150 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It is desirable that a more general interest should be developed 

 in the direction of knowledge of the wild mushrooms. Of course 

 the wealthy can buy the cultivated article in the market, whilst 

 others having the desii-e for this food are unable to gratify their 

 taste in this direction, from lack of information. This informa- 

 tion is easily attained by a little judicious application, and in a 

 short time, exercising reasonable care, a person will be safe and 

 make no mistakes and secure to himself a food product very 

 nutritious and palatable. The supply is abundant. In fact " the 

 woods are full of 'em," and within a short distance of this city, 

 edible fungi can be found in great quantities. 



The Italians are great gatherers of mushrooms and dry them 

 for use in the winter. I had the opportunity about thirty years 

 ago, to notice what these people were doing in this way. There 

 was a small paper mill in Wareham, just below the Tremont 

 station, where a number of Italians were employed. One day 

 when driving past, I saw the hillside near the mill covered with 

 old boards on which these people were drying mushrooms by the 

 heat of the sun. It happened that I was at that station when 

 these same people, late in the fall, were making their exodus to 

 the city and they were literally loaded down with dried mushrooms 

 in bags and bundles. 



I find that the Italians at the North End are experts in the 

 selection of wild mushrooms, as well as in the preparation of 

 delicious dishes. I have frequently had sent to me from an 

 Italian family, maccaroni cooked with mushrooms, which I 

 consider excellent eating. 



In the great pine forests of Plymouth and Barnstable counties, 

 where the deer freely roam protected by law, are immense 

 quantities of the Boletus family. With these I have become more 

 familiar than with any other variety. Some years ago I was 

 induced by a lady friend of mine, to collect a large quantity of 

 these mushrooms to make into catsup, for which she had a 

 recipe. I set boys to work, and got altogether more than two 

 thousand pounds ; but for some reason I failed to connect on the 

 catsup, and fermentation setting in, I soon found that I had an 

 excellent mushroom vinegar. With this as a basis, I made a 

 superior table sauce, equal to the famous Worcestershire ; indeed, 

 by many people it was considered better, as it had a delicate 

 mushroom flavor, not apparent in the other. Many other varieties 



