﻿38 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  suspicion 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  ever 
  prove 
  valuable 
  for 
  any 
  pro- 
  

   perty 
  which 
  it 
  may 
  possess. 
  

  

  Although 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  confidently 
  affirmed 
  that 
  

   no 
  species 
  of 
  fungus 
  is 
  good 
  for 
  food 
  which 
  grows 
  in 
  

   clusters 
  or 
  on 
  old 
  stumps, 
  both 
  these 
  conditions 
  are 
  

   combined 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  common 
  species 
  (A.fi/sipes), 
  which 
  

   flourishes 
  often 
  in 
  dense 
  tufts 
  in 
  such 
  localities, 
  and 
  is, 
  

   moreover, 
  very 
  good 
  to 
  pickle, 
  unless 
  we 
  can 
  conceive 
  

   that 
  excellent 
  authorities 
  are 
  either 
  deceiving 
  01 
  

   deceived. 
  This 
  species 
  has 
  the 
  pileus 
  of 
  a 
  reddish- 
  

   brown 
  colour, 
  often 
  cracked 
  when 
  mature. 
  The 
  stem 
  

   is 
  similar 
  in 
  colour, 
  tapering 
  towards 
  each 
  extremity, 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  be 
  fusiform 
  or 
  spindle-shaped, 
  and 
  generally 
  

   twisted 
  or 
  split, 
  The 
  gills 
  are 
  nearly 
  free, 
  pale, 
  and 
  

   often 
  spotted. 
  There 
  is 
  considerable 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  

   size 
  and 
  form 
  ; 
  but 
  our 
  plate 
  represents 
  its 
  ordinary 
  

   character 
  (PI. 
  5). 
  

  

  Another 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  same 
  sub-genus, 
  A. 
  velutipes, 
  

   may 
  be 
  found 
  growing 
  in 
  tufts 
  on 
  old 
  stumps 
  long 
  after 
  

   the 
  frosts 
  of 
  winter 
  have 
  commenced 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  we 
  have 
  

   found 
  it 
  flourishing 
  through 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  past 
  

   winter, 
  its 
  bright 
  yellowish 
  cap 
  and 
  dark 
  velvety 
  stem 
  

   making 
  it 
  an 
  object 
  of 
  interest 
  amid 
  the 
  desolation 
  of 
  

   this 
  inclement 
  season. 
  The 
  singular 
  A. 
  tuberosum, 
  

   which 
  is 
  produced 
  from 
  little 
  dark 
  elongated 
  tubers 
  

   found 
  on 
  decaying 
  Agarics, 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  this 
  

   Bub- 
  genus. 
  

  

  The 
  NdgeUckvmmme 
  of 
  the 
  Austrian 
  markets 
  

   {A 
  . 
  esculent 
  in) 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  fir 
  plantations 
  of 
  

   Scotland, 
  but, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  bitterness, 
  is 
  not 
  much 
  

  

  