New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 339 



other with it. Examples of this kind are illustrated in figures 6, 8 

 and 10, Plate XI. On this account the gathered mushrooms, 

 although consisting mostly of freshW opened specimens, may also 

 show all stages from buttons to fully expanded mushrooms. 



After the mushrooms are picked they are then sorted for market, 

 so that each package will contain specimens nearly uniform in size, 

 80 that if a customer wants only large mushrooms he can get them 

 without either taking small ones or sorting different packages, and 

 if he wants buttons he can get them without taking fully developed 

 mushrooms. If the mushrooms are well sorted and put in packages 

 of a size adapted to the demands of the customers they need not 

 be disturbed after they are packed till they reach the customer. 



Different stages in the development of mushrooms are shown in 

 Plate XL Figures 10, 11 and 12 illustrate specimens of mature 

 mushrooms. Tlie upper expanded portion is called the " cap," 

 from the under side of which are suspended the "gills," like thin, 

 delicate leaves, a8 shown on the under side of the cap in figures 

 9 and 10. When the mushrooms are fresh the gills are of a dull 

 pink color. The part which extends from the ground to the cap 

 supporting the cap is called the " stalk." On the stalk a short 

 distance below the cap is a rather ragged ring, showing where the 

 veil was attached to the stalk (see figure 10). The name "veil" 

 is given to the thin covering which, in the button stage, extends 

 from the circumference of the cap to the stalk, completely hiding 

 the gills, as shown in figures 7 and 8, In figure 9 it will be noticed 

 that the cap has expanded sufficiently to partly rupture the veil. 

 From the time the mushrooms first appear above ground till the 

 cap expands so as to break the veil they are called "buttons." 

 Buttons are shown in figures 1 to 8, and the stage intermediate 

 between buttons and fully developed mushrooms is illustrated by 

 figure 9. Figure 12 shows the upper side of a cap. 



The spores of the mushrooms correspond to the seeds of higher 

 plants. In the case of the mushroom commonly cultivated these 

 are borne on the gills. The spores may be collected in great num- 

 bers by simply cutting the cap from its stalk and setting it gills 

 downward on a piece of paper, where it is left for a few hours. 

 On lifting it from the paper it will then be seen that an outline of 

 the gills, made of fine dark colored powder, appears on the paper 

 where the cap rested. This powder consists of the spores of the 

 mushroom. It thus appears that the mushroom is the fruit of the 



