15 



more or less lobed ; diameter from two to four inches ; flesh pah' yellow 

 or whitish ; veins or gills rather thick and w'iry, reinarkal)ly decurrent, 

 usually very much bifurcated and of the same golden yellow as the cap ; 

 stem solid or stufted, slightly attenuated downwards, yellow ; spores 

 white or pale yellowish, elliptical. 



European authors esteem it very highly, and some speak of the odor as 

 like that of ripe apricots. The plant as found in Maryland and Virginia 

 has a slightlj' pungent but agreeable taste when raw, and a pleasant odor 

 when cooked. It is ranked as one of the best of the wood mushrooms by 

 those who have eaten it in this locality (District of Columbia). It is 

 found here in abundance, after light rains, in fir woods. Berkeley states 

 that it is somewhat rare in England, where it is held as a delicacy, but 

 quite common on the continent. We have had specimens from various 

 localities throughout the States. Cooke says the spores are white. Peck 

 and Gibson record them as yellow. I find them white, sometimes slightly 

 tinted wdth yellow. 



The Chantarelle takes its name from a Greek word signifying a cup or 

 vase, referring to its shape and possibly also to its rich golden color ; ciha- 

 rius refers to its esculent qiialities. 



The variety rii/ipes Gillet closely resembles C. ciharius, but is darker, 

 with the stem rufous, reddish, at the base. 



C. aurantiacus Fries bears a sufficient resemblance to C. elharlus to 

 be sometimes taken for it, although the cap is tomentose and of a much 

 deeper orange in tint, the gills more crowded, darker than the cap, and 

 the stem less stout. In the variety pallidus the whole plant is very light 

 or bufl' yellow, and the gills nearly white. C. aurantiacus has been re- 

 corded as poisonous or unwholesome by some of the earlier authors, 

 others say that they have eaten it, but do not commend it. 



RECEIPTS FOR COOKING. 



Stiif'td Morels. — Choose the freshest and lightest colored Morels, open 

 the stalk at the base, fill with minced veal and bread-crumbs, secure the 

 ends of the stalk and place between thin slices of bacon. 



The Morel should not be gathered immediately after heavy rains, as it 

 becomes insipid wdth much moisture. The flavor is said to grow stronger 

 in drying. 



E&calh>ped Mushrooms. — (From Mr. Frank Cay wood, Fredericktown, 

 Ohio, November 14, 1893.) Season as directed in the usual methods for 

 mushrooms and add a small (quantity of vinegar to hasten the cooking. 

 Cook slowly until tender; raj^id boiling evaporates the flavor. When 

 done, put in from a })int to a quart of sweet milk and heat. Take a pud- 

 ding dish and put in a layer of broken crackers ; light milk crackers are 

 the best. Put lumps of butter and pepper and salt over the crackers. 

 Next a layer of the tender mushrooms with some of the hot gravy and 

 milk. Continue these layers until the dish is full, having a layer of 



