FUNGI 

 I. BASIDIOMYCETES 



AGARICUS CAMPESTRIS, Z. (The Common 

 Mushroom) 



I. Examine a brick of "mushroom spawn," such as is sold 

 in the shops for the artificial culture of the Mushroom (Agaricus 

 campestris}. It will be found to consist of a compost of dried 

 cows'-dung, loam, and clay, in which numerous very fine 

 microscopic filaments are present, or irregularly branched 

 white bands which may be easily recognized with the naked 

 eye: this is the mycelium. 



Tease out with needles in water some of the mycelium, mount 

 in water, and examine under a low power : note that the white 

 bands recognized with the naked eye are composed of numerous 

 colourless filaments (mycelial hyphse), associated together in a 

 parallel course, while here and there single hyphae diverge from 

 the rest, and ramify through the compost. 



II. In order to obtain an actively growing mycelium, bearing 

 " mushrooms," the brick is to be broken into pieces, and these 

 must be buried a few inches deep in a compost of similar 

 nature to that of the bricks : the whole is to be kept moist, at 

 a moderately high temperature, and in the dark. After a period 

 of a few weeks, the compost will be found to be permeated by a 

 mycelium, similar to that in the brick of "spawn," while 

 numerous mushrooms of various sizes will be found connected 

 with it : such a culture as this will suffice for the study of 

 Agaricus campestris in the laboratory. 



