 145

Arches, Mushroom culture in, 47

BOLETUS collinitus, 149
„ flavidus, 149
„ flavus, 163
„ luteus, 163
„ satanas, 164

Bricks, mushroom-spawn in, 25

Brown Warty Agaric, 125

CANTHARELLUS cibarius, 137

Cave-culture of mushrooms, 57

Cellars, mushroom culture in, 51

Champignonniste at Montrouge, 57

Chantarelle, 137

Clavaria, 158

Clouded Mushroom, 127

Common Mushrooms, 95
„ how to cook the, 102

Coprinus comatus, 117

Coral Mushroom, 158

Covering for Mushroom-beds, 34
„ advantageous to Mushroom crop, 87

Cucumber frames, Mushroom culture in, 56

FAIRY-RING Champignon, 108

Fermentation of manure, how prevented, 16

Floor of Mushroom-house, 3, 5

French mode of preparing manure, 16
„ Mushroom-caves, 57, 71
„ Mushroom-spawn, 28

Forsyth’s Mushroom-house, 7

Frogmore, Mushroom-house at, 5

GARDENS and fields, Mushroom culture in, 77

Gardens about London, Mushroom culture in, 78

Greenhouses, Mushroom culture in, 53

HABITATS of the wild Mushroom, 90

Heating of the Mushroom-house, 6

Hedgehog Mushroom, 139

Horse Mushroom, 98

Hydnum repandum, 139

Hygrophorus pratensis, 135
„ psittacinus, 136
„ virgineus, 135
„ niveus, 136

IRON injurious to Mushrooms, 74

LACTARIUS deliciosus, 129
„ piperatus, 150
„ torminosus (necator), 130

Lawns, Mushroom culture not desirable on, 93

Lycoperdon giganteum, 159

MANED Agaric, the, 117

Manure, preparation of, 13
„ Mr. Early’s method of preparing, 14
„ Mr. Barnes’s „ , 14
„ Frogmore „ , 15
„ how prepared by London market-gardeners, 15
„ how kept from fermenting, 16
„ French mode of preparing, 16
„ summary of directions for preparing, 17

Marasmius oreades, 108
„ urens, 109

Mill-track Mushroom-spawn, 27

Montrouge, Mushroom-caves at, 57

Morchella esculenta, 130

Morel, the, 130

Mouceron or mousseron, 123, 143

Mushroom-beds, materials for, 13
„ „ of sawdust, 19
„ „ of leaves and loam, 19, 21
„ „ of street-sweepings, &c., 19
„ „ chief point to be observed in making, 21
„ „ best time for making, 21
„ „ depth of, 18
„ „ in a stable, 30
„ „ covering for, 34
„ „ how to reduce the heat of, 34
„ „ how to ascertain the heat of, 34
„ „ how to spawn properly, 35
„ „ soil for earthing, 37
„ „ the watering of, 38
„ „ vermin in, 39
„ „ treatment of old, 41, 46
„ „ temperature of, 33, 79
„ „ soil for covering, 79
„ caves, contrivance for watering beds in, 75
„ „ „ for making beds in, 75
„ „ localities of, 75
„ „ depth of, 18, 76
„ „ immense extent of, 76
„ „ at Montrouge, 57
„ „ description of soil used in, 61
„ „ daily produce of, 62
„ „ appearance of beds in, 61
„ „ kind of manure used in, 65
„ „ difficulty in visiting, 65
„ „ at Frépillon, account of, 66
„ „ „ extent of beds in, 66
„ „ „ plan of, 68
„ „ „ appearance of beds in, 70
„ „ „ daily produce of, 66, 70
„ „ preparation of manure in, 71
„ „ „ of spawn in, 73
„ crop, how to gather, 42
„ culture in a shed, 45
„ „ in arches, 47
„ „ in stables, 49
„ „ in cellars, 51
„ „ in bottoms of old casks, 52
„ „ in cold greenhouses, 53
„ „ under stages in glass-houses, 55
„ „ in cucumber or melon frames, 56
„ „ in caves near Paris, 57
„ „ open-air in Parisian market gardens, 80
„ „ in gardens among other crops, 84
„ „ in gardens and fields, 77
„ „ in summer, 77
„ „ in gardens at Earl’s Court, 78
„ „ on lawns not desirable, 93
„ „ in pastures, &c., 88
„ growing in open-air, Mr. Ayres’s account of, 85

