HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS. 



plants in land in good condition, and as large cuttings contain within themselves a much 

 greater quantity of organizable matter than small ones, they grow with great vigor at first, 

 and soon become showy and saleable plants; but I never could make trees of this descrip- 

 tion grow well afterwards, nor produce fine fruit. When in the course of time, the soil 

 has become somewhat exhausted, and manure is applied, the difference in the position of 

 the roots begins to tell. Manure is usually laid on, or worked into the surface soil round 

 the plants, and its soluble fertilizing matters are conveyed to the roots by the motion of 

 the fluids in the soil, in the manures previously mentioned. A tree with four or five tiers 

 of short roots, is now much in the position of a ti'ce whose roots have been doubled and 

 cramped together in transplanting; it has not that extensive and efficient horizontal net- 

 work of fibres, as a tree whose roots have all sprung from the base of the cutting. 



John Townley. 



Fort-Hope, Columbia Co., Wis., ISJl. 



HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS. 



BY WILLIAM SAUNDERS, BALTIMORE. 



Amongst the many valuable communications in the Horticulturist, this esculent has 

 not received the attention which it deserves. Many persons suppose that there is great 

 difficulty in its artificial production, almost amounting to a mysterious secret known only 

 to a few. 



The poisonous properties of many varieties of fungi, and the difliculty of distinguishing 

 the good from bad, also militates against them, and renders it necessary to be cautions in 

 making them an article of food. Nevertheless, mushrooms are very generally esteemed when 

 properly cooked, and are nutritious when used in moderation. Chemically, they have 

 more resemblance to fiesh than any other vegetable. In some parts of Russia, it is said 

 the peasantr^r depend on mushrooms and bread for the greater part of their sustenance. 

 They employ about fifty kinds of fungi as food. In Rome there is an "Inspector of Fun- 

 guses," who attends the markets as a guarantee for public safety, and strange to say, our 

 common edible mushroom, (^yigaricus campzstris,') is interdicted; any specimens of it 

 brought to the fungus market, are sent under escort and thrown into the Tiber. 



It appears from the remarks of mycologists, that the majority of funguses are harm- 

 less; the poisonous varieties being the exception, the innoxious and esculent the rule. But 

 the difficulty lies in the selection, as we have no definite guide to point out what sorts are, 

 or what are not poisonous; even some of the wholesome kinds acquire noxious properties, 

 when grown under peculiar circumstances. Soaking in vinegar destroys much of the poi- 

 sonous qualities if present. Heat also extracts the deleterious properties from many that 

 Avould be unsafe to eat in a raw state. Various tests have been recommended. The pre- 

 sence of a free acid has been considered a sign of harmlessness. This is found not to be 

 conclusive, as many, good and bad, will redden litmus paper. Cooking them with a sil- 

 ver spoon, under the impression that if bad the spoon will change its color, is also an er- 

 roneous idea. Cooking an onion with them is said to be a good test; if they are edible 

 the onion will maintain its original color, while it will turn black if the mushroom is poi- 

 sonous. Selecting by color has also its advantages; many of the most noxious species are 

 snowy w^hiteness, while others of a less tempting color are perfectly harmless, 

 care and experience are requisite to discriminate those that can be eaten with 



