THE PLANT WORLD UNDER CARE 



257 



THE BEEFSTEAK MUSEIROOM IS WELL ^^■ORTH CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. 



J 'he Beefsteak Mushroom. 



BY H. W. WEISGERBER, SALEM^ OHIO, 



Of all the numerous nature subjects 

 there are none that I more thoroughly 

 enjo}' photographing than the fungi. 

 Many of these are difficult subjects. 

 This is one reason why so many of the 

 older books upon mushrooms have 

 such poor pictures. 



The beefsteak, Fistulina Hepatica, is 

 one of the difficult forms, for not only 

 is it reddish in color, but it is practi- 

 cally smooth on the top as well as on 

 the underside, as shown in the upper 

 left-hand corner of the illustration. 



The "flesh" of this fungus is fibrous 

 and follow's the outline, as shown by 

 the section in the upper right-hand 

 corner. 



The large specimen at the lower edge 

 of the picture grew on an old chestnut 

 stump ; the two smaller forms, as well 

 as the one "sectioned," and the one 

 turned bottom side up, w^ere gathered 

 elsewhere to complete the picture of 

 the species. 



The inside is red. The watery juice 

 resembles thin blood and has an acid 



taste. The gourmand who loves strong 

 vinegar on his beefsteak would enjoy 

 this "sour" fungus, which wdien pre- 

 pared is said to resemble beefsteak in 

 flavor — but I failed to find it so when 

 I tried one. But as I have not yet 

 acquired a liking for the fungi, I am not 

 a judge. But mushrooms make fine 

 negatives. For that reason I delight 

 to study and to photograph them. 



Our moment of life costs many hours, 

 hours not of business, but of preparation 

 and invitation. Yet the man who does 

 not betake himself at once and desperate- 

 ly to sawing is called a loafer, though he 

 may be knocking at the doors of heaven 

 all the while, which shall surely be open- 

 ed to him. That aim in life is highest 

 which requires the highest and finest dis- 

 cipline. How much, what infinite leisure 

 it requires, as of a life-time, to appreciate 

 a single phenomenon ! You must camp 

 down beside it as for life, having reached 

 your land of promise, and give yourself 

 wholly to it. It must stand for the whole 

 world to you, symbolical of all things. 

 — Thoreau. 



