187G.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



123 



eloimation, the k'avcs fold over, and a head is 

 fonired. So willi beets, earrots, parsnips, and 

 the whole list of vefzetaMes, the aherranl form 

 iKMnsi sonulinies in the root, sometimes in the 

 leaves, and a.i;ain in ihe frnit. 



It is the same with onr I'rnits. The apple 

 and pear, as we cullivnte thi-m, are derived 

 from frnit jHileetly inedilile in its natural 

 state; the peach, from a small, dry, bitter 

 fruit; the plum, from a sour, astringent fniit; 

 and so all tliro\iL,'li the list. 



It is well known to ve.i;etable physiolo<.'ists 

 that the petals and the or^jiuis of fiMlilization 

 in plants are only leaves developed into other 

 forms for special" Jiuriioses. In double flowers, 

 I)ropcrly so called, the stamens or pistils are 

 chan<;cd into iietals, or else there is a larger 

 or more numerous d(ivelopmei\t of these petals 

 than is usual to the plant in a naiuval slate ; 

 and sometimes these are seaicely transformed 

 from leavesrTis in the ease of the double green 

 rose or the double <.'reen-llowered dahlia. In 

 the case of the dahlia and plants of the same 

 natur.al order {Coni/nsiUi), the stamens ami 

 pistils remain unehanced, but the petals of 

 the disc rays all assume the form of those of 

 the tloret "rays. In most double flowers the 

 plant appeals to lose the vital enerjiy or power 

 to transform the leaves into sexual organs, 

 and does not api)ear to be able to fro beyond 

 the transforming of the leiives into petals. 

 But what causes this loss of power is unknown. 

 The doul)le narcissus liecomes single when 

 jilanted in pool- soil, so that in it and some 

 other similar cases it I'an not be owiiisi; to in- 

 sulheieney of food that the duplexily of jietals 

 is produced, while, on the other hand, excess- 

 ive vigor and health do not do it, for double 

 llowers have never yet been obtained by pro- 

 moting the vital energy of the iilant. 



It appears to be broiight about in the seed, 

 as it is in this that we seem to hav(^ some power 

 of controlling the elTect. If seeds of tlu^ ten- 

 week stock are sown immediately after ripen- 

 ing, although they may have been saved from 

 double tlowers, scarcely a double flower will 

 be jiroduced ; but if the seeds are kept three 

 or four years, the large majority of the plants 

 l-aised will jirodiice double flowers. Melons, 

 c\icumlx?rs, and plants of this kind will run all 

 to vine, and produce but few fruits, if the 

 seeds are (piite fresh ; but if kejit three or four 

 years, the si-cds produce pi :nts of less exuber- 

 ant growth, but of greatly increased fertility. 

 It is often reconimended to save seeds only 

 friiin the best specimen plants; but this is 

 only aiil)licable to cases where the jilant is not 

 an aberrant or abnormal variety. If we sow 

 a huudrecl seeds each of a Newtown and a 

 Spitzenbergapple, a Baitleltaiid a Secklepear, 

 a (;reenage and a (ioldeii Drop plum, we are 

 not at all likely to get a seedling equal to the 

 ]iaient, and uiost of them will be iierfectly 

 w.orthhss. We may sow a hiiudre<l seeds of 

 the finest double roses or dahlias, and not get 

 one worth having, and perhaps the majnrity 

 of the llowers will be single. For this reason, 

 especially in the ease of double flowers, some 

 experienced cultivators have reconimended 

 tlie saving of seed from semi-double or not 

 fully double flowers, as nature ap|)ears to 

 carry the process forward until a, to her, arti- 

 ficial perfection is reached, and then suddenly 

 reverts back to the <iriginal starting-point, and 

 then begins the process anew. 



In cases where the abnormal development 

 is in the root, as in the carrot, beet, and par- 

 snip, and not in the foliage and the organs of 

 fertilization derived from it, there is not the 

 same tendency to revert ba;k. In such case 

 seeds should be .saved from the mo.st perfect 

 specimens and sown as fre.sli as possible, as 

 the abnormal development in such cases ap- 

 pears to ari.se from an excess of vital energy, 

 superinduced by an excess of food furnished 

 to the plant. 



Changes in color and form among tlowers 

 and fruits are what are known as sports, and 

 arc all changed by leaps, or suddenly, and not 

 by gradual development, as when aiieacli-tree 

 produces nectarines on some of its branches, 

 or some colored flower produces seeds which 

 produce plants with white powers, and vice 



vcrsu; or the seed from a small cockscomb jiro- 

 duces plants with large heads. Aberrations of 

 this kind, especially in colors, can be made per- 

 manent by saving seeds f'roni|t he best ami purest 

 coloreil llowers, and will geiiei-.illy come true, 

 as the organs of fei-tilization are not aHected, 

 as in the ca.se of double llowers. 



A little observation and consideration of 

 this subject will save our readers from disap- 

 pointment in some of their gardening opera- 

 tions, by leading them not to expect to have 

 plants lir flowers of abnormal forms to always 

 jireserve their eharaeteristics. To a certain 

 extent we eancontrol naturi^ in our operations, 

 but after we have gone a certain distance she 

 revolts. 



Tor The Lascakter Faumkb. 

 ABOUT MUSHROOMS 



My esteemed friend, II. M. Kngle, a few 

 weeks ago, brought me a fungus to name, 

 stating that it would be desirable to have a 

 relialile mark to distinguish those that are 

 eatable from those considered poisoiKuis. 



