586 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



FIG. 13 SPECIMEN OF THE BRACKET FUNGUS 



Most children know this Bracket Fungus, for the reason that they can draw on its white surface, which is porous and turns dark 

 brown with the slightest scratch. This thick "bracket" is found growing in groups on rotten logs and dead trees. The concentric 

 rings, :io plainly indicated upon it, each indicate a year's growth. 



denly infest the bark of some big, handsome tree, and 

 rapidly appear in ever-increasing groups. The death 

 of the tree in time is certain ; and should one undertake 

 to kill the pest by chopping them off, others soon spring 

 up to replace them. Indeed, these mushrooms are nothing 

 more or less than ithe fruit of a parasitic fungus of a very 

 harmful variety. They are certain death to any of our 

 orchard fruit trees, as, once starting to produce, they 

 may cover nearly the entire trunk for 8 or 10 feet up 

 from the ground. 



Many "bracket-fungi" are likewise parasitic, and deadly 

 enemies of some of our best forest trees. To break them 

 off in no way eliminates the cause of destruction, for the 

 matured "bracket" is but the fruit of the parasite, and 

 will soon reappear after such treatment. 



Professor Krieger, in speaking of the bracket fungus 

 Itnown to science as Polyporus applanatus, says : "Pro- 

 vided with nothing more than a good fresh specimen 

 of this fungus and a stylus in the form of a sharp-pointed 

 branchlet, conveniently picked up at his feet, the artist 



mycologist may proceed to sketch the landscape. If he 

 has the ability of a Seymour Hayden or a Pennell, the 

 result will compare favorably with a good etching. After 

 the fungus is thoroughly dry, the picture is permanently 

 fixed, and it may then be set up in the summer bungalow 

 to recall a day pleasantly and profitably spent." 



Should it enter the head of any forester to gather mush- 

 rooms to cook or otherwise prepare for his own consump- 

 tion or that of his friends, he should never undertake to 

 do so unless he is practically an expert in recognizing with 

 absolute certainty all the species known to grow over the 

 area where he intends to collect them. Unless he possesses 

 such knowledge, it is far wiser for him to confine himself 

 to other food. Many of them are, as we know, very deli- 

 cious; but the chances of running up against poisonous 

 varieties are so great, the eating of them so fatal, and 

 the resulting death so horrible, that it is much better to 

 avoid them entirely. There is a large literature upon our 

 mushrooms all the way from the common edible mush- 

 rooms of the markets (Agaricus campester) to the vilest 



