REPOET OF THE MICEOSCOPIST. 101 



in 18G7, 21 miles of beds, and producing not less than 3,000 i)ounds in 

 weight daily. Another at Frepillon contains 10 miles of beds. The 

 catacombs and quarries of Paris and vicinity and the caves of ^Moulin 

 de la Eoche, Sous Bicetre, audBagneux produce immense quantities of 

 mushrooms. They are all under Government supervision and are reg- 

 ularly inspected like the mines. 



The mushroom which is cultivated in these quarries and caves almost 

 to the exclusion of all others is the " Snow Ball," Agaricus arrensis. 

 The truffle is held in high esteem and is largely exported. In 1872 the 

 quantity of truffles exported from France was valued at over 3,000,000 

 francs, and in 1879 at nearly 10,000,000 francs. Immense quantities of 

 tha Agaricus deJiciosits are sold in the Marseilles markets. The FistuUna 

 hepatica is also in great demand, and many other varieties appear from 

 time to time in the markets throughout France. The Chinese, who are 

 noted for the care bestowed on their esculent vegetation, use large quan- 

 tities of the edible fungi, importing largely from Japan and Tahiti. The 

 trade in edible fungi from Tahiti to China commenced about the year 

 18G0 ; in 1SG8 only 70 tons were shipped, in 1873, 135 tons were ex- 

 ported to China, and in 1874, 152 tons were exported. 



The value of the mushrooms imported bv Shanghai from Tahiti in 

 1872 was 107,000 taels, and in 1873, 138,800 taels— the tael is worth about 

 Gs. sterling. The fungus shijjped, JExidia auricxda i7id(c, is said to be 

 very rich in fungine and nitrogen. It is a very bulky freight, 10 tons 

 taking as much room as 30 tons of ordinary freight. 



A very laudable practice of the Chinese Government alluded to in an 

 English journal, and which might perhaps be advantageously adopted 

 in this country, is the publishing for annual gratuitous distribution of 

 numerous treatises describing the different herbs which can be utilized 

 in whole or in part for food purposes. One of these treatises is called 

 the "Anti-Famine Herbal," and consists of six volumes containing de- 

 scriptions, with illustrations, of over 400 plants which can be used as 

 food. These volumes are of inestimable value in districts where the 

 ravages of insects, drought, &c., have destroyed the grain and rice 

 crops and famine is imminent. The Japanese grow several species of 

 edible fungi in logs of decaying wood in a manner peculiar to them- 

 selves; and aside from the home consumption they in one year exported 

 to China mushrooms to the value of $60,000. In 1879 mushrooms were 

 exported from Japan to the value of 243,440 yens — the yen is equal to 

 99 j^ cents. In Italy the value of the mushroom as an article of diet has 

 long been understood and appreciated. Pliny, Galen, and Dioscorides 

 mention various esculent species, notably varieties of the truffle, the 

 boletus and the puft'-ball. At Eome it has been the custom of the Gov- 

 ernment to appoint inspectors to examine all the mushrooms brought 

 into the market and to reject such as are poisonous or worthless, which 

 are thrown into the Tiber. It was required also that no mushrooms 

 should be hawked about the streets, but that all should be sent to the 

 central depot for inspection. 



The yearly average of the taxed mushrooms sold (all over 10 j)ounds 

 being taxed) in the city of Eome alone, for the past decade, has been 

 estimated at between G0,000 and 80,000 pounds weight. Large quanti- 

 ties of mushrooms are consumed in Germany, Hungary, Eussia and 

 Austria, and in the latter country a list is published, by authority, of 

 those mushrooms which uj)on official examination may be sold. Darwin 

 speaks of Terra del Fuego as the only country where cryjitogamic i)lants 

 form a ^aple article of food. 



The natives there eat no vegetable food except a bright yellow fun- 



