PUFF BALL 



-Lycoperdon Gemmatum 

 FAMILY. 



MUSHROOM 



HS we stroll through the dry 

 pastures after a rain we are 

 likely to spy balls of grayish 

 white here and there along 

 the path, some half-hidden beneath the 

 fallen leaves, some large enough to stand 

 out boldly among the surrounding grasses 

 and small plants. 



Let us pick up one and break it 

 open. Within we shall find, if the 

 fungus is young, a mass of firm white 

 substance which, as we examine it, looks 

 rather pretty. Perhaps we shall find one 

 a little older ; the inside of that will be 

 of a gray color with a spongy texture. 



As the puff ball grows still older, its 

 outer skin turns brown and becomes 

 papery, and the substance within, really 

 a great number of spores, become ripe 

 and separate into loose particles that 

 seem almost like fine dust. When fully 

 ripe the ball bursts at the top and the 

 little spores go flying all about, lodging 

 in many a little crack and crevice. 



The puff-ball is edible only when the 

 spores contained within the skin form a 

 fine-grained, firm white mass. Then the 

 skin may be removed and the " meaty " 



substance fried in butter as a dish for 

 the table. 



Of this dish, one versed in the art of 

 cooking and eating mushrooms, says : 

 " Slice and seasoned in butter and salt, 

 and fried in the pan, no omelette is half 

 as good in richness and delicacy of 

 flavor." 



One variety of puff ball grows quite 

 large, one ball often weighing several 

 pounds, so that it is sufficient to make 

 a good meal for a large family. When 

 mature, the spores of this species are 

 sometimes used to stanch wounds ; the 

 smoke coming from the burning spores 

 will stupefy bees and may also be em- 

 ployed as an anaesthetic. 



In England puff balls are often called 

 Puck- fist and Puck's stool. Another 

 name, referring to the discharge of the 

 spores from the ball, is Devil's snuffbox. 

 The Scotch call this fungus " blind 

 men's een," and it is thought that the 

 dust, if a bit of it should blow into one's 

 eyes, would cause blindness. The 

 Welsh term it "bag of smoke." — Ameri- 

 can Florist. 



The Croton has long been regarded 

 as one of the handsomest conservatory 

 plants, and it is now coming into use 

 for house and garden. It is a stout 

 shrubby tropical plant, grown solely for 

 for its handsome foliage ; the flower is 

 insignificant. The leaves are usually 

 very richly colored, green, bronze, red 

 and yellow, and the shape varies 

 greatly in different varieties. Some 

 crotons have narrow, ribbon-like leaves ; 

 others are strap-like, twisted like a cork- 

 screw, rolled up like shavings, or fluted 

 into waves along the edge. It is only 



of recent years that the crotons have 

 been used in bedding ; in a favorable 

 situtation they make a piece of gorgeous 

 color, but they will not stand an exposed 

 place, where rhey will suffer from sweep- 

 ing wind. They must not be planted 

 out before the middle of June, and must 

 be taken np before the nights become 

 cold in Autumn. Indoors a croton 

 makes a fine centre for the fern pan, 

 though it does not last very long under 

 these circumstances ; small plants are 

 also very suitable for the Wardian case, 

 and luxuriate its close, moist atmosphere. 

 232 



