MUSHROOM GROWING 



(often much branched), and Lycoperdacece 

 (puff balls). 



The Ascomycetes constitute another very 

 large class of the fungi and they are charac- 

 terized by having asci, or spore sacs, in 

 which the spores are produced. The spor- 

 ophores, or fruit bodies, are frequently mi- 

 croscopic, but in a certain number of genera 

 they are of sufficient size to be properly 

 characterized as fleshy fungi. It would not 

 be feasible here to indicate the general char- 

 acteristics of the different groups, but it may 

 be stated that among the fleshy forms of this 

 order there are included the saddle fungi 

 and the morels (Helvellacece), the sporo- 

 phores of which appear above the surface, 

 and the exceedingly interesting truffles {Tu- 

 beracece) and terfas {Terfeziacece)^ both of 

 which are subterranean in habit. 



AGARICACEiE. 



The AgaricacecE are characterized by the 

 possession of gills, usually blade-like struc- 



144 



