CULTURE IN PASTURES, ETC. 89 



pose it cannot be grown in those pastures in which it 

 happens not to be found. It is erroneously inferred 

 that there is something in its constitution or habit which 

 causes it to occur in certain spots exclusively ; but as 

 well might we say this of any other plant. We know 

 well that hundreds of native plants are hardy enough to 

 grow almost anywhere, yet how many of them are but 

 locally distributed and rare ! Again, many plants are 

 weeds in one district and unknown in another, perhaps, 

 neighbouring one. 



As the Rev. M. J. Berkeley remarks : "It is 

 almost useless to advert to the notion, though a very 

 common one, which would regard these productions as 

 the creatures of chance or of a happy concurrence 

 of circumstances favourable to their growth from 

 inorganic elements. It is true they often occur in 

 unexpected situations, and from their extreme rapidity of 

 development seem as if they could not have originated 

 from anything like seed. But, as accurate inquiry has 

 now thrown much light on the mystery in which the 

 origin of intestinal worms was lately involved, so the 

 phenomena which attend the growth of fungi are gra- 

 dually receiving light, and they are found to follow 

 essentially the same laws as more perfect vegetables/' 

 It is, in fact, quite fair to conclude that mushrooms, like 

 most other plants, occupy but a small space in the 

 vast expanse of soil and site which are naturally adapted 



