FORCING MUSHROOMS. 113 



these being planted in gentle hot-beds, in November and 

 December, will produce Head Lettuce until a plentiful sup- 

 ply can be obtained from the open borders. The same 

 attention is necessary, as respects the protection of these 

 beds, as for other half hardy plants. 



FORCING MUSHROOMS AT ALL SEASONS. ] 



The Agaricus is said to be the most extensive genus in 

 the vegetable kingdom. The species are determined upon 

 various principles. As some of the kinds are poisonous, it 

 is necessary to describe the eatable Mushroom. Loudon 

 says, it is most readily distinguished when of a middle size, 

 by its fine pink or flesh-coloured gills, and pleasant smell. 

 In a more advanced stage, the gills become of a chocolate 

 colour, and it is then more apt to be confounded with other 

 kinds of dubious quality ; but that species which most! 

 nearly resembles it, is slimy to the touch, destitute of fine 

 odour, and have a disagreeable smell. 



Again : the noxious kinds grow in woods, while the true 

 Mushroom springs up chiefly in open pastures, and should 

 be gathered only in such places. 



Unwholesome fungi will sometimes spring up on artificial 

 beds in gardens ; thus, when the spawn begins to run, a 

 spurious breed is often found to precede a crop of genuine 

 Mushrooms. The baneful quality of the toad-stool, Agaricus 

 cirocus, is in general indicated by a sickly nauseous smell, 

 though some hurtful sorts are so far without any thing dis- 

 agreeable in ihe smell, as to make any criterion, drawn from 

 that alone, very unsafe. The wholesome kinds, however, 

 invariably emit a grateful rich scent. The Agaricus cam- 

 pestris is most generally oultivated. Dr. Withering men- 

 tions other eatable varieties, which run considerably larger, 

 but which are inferior in flavor ; he says, " that a plant of 

 the variety Georgia, was gathered in an old hot-bed at 

 Birmingham, which weighed fourteen pounds, and Mr. 

 Stackhouse found one fifty-four inches in circumference, 

 hav ing a stem as thick as a man's wrist." 



10* 



