﻿•32 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  Let 
  us 
  hope 
  that 
  such 
  names, 
  which 
  originated, 
  and 
  

   have 
  been 
  perpetuated 
  in 
  ignorance, 
  will 
  soon 
  become 
  

   obsolete. 
  

  

  The 
  St. 
  George's 
  Mushroom 
  (A.gambosus) 
  is 
  an 
  early 
  

   species, 
  as 
  it 
  makes 
  its 
  appearance, 
  growing 
  in 
  rings, 
  

   about 
  May 
  or 
  June. 
  It 
  has 
  a 
  most 
  powerful 
  odour, 
  and 
  

   sometimes 
  attains 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  size. 
  Although 
  another 
  

   and 
  veiy 
  distinct 
  species 
  has 
  shared 
  the 
  honour 
  of 
  

   bearing 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  patron 
  saint 
  of 
  England, 
  this 
  

   is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  true 
  St. 
  George's 
  mushroom. 
  To 
  

   whichever 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  the 
  genuine 
  patronage 
  belongs, 
  it 
  

   is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  first 
  ascribed 
  to 
  it 
  by 
  the 
  Hun- 
  

   garians, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  the 
  special 
  gift 
  of 
  that 
  

   saintly 
  champion. 
  Others, 
  dissenting 
  from 
  so 
  romantic 
  

   an 
  origin, 
  declare 
  that 
  the 
  name 
  resulted 
  simply 
  from 
  

   its 
  making 
  its 
  appearance 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  St. 
  George's 
  

   day. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  latter 
  be 
  the 
  true 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  name, 
  the 
  

   present 
  species 
  establishes 
  its 
  claim 
  to 
  it 
  by 
  flourishing 
  

   in 
  spring, 
  whilst 
  the 
  pretender 
  is 
  an 
  autumnal 
  species. 
  

   The 
  pileus 
  in 
  this 
  mushroom 
  is 
  thick 
  and 
  fleshy, 
  

   smooth, 
  and 
  ultimately 
  becomes 
  cracked 
  and 
  fissured. 
  

   The 
  stem 
  is 
  stout 
  and 
  solid, 
  and 
  the 
  yellowish-white 
  

   gills 
  are 
  much 
  crowded 
  together. 
  The 
  odour 
  of 
  this 
  

   species 
  is 
  so 
  strong, 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  matured 
  state 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   earliest 
  stages 
  of 
  its 
  growth, 
  as 
  to 
  become 
  oppressive 
  

   and 
  overpowering. 
  Workmen 
  employed 
  to 
  root 
  them 
  

   out 
  are 
  said 
  'to 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  overcome 
  by 
  the 
  odour 
  as 
  

   to 
  be 
  compelled 
  to 
  desist. 
  Although 
  this 
  cannot 
  tvj 
  

   considered 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  delicate-flavoured 
  of 
  funui, 
  

  

  