152 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



these first appear, they are white balls of a fleshy texture 

 with little or no stalks; as they ripen, the flesh turns gradually 

 to a dark brown, and finally the spores are ejected by the 

 ball being crushed or by naturally breaking open. They 

 are not fit to eat after the flesh begins to turn brown. 

 The smaller sorts are most common, but the giant puff 

 ball is occasionally met with and is often ten or more 

 inches in diameter. 



Another common native mushroom is shown in Fig. 

 45. It has a stem several inches high, but the top does not 



Fig. 59. Native mushrooms. On the left is shown the Giant Puff Ball 

 (Lycoperdon giganteum); on the right, Maned Agaric (Coprinus comatus) in 

 various stages of maturity. 



expand. It is one of the most delicious of all the mush- 

 room tribe when young. It is called the Maned Agaric 

 (Coprinus comatus). It grows in waste and grassy places, 

 lawns, and meadows. The gills (layers on the under part 

 of the head) are at first white or pink, melting into an inky, 

 fluid -like substance when more mature. 



Little attention has ever been paid in this country to 

 growing our native species. They could undoubtedly be 

 propagated by digging up some of the earth where they 

 grow abundantly and mixing it with the soil where it is 



