USE OF MUSHROOMS 153 



A fi'w species, such as T, e [) i o t a m n r j; a n i and C 1 i 1 o c y b e i 1 1 u d e n s, 

 produce violent vomiting in some cases. The beginner must be on his guard for such 

 forms, until he has carefullv tried a small ])iccc on liimself to discover whether it 

 is harmful or harmless. These contain no (hadl\ poisonous substances, as does 

 Amanita, so that while they are jironipiiy rejccled by some stomachs, they are 

 innocuous or even delicious to others. Both of these species indicated above, togethei 

 with a few others, such as B o 1 e t u s 1 u r i d u s and (iyromitra esculenta 

 are readily distinguished, and the colUctor shonld early familiarize himself with their 

 earmarks. It is a safe ruU', however, for the beginner not to make a hearty meal 

 of any mushroom, until lie has tried it in a small (piantity, on account of the in- 

 dividual differences of i)eople. The majority of lieshy mushrooms, especially such 

 genera as C o p r i n u s, A g a r i c u s, L y c o p e r d o n, P 1 e u r o t u s, C o 1- 

 1 y b i a, and M o r c h e 1 1 a, are acceptable to all. 



The amount of digestible nutriment in a niushr(joni is not great, on account of 

 the large proportion of water. This is even truer of a large number of our most 

 popular vegetables. In both cases, it is not the absolute amount of available nutri- 

 ment that counts, l)ut the part which the food plays in the dietary. In tlie ca.se of 

 mushrooms, their delicacy and rta\-or, the many ways in which they can be cooked, 

 the readiness with which they combine with other foods, and especiallv their ability 

 to replace tlu' meals in large measure give them a very high value. They bring to 

 the table what is in quality a luxury, but in cost one of the cheapest of all foods. It 

 is much to be hoped that a knowledge of mushrooms will become widespread, bring- 

 ing with it an increase in physiological efficiency and a decrease in the "cost of living." 



COLLECTING MUSHROOMS 



The first requisite in collecting is to avoid all Amanitas. The second is to select 

 only those individuals which are free from larvae or from decay of any sort. As a 

 rule, old, discolored or dry plants should be avoided, especially in the case of puff- 

 balls, but with those species which can be preserved by drying, a dried plant is 

 almost as good as a fresh one in many cases. The collecting basket should be provided 

 with fresh papers, or, better, with paper bags. By this means, the plants are kept 

 fresher and cleaner, and, e\en more important, the individuals of each species can 

 be kept together. This is a matter of considerable importance in cooking, since 

 different species require ditTerent treatment, or varying time. In many cases, it is 

 desirable to cut the stem close to the cap ; in some species, however, the stem is 

 equally good, and in others, it only requires longer cooking. The question of stems 

 is largely a personal one to l)e decided by the taste and experience of each person. 

 The essential thing is to cut the stem in such fashion that adhering dirt or other 

 material is left behind. After collecting, mushrooms if fresh can be kept for several 

 days on ice, but it is much better to use them at once. 



In preparing mushrooms for cooking, they should be picked over, the stems 

 separated if need be, and thoroughly washed, usually in water that has been salted. 

 The further treatment varies more or less for the different kinds, and of course with 



