191 



Observe here, a single clove is dii-ected for the whole dish, our artiite 

 tie cuisine, put in a clove for every agaric ! We pass it by in silence. "How 

 provoking it is to see the receiiits so badly carried out" said one agaric amateur 

 at the table to another. "Oh, it is more or less inevitable" was the answer, 

 " the cook has evidently been afraid to taste himself the dishes he made, but 

 never mind, the agarics are too good not to rise triumphant over unbelieving 

 and unwilling cooks, as they are rapitUy doing over ordinary prejudice." 



As if to reward the philosophy of the reply a dish of Agaricus prunulus, 

 or Orcella was served simply stewed. The agaric had fair- play — salt and spice 

 were kept indue abeyance — and "delicious" was the unanimous verdict. This 

 dish never reached a third of the way down the table ! 



Of the Chanterelles, salt as brine and with burnt gravy we say nothing. 

 Accidents wUl happen, and though disappointment in these specialities was 

 very unfortunate, in all other pai-ticulars the dinner was so excellent and so well 

 served, that the cook rather deserves condolence than scolding. 



Many other agarics might have been dressed but it was thought best not 

 to tax too highly the patience of the cook ; and so with the distribution of 

 dried specimens of the Fairy-ring Champignon to all who wished it, the feast of 

 agarics was over for the day. This excellent agaric will keep well when threaded 

 on stiiug and dried, and kept dry thi'ough the winter, readily imparting its 

 flavour to sou^js or made dishes as required. 



One other novelty to most gentlemen present yet remained to be tried — 

 and that was the purple Granadilla, or little Pomegranate (Passiflora edulisj at 

 dessert ; a large dish of which had been most kindly sent to the club by Thos. 

 Geo. Symons, Esq., Mynde Park. The fniit has been long known. The jdant 

 is a native of the Brazils, and was introduced into this country from Portugal 

 in 1810. If grown in a house with sufficient heat, a single jilant will produce 300 

 or 400 fruit between August and January. On Mr. Symons' plant at this 

 time about 50 fruit are api)roaching ripeness. The flavour is excellent, a strong 

 acid with a sentiment, as the French would say, of the promegranate, the pine 

 apple, the raspberry, and the black currant, all blended with the art that Nature 

 only can supply. "The very best medium for eating whit* sugar I have ever 

 met with " was a criticism that seemed to meet the general feeling. 



Immediately after dinner, the Pkesident said that many of them were 

 aware that Dr. Bidl had represented the Woolhope Club at the exhibition of 

 funguses at the general meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural Society at South 

 Kensington. Two special prizes had been offered for the best collection of 

 edible funguses, and Dr. Bull had won the first prize (great applause). Taking 

 precedence of all other business, he would, therefore, call upon him to give a 

 report of that meeting (applause). 



Dr. Bull said that the circumstances of the past week had certainly 

 thrust upon him an amount of honour that had sxirprised no one more than 

 himself. He would show them at once what he felt, and that was that he had 

 received a good deal of credit which did not altogether belong to him. The 



