﻿D 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  pumpkin 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  late 
  Dr. 
  Lindley 
  

   computed 
  that 
  the 
  cells 
  of 
  which 
  its 
  structure 
  is 
  

   composed, 
  multiply 
  at 
  the 
  extraordinary 
  rate 
  of 
  sixty 
  

   millions 
  in 
  a 
  minute. 
  Dr. 
  Greville 
  mentions 
  an 
  instance 
  

   of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  of 
  our 
  British 
  fungi 
  {Polyporus 
  

   squamosus) 
  attaining 
  a 
  circumference 
  of 
  seven 
  feet 
  five 
  

   inches, 
  and 
  weighing 
  thirty-four 
  pounds, 
  after 
  having 
  

   been 
  cut 
  four 
  days. 
  It 
  was 
  only 
  four 
  weeks 
  in 
  attaining 
  

   to 
  these 
  dimensions, 
  thus 
  acquiring 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  

   growth 
  equal 
  to 
  nineteen 
  ounces 
  per 
  day. 
  Daring 
  

   the 
  past 
  summer 
  we 
  noticed 
  an 
  individual 
  of 
  this 
  

   same 
  species, 
  which 
  reached 
  a 
  diameter 
  of 
  eleven 
  

   inches 
  within 
  the 
  short 
  space 
  of 
  a 
  week. 
  Blue 
  -mould 
  

   is 
  also 
  rapid 
  in 
  its 
  growth, 
  although 
  the 
  plant 
  indivi- 
  

   dually 
  is 
  small, 
  and 
  a 
  meadow 
  or 
  pasture 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  

   evening 
  exhibited 
  no 
  prominent 
  signs 
  of 
  mushrooms, 
  

   may 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  yield 
  a 
  good 
  basket-full. 
  The 
  

   popular 
  notion, 
  current 
  in 
  some 
  agricultural 
  districts, 
  

   that 
  fungi 
  melt 
  away 
  when 
  the 
  sun 
  shines 
  upon 
  them, 
  

   sends 
  the 
  mushroom-gatherer 
  to 
  seek 
  them 
  

  

  " 
  When 
  the 
  grass 
  is 
  wet 
  with 
  dew, 
  

   In 
  the 
  morning 
  early." 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Carpenter 
  relates 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  expansive 
  

   power 
  resulting 
  from 
  the 
  rapid 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  soft 
  

   cellular 
  tissue 
  of 
  fungi 
  which 
  seems 
  marvellous. 
  Some 
  

   years 
  ago 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Basingstoke 
  was 
  paved 
  ; 
  and 
  not 
  

   many 
  months 
  afterwards 
  the 
  pavement 
  was 
  observed 
  

   to 
  exhibit 
  an 
  unevenness 
  which 
  could 
  not 
  easily 
  be 
  

   accounted 
  for. 
  In 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  after, 
  the 
  mystery 
  was 
  

   explained, 
  for 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  heaviest 
  stones 
  were 
  com- 
  

  

  