590 



MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS. 



but not that which makes objects appear lumi- 

 nous to the eye. 



The markings of some of the moon's ancient 

 water-flows can be traced to the distance of 

 1,800 miles over grades that are scarcely dis- 

 tinguishable from the level, which they must 

 have traversed for ages. If the temperature 

 were as high as is claimed by one theory, these 

 waters would have been evaporated long be-, 

 fore they could have reached such distances ; 

 and if so very cold as is claimed by another, 

 they would have been frozen, and no such 

 tracings would have existed upon the surface. 

 It is always about six weeks after midsummer 

 that we have our hottest days, and the 

 maximum of cold is reached the same length 

 of time after midwinter. If we had thirteen 

 changes of season a year, as the moon has, the 

 heat and cold would be so much more evenly 

 distributed over the surface of the globe, and 

 we should probably seldom experience ex- 

 tremes of either. Indeed, the more we inves- 

 tigate the subject, the more likely we are to 

 arrive at the conclusion that we have not 

 drawn the first prize in the creative event 

 that produced the earth and her moon. 



MUSHROOMS AND TOADSTOOLS. These terms 

 are synonyms ; the plants belong to the nat- 

 ural order of fungi, which includes over 2,000 

 species that can only be properly studied by 

 the aid of the microscope. There are also to 

 be found about 1,000 cryptogamous or flow- 

 erless plants, of sufficient size and substance to 

 be used as food for man. These figures are 

 only approximate a rigid division of species 

 would increase the number of the latter, and 

 multiply almost infinitely that of the former. 



PASTURE-MUSHROOM (Agaricus campestris). 



The nature, use, and cultivation of mushrooms 

 form the subject-matter of this article. These 

 fungi are classified by the character of the 

 spore-bearing surface, and by the color of the 

 spore. This is the reproductive body. The fol- 

 lowing are those natural orders of fungi in which 

 are included most mushrooms and toadstools : 



Order I. Agaricini, or gill-bearing fungi, in 

 which the spores are lightly adherent to a series 

 of thin plates called gills. These are found 

 under the cap or pileus of the toadstool, and 

 run to a common center at the stem. Exam- 

 ple : Agaricus (Psalliota) campestris. Pasture- 

 mushroom. 



Order II. Polyporei, or tube-bearing fungi, 

 in which a spongy collection of tubes or pores 

 takes the place of the gills noted in the first 



EDIBLE BOLETUS (Boletus edulis). 



order. Otherwise no change is necessarily to 

 be found in the form of the toadstool. Exam- 

 ple : Boletus edulis. Edible boletus. 



Order III. Hydnei, or spine-bearing fungi, in 

 which short spines or teeth are found instead 



EDIBLE TOOTHED-MUSHROOM (Hydnum repandum). 



of gills or tubes as noted above ; the form or 

 shape not necessarily changing. Example: Hyd- 

 num, repandum. Edible toothed mushroom. 



Order IV. Auriculani or ear-shaped, leathery 

 fungi. Here the form is radically changed, and 

 the spore-bearing surface is nearly smooth and 

 even, although sometimes veined and swollen. 