Mushrooms dislike coal and iron, 74
„ „ tar, 48

Mushroom-house, chief requirement in the construction of, 2
„ „ at back of hothouses, 2
„ „ floor of, 3, 5
„ „ without artificial heat, 4
„ „ with slate or tiled roof, 4
„ „ with thatched roof, 5
„ „ condition of air in, 4
„ „ at Frogmore, 5
„ „ how secured from damp, 5, 6
„ „ best position for, 6
„ „ how heated, 6
„ „ used for forcing and blanching vegetables, 6
„ „ under shed (Forsyth’s), 7
„ „ best kind of shelves for, 7
„ „ at Stoke Place, 8
„ „ against wall, best roof for, 9
„ „ proper width of, 9
„ „ Russian (Oldacre’s), 10
„ „ ventilation of, 5, 7, 9
„ „ with brick arched inner roof, 9
„ „ with close-bottomed shelves, 9
„ „ shelves of cast-iron grating for, 11
„ „ necessity of cleaning, 42
„ „ temperature of, 33
„ spawn, what it is, 23
„ „ how obtained in the first instance, 24
„ „ “natural” or “virgin”, 24
„ „ how to preserve, 25
„ „ in bricks, 25
„ „ „ „ recipes for making, 26
„ „ mill-track, 27
„ „ French, 28
„ „ how to save the expense of purchasing, 29
„ „ French, experiment with, 30

Mushrooms not produced by chance, 89
„ quantities exported from France, 64

NUT Mushroom, 158

OLDACRE’S mushroom-house, 10

Old mushroom-beds, treatment of, 41

Omelette, 158

Open-air culture of Mushrooms at Paris, 80

Orange-milk Mushroom, 129

Orgelle, 141

PASTURES, how to introduce Mushrooms into, 92

Parasol Agaric, 113

Peach-kernel Mushroom, 158

Pink-gill Mushroom, 158

Places in which Mushrooms may be grown, 1

Plum Mushroom, 143

Polyporus Berkelei, 150
„ confluens, 150
„ frondosus, 150
„ ovinus, 149
„ poripes, 149
„ sulfureus, 150

Pratiolo, 97, 158

RAIN, injurious to mushroom-crop, 87

Red-fleshed Mushroom, 125

Roof of mushroom-house, 4, 5

Russian mushroom-house, 10

SAWDUST for mushroom-beds, 19

Scaly Mushroom, 113

Shed, mushroom-house under, 7
„ mushroom culture in, 45

Shelves of mushroom-house, 7
„ cast-iron grating for, 11

Snowball Mushroom, 158

Soil for earthing mushroom-beds, 37

Spawn, how to prepare without expense, 91

Spinaroli, 123

Spine-bearing Mushroom, 139

Stables, mushroom culture in, 49

Stoke Place, mushroom-house at, 8

Street-sweepings for mushroom-beds, 19

St. George’s Mushroom, 121

Summer cultivation of Mushrooms, 77

TAR, Mushrooms’ dislike of, 48

Temperature of mushroom-beds, 33
„ of mushroom-house, 33

VEGETABLE Sweetbread, 141

Ventilation of mushroom-house, 5, 7, 9

Vermin in mushroom-beds, 39

“Virgin” mushroom-spawn, 24

Viscid White Mushroom, 135

WATERING of mushroom-beds, the, 38

“Why should we not eat Funguses”, 160

THE END.

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes

Missing periods and quotation marks have been supplied where obviously required. All other original errors and inconsistencies have been retained, except as follows:

Page 106: medium-sized changed to medium-size
(or so of medium-size, place two)
Page 123: Stafora changed to Staffora
(the valley of Staffora, near Bobbio,)
Page 138: Cantharelle changed to Chantarelle
(dressing the Chantarelle are)
Page 165: person--sunless changed to persons--unless
(number of persons--unless it be)