224 



'"A delicious dish. No French omelette is half so good in richness and 

 delicacy of flavour. "-iJ. Ward, in Cooke. 



"They who have tasted them once will require no pressing to induce 

 them to repeat the experiment."— Jas. Britten. 



THE MODES OF COOKING LYCOPERDON GIOANTEUM. 



« As good wine needs no hush - so in my opinion the puff-ball requires no 

 elaborate mode of cooking. -James Britten. 



Cut in slices half an inch thick, it may be simply broiled, or fried with 

 butter, pepper and salt, and when served up hot will meet with general 



approbation, 



31. Fritters of Giant Pcff-Ball. 

 Cut slices half an inch thick; dip in yolk of egg; sprinkle with pepper, 

 salt and sweet herbs ; fry in fresh butter, and serve hot. 

 32. Fritters of Giant Puff-Ball. 

 Fry the half inch slices in fresh butter with a very slight sprinkling of 

 salt and any preserve that might be available, and serve up hot. 



Vittadini recommends, and the suggestion is a good in one consequence 

 of the large size to which the Giant Puff-ball grows. " Whenever the fungus 

 grows conveniently for the purpose, that it should not be all taken at once, but 

 that the slices wanted should be cut off from the living plant, car* being taken 

 not to break up its attachment with the earth ; in this way you may have a 

 fine " frittura " every day for a week." 



In its advanced state it was formerly used as tinder, since it smoulders 

 without flame for a long time. "In divers parts of England when people 

 dwell far from neighbours, they carry the dry Fusse-ball kindled with fire, 

 which lasteth long ; whereupon they were called Lucernarum Fungi " (Gerarde s 

 Herbal) -They werealso formerly and still are used as a styptic to stop bleeding, 

 and were recommended to be sent to the Continent for dressing wounds in this 



present war. 



As an anesthetic they have long been known. Old Gerarde again says 

 "The country people do use to kill or smother bees with these Fusse-balls, 

 being set on fire, for the which purpose it fitly serveth"-f Herbal). 



CONCLUSION. 

 Herefordshire presents many other Esculent Funguses besides those which 

 have been represented in these papers, but it will be sufficient to give a brief report 



of some few of them. , 



Agaricus campestris, L.-The common mushroom is so well known and so 



highly prized that It is not necessary to mention it further. 



Agaricus arvcniis, Sch*ff.-The Horse mushroom is also equally well 



-known as the immense mushroom that grows so abundantly in large rings m 



our fields and orchards. It is commonly used for making catsup, but is thought 



