MUSHROOM GROWING 



place the cap, gill surface downward, on a 

 sheet of white paper, there will be found 

 in the course of twenty-four hours, more or 

 less, a print as illustrated (Plate I, b). In 

 order to avoid drafts of air a vessel may be 

 inverted over the preparation. The print 

 obtained is a fairly good reproduction of 

 the projected form of the gills, being com- 

 posed of a mass of brownish-black powder 

 which has fallen from the gills themselves. 

 The color of this powder corresponds to 

 the color of the gills and its development 

 is a very important phase in the growth of 

 the mushroom. It is, we may say, for the 

 production of this powdery mass that the 

 mushroom, as we know it, is formed. 



The brown powder consists of innumer- 

 able minute simple cells in the form of 

 ovate bodies, termed ^^spores." These serve 

 for the reproduction of the mushroom. 

 They are equivalent to the green powdery 

 substance produced by moulds which grow 

 upon bread, cheese, and the like. Their 

 function is that of reproducing the mush- 



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