32 



BULLETIN OF 



Massachusetts Boaed of Agriculture. 



THE CULTIVATION OF MUSHROOMS. 



Adapted from Farmehs' Bulletin No. 205 of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, "The Cultivation of Mushrooms," by B. M. Duggar, Professor 

 OF Botany, in the University of Missouri. — Adaptation by Howard N. 

 Legate, First Clerk. 



In the United States the term "mushroom" refers commercially to 

 but a single species {Agaricus campestris) of the fleshy fungi, a plant 

 common throughout most of the temperate regions of the world, and 

 one everywhere recognized as edible. It is unfortunate that this com- 

 mercial use of the term "mushroom" restricts it to a single species. 

 The erroneous statement is frequently made that there is one mush- 

 room and that all other fleshy fungi are toadstools. In other cases any 

 edible fungus is termed a mushroom, and all of the species not usually 

 eaten are toadstools. It is better to consider all fleshy fungi as mush- 

 rooms and to apply special names to species with known qualities. It 

 will be proper, therefore, to speak of Agaricus campestris as the culti- 

 vated mushroom, although it is very probable that in this country, 

 as well as in foreign countries, several other species of mushrooms will 

 in time be highly prized for cultivation. 



The fully expanded plant, or mature mushroom, is well known every- 

 where. It consists of a centrally placed stalk or stipe of from 2 to 6 

 inches in height, usually not more than 1 inch in diameter, and on 

 the end of this stipe there is borne an umbrella-shaped or cap-shaped 

 portion known as the cap or pileus. The diameter and thickness of 

 this pileus vary greatly in different races or varieties of the cultivated 

 form, and also with the conditions of the environment under which it 

 is produced. The general color of the plant varies in the different 

 varieties from an almost pure white or cream to the forms which are 

 deep brown, at least with reference to the upper surface of the cap. 

 The stem is usually cream or white, and bears on its upper extremity, 

 near the cap, a ring known as the annulus, which annulus forms a cover- 

 ing and protecting laj^er for the delicate under surface of the cap, to 

 the edges of which it was attached previous to the rapid expansion and 



