AGARICACEAE, OR GILL-BEARING MUSHROOMS. 



41 



desirable to preserve a "spore print" the 

 surface of the paper should be coated with a 

 thin solution of gum arabic. This mush- 

 room has been found for many years in great 

 abundance in our college lawn and pasture 

 fields. During last summer the pasture 

 field was plowed up, and this only added 

 to the luxurious growth of mushrooms. 

 The usual custom of peeling this mushroom 

 before cooking is a mistake, as it takes away 

 from it its choicest flavor. It may be fried 

 in butter or stewed in milk or cream, or 

 eaten raw, and is always palatable and easily 

 digested. 



(2) Agaricus Arvensis, or Horse Mush- 

 room. — This has been considered a large 

 variety of the Compestris, and has likely re- 

 ceived its name, "Horse mushroom," be- 

 cause of its size and rankness of growth on 

 the same principle that the horse radish 

 received its name. Its cap often expands to 

 the diameter of six or seven inches. It re- 

 sembles in many respects the compestris, 

 but differs from it in having a hollow stem, 

 a slightly bulbous base, a double ring or 

 collar, and a paler shade of pink in the gills 

 of the young plant. Dr. Peck says of it : 

 " The collar appears to be composed of two 

 parts closely applied to each other and mak- 

 ing a double membrane, the lower part of 

 which is of a thicker, softer texture and split 

 in a stellate manner into broad yellowish 

 rays. This is perhaps the most distinctive 

 character of this species." It has been sup- 

 posed that the spores of this and of the 

 preceding will not germinate until they have 

 passed through the alimentary canal of the 

 horse. Whether this be so or not, it is cer- 

 tain that it is only in soil enriched by the 

 manure of this animal that either of them 

 can be successfully grown in gardens or in 

 cellars. A. arvenses has been found in con- 

 siderable quantities in and around the col- 

 lege hot beds. 



(3) Agaricus Gambosus, known in Eng- 

 land as St. Georgfe's Mushroom. — It is one 



of our earliest spring mushrooms, having 

 been found as early as April 23rd. Its most 

 striking feature is its densely-crowded, yel- 

 lowish white gills of unequal lengths, each 

 annexed to the stem with a decurrent tooth 

 as shown in Fig. 1991. The cap is about 

 three inches in diameter, occasionally five 

 inches, and is smooth (no patches or warts 

 on surface), thick, and fleshy, suggesting 

 soft kid leather, at first rounded, convex, 

 ultimately expanding quite horizontally, 

 and is commonly fissured here and 

 there with irregular cracks both in its ,ex- 

 panse and at its edges. Its color is white 

 or yellowish white. The stem is compara- 

 tively short, thick and solid with a slight 



Fig. 1991. Agaricus Gamisosus {Gidson). 



enlargement toward the base, and with no 

 indication of volva or sheath. This latter 

 feature will be more strongly emphasized 

 when we come to speak of poisonous vari- 

 eties. It has a stronger fungus odor than 

 the common mushroom and sometimes 

 grows in rings and clusters. It has been 

 found for some years on college grounds, 

 and its edible properties have been fully 

 tested. 



(4) Marasmius Oreades or Fairy Ring 

 Mushroom, called in England "Scotch 

 Bonnets," also "Champignons." — It re- 

 ceived the name "Fairy Ring" from its 

 tendency to grow in rings or circles or parts 



