22 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



inclined forward, generating a temperature of from 60 to 90 F., a 

 surface-layer of cut straw being applied subsequently, 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 pushing fungs. In 

 Japan mushrooms are reared on decayed split logs, and largely con- 

 sumed. In France mushrooms are grown in caves to an enormous 

 extent. Puff-balls when young are also edible, and some of them 

 delicious [Meehan]. A. Georgii (Fries) is the only mushroom 

 utilized by the Kaffirs for food [Professor MacOwan]. The Chinese 

 dry A. campestris in vast quantities even for export. About Paris 

 are about 300 establishments for the rearing of this, the most 

 generally used of kitchen-fungs. Probably the most extensive of 

 all rearing-places of the common champignon is that of Alex. 

 Hatschek, of Linz, in deserted underground quarries, where the 

 production is at a gigantic and highly remunerative scale [Dr. E. 

 Goeze]. 



Ag-aricus flammeus, Scopoli. 



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

 excellent edible mushroom [Dr. AtchisonJ. 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 caA^ern 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 Caiitharellus, 

 Coprinus, Cortinarius, Russula. 



Agaricus ostreatus, Jacquin. 



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 Badhams's 

 "Esculent Funguses of England," and Cooke's "British Fungi"; 

 for systematic characteristics see the works of Fries, Berkeley, 

 Cooke, Saccardo and others. 



Agave Americana, Linne. 



One of the gigantic Aloes of Central America, hardy even in 

 mild places of South-England. 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. 

 Mr. Fred. Hickox at Clunes 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 birds and bees are very fond of the 



