in Extra-Tropical Countries. 17 



Cand., A. pluteus Fr., A. bombycinus Schaeff. Several of these 

 extend spontaneously to Australia. Mushroom-beds are best made 

 from horse-manure, mixed with one-eighth loam, the scattering of the 

 mushroom-fragments to be effected, when the temperature of the hot- 

 bed has become reduced to 85 F., this sowing to be made 2-3 inches 

 deep and 4 inches apart; 1 inch sifted loam over the damp bed and 

 some hay to cover the whole. After two months mushrooms can be 

 gathered from the bed. Mushroom-beds can also be prepared in spare 

 places of cellars, stables, sheds and other places, where equability of 

 mild temperature and some humidity can be secured. According to 

 Mr. C. F. Heinemann, of Erfurt, the needful hot-beds can best be 

 made one above another, inclined forward, generating a temperature of 

 from 60 to 90 F., a surface-layer of cut straw being applied subse- 

 quently, to be removed after about two weeks, then to be replaced by 

 a stratum of rich loam as a matrix for the root-like organs of the push- 

 ing fungs. In Japan mushrooms are reared on decayed split logs, 

 and largely consumed. In France mushrooms are grown in caves to 

 an enormous extent. Puff-balls when young are also edible, and 

 some of them delicious (Meehan). 



Agaricus flammeus, Scopoli. 



Europe, Asia. In Cashmere particularly noticed as a large and 

 excellent edible mushroom (Dr. Atchison). Some of the noxious- 

 mushrooms become edible by drying. Professor Morren mentions 

 among edible Belgian species Agaricus laccatus, Scop., Russula 

 integra, Fr. Any kind of cavern might be turned into a mushroom 

 field; the spawn is spread on fermented manure, and kept moist by 

 water, to which some saltpetre is added. They all afford a highly 

 nutritious nitrogenous food, but some require particular cooking. See 

 also the agaric-like mushrooms noticed under Cantharellus^ Coprinus, 

 Cortinarius, Russula. 



Agaricus ostreatus, J acquin. 



On trunks chiefly of deciduous trees throughout Europe. The 

 delicious oyster-mushroom, renowned from antiquity, hence pro- 

 minently on this occasion mentioned. For fuller information on fungs 

 for the table consult as very accessible works Badham's " Esculent 

 Funguses of England/' and Cooke's " British Fungi "; for systematic 

 characteristics see the works of Fries and of Berkeley. 



Agave Americana, Linn^. 



One of the gigantic Aloes of Central America, quite hardy at Port 

 Phillip. In the open air it comes into flower in about ten years or 

 later. The flowering stem may shoot up to the extent of ten feet in 

 a week, and may finally rise to 40 feet; mellaginous sap flows 

 also from the flower-stem. Mr. Fred. Hickox at Clnnes saw the 

 young offshoots producing also small flower-bunches, while the 

 maternal plant was in bloom. The pithy stem can be utilized for 

 some of the purposes, for which cork is usually employed for 

 instance, to form the bottoms of insect-cases. The honey-sucking 



