Agaricaceae 



Eussuia. planted under its own natural life conditions. It is certain that beetles 

 can not be raised by planting Russulae. 



The beetles known as tumble-bugs canthon laevis deposit eggs in 

 the center of balls made of animal droppings ; dig a hole in the ground 

 and drop them into it. These droppings frequently contain the spores 

 of the meadow mushroom. Thus planted with the proper surrounding 

 of manure, and at the proper depth, the spores germinate, spread 

 mycelium, and a crop of mushrooms is the result. The beetle becomes 

 a horticulturist. No wonder the Egyptians, thousands of years ago, 

 made it the scarabeus their sacred emblem, and that, today, the 

 fleur-de-lis of France, so the Rosicrucians say, perpetuates its glorious 

 worth and calling. 



Most Russulae are sweet and nutty to the taste ; some are as hot as 

 the fiercest of cayenne, but this they lose upon cooking. To this genus 

 authors have done especial injustice; there is not a single species among 

 them known to be poisonous, and, where they are not too strong of 

 cherry bark and other highly flavored substances, they are all edible; 

 most of them are favorites. Where they present no objectionable ap- 

 pearance or taste, their caps make most palatable dishes when stewed, 

 baked, roasted or escalloped. The time of cooking should be deter- 

 mined by the consistency of the variety; some will cook in five minutes, 

 others not under thirty. Salt, butter and pepper are the only neces- 

 saries as seasoning. 



ANALYSIS OF TRIBES. 

 I. COMPACTS (compingo, to put together; compact). Page 187. 



Pileus fleshy throughout, hence the margin is at first bent inward and 

 always without striae, without a distinct gluey pellicle (in consequence 

 of which the color is not variable, but only changes with age and the 

 state of the atmosphere). Flesh compact, firm. Stem solid, fleshy. 

 Gills unequal. 



II. FURCATE (furca, a fork. With forked gills). Page 191. 



Pileus compact, firm, covered with a thin, closely adnate pellicle, 

 which at length disappears, margin abruptly thin, at first inflexed, then 

 spreading, acute, even. Stem at first compact, at length spongy-soft 

 within. Gills somewhat forked, with a few shorter ones intermixed, 

 commonly attenuated at both ends, thin and normally narrow. 



186 