In my botanical pursuits I neglected this 

 branch. About lwenty-fiv(^ year.s,ago, happen- 

 ing to spend an aff ernoiui with a friend, con- 

 tiguous to a shady, moist woods, in the latter 

 partof Se[itember, my attention was attracted 

 by the profusion and great variety of fungi 

 growing all around, and indulged me to sketch 

 and take notes, as well as to collect ipiite a 

 iiuinher, with the expectation that by llie aid 

 of the figures and classification in Loudon's 

 Kneyclopadia of Tlants, I would be enaliled 

 to name them. 



True, the genera I could determine, but 

 tho.se described being Kuropean, I was still at 

 a lo.ss to name our .sjiecics for want of a list of 

 such known to b<^ native. I endeavored to get 

 the work referred to by I'ersoon. A list of 

 3,04:i .species of fungi, which came under the 

 ob.servation of Lc'wis 1). de Scliweinit/., around 

 Bethleliem, rennsylvania, and by him com- 

 municated to the Philosophical Society of 

 Philadelphia, in ls;il. (Hhers have since ad- 

 ded to this list from the uorth. Uev. Dr. M. 

 A. Curtis, in his catalogue of Plants of the 

 State of North Carolina, ((ieological Report), 

 l«ti7, gives 4:W S|)eeies of Agarics, of which 

 he considers fiity-six as esculent. But, ala.s! 

 these catalogues are locked u|i in these .socie- 

 ties and can not be had. Hence, the study 

 with reference to those found and named is 

 barred, and conseipu'iitly no satisfactory report 

 can be made or di'finife opinion given. 



In an English work, recently published, 

 called "The Modern Householder; a Manual 

 of Domestic Economy in all itsP.ianclies," by 

 Itoss Murray, is neatly executed, with accairate 

 figures of the most useful of Urilish fungi, 

 with descri(itions and mode of cooking and 

 liropagation. Still they niav. and in some re- 

 si)eets<lo, differ from our native species, so that 

 I shall not attempt in this article to tn-at this 

 suliject specifically, but, in a general view, 

 present sonu' prominent faels worth knowing, 

 gleaned from at least ten dilferenl sources, in 

 addition to my own dliservalions. The fungi 

 derive their nutriment from the substance on 

 which they grow, and not from the air. as the 

 allied class of Lichens. Mr. Berkeley says: 

 "The Fiiniji may lie recognized either as the 

 creatures of corruption, », f., springing from 

 various bodies, whether animal or vegetable, 

 in a more or less advanced stage of decomposi- 

 tion—or as parasites of living bodies, produc- 

 ing an injurious change, Tlie eiihemer.il toad- 

 stoids of the hot-bed, the mushrooms of our 

 rich pastures, the s;ip-balls on <leca\ ing trees, 

 the moulds which infest our food, and even 

 the tissues of living animals, the mildew, buiil, 

 and smut of our corn crojis, &c,,aie cli.'<silicd 

 with the fungi, of which tln'ie are two great 

 sections, and these divided into natural orders 

 and tribes. A vast number of species are 

 known, and many ff these are of great im- 

 portance to man, either from their useful or 

 their mischievous pro|HMlic.s. The mushroom, 

 truffle anil morel, delicacies well known to 

 the table, and highly prized and eJjtoUcd by 

 many." 

 Schwaegrichen, the editor of Scliwemuz's 



first contribution to the knowledge of our 

 North American species, derived great sati.s- 

 faetioii in eating those which posses.seil neither 

 liiul Jiaviir iwr ilii»i<jreuiUlf snult, (the italics 

 an- iinne) and whicli had a toli-ntbh/ Jirm eoii- 

 sistency, eaten with bread and drinking noth- 

 ing but water; such a diet pursued for several 

 weeks, as he iiflirnis, increasing his strength 

 and improving his health. Persoon who fur- 

 nishes the foregoing, also says : " I liave ol)- 

 •served that fungi, if moderately usid, are very 

 nourishing.'' The substance known as "/loi- 

 (jlu"'' is eipially inesenl in those that aie harm- 

 less or poisonous, and is itself highly nutritious, 

 containing nitrogen; they are very similar to 

 animal mailer in their composition, and like 

 animalsgiveout (-arbonic acid gas, and not like 

 other Vegetables abs<jrb carlxmic acid from the 

 atmo.sphere and re.s|)ire oxygen. It se.Miisthc^ 

 only <a-iteuion to judge of iiuality is smell and 

 consistency of their texture. The flavor is va- 

 riable, compared in some to the smell of new 

 made hav, .some like violets, ani.se, walnuts, 

 new meal, <.V:e., which are all rather agreeable. 

 Cther.s again have an odor so inlolenil)ly fetid 

 as to benanseaf ing. With regard to form, color 

 and general features, siime edible species can 

 not Ijc distiiejuished from the magnificent 

 siieeies of the vl»«/iii'(i( (.lyiriV) MiLfntiivs, the 

 Fly Agaric of Europe, ami found in our woods. 

 TlieCziir Alexandria lost his life by eat ing of it, 

 and yet we learn that in Kanifsidiatka they are 

 used" as an article of tiiod, an<l also to kei!p up 

 adi-unken frolic, the intoxication beingsimilar 

 to that produced by the li(tsrlil.-i.li and Mmirxin 

 in the East. Tlius we learn that while the 

 same species are used a.s food in Hu.ssia, they 

 are condemned in Europt''. 1"he Parasol .\garic 

 [Aijii.rku^ ]ir<>c(rius,) often met with, is in h<(jh 

 r«iu< St nil over til/ io}itin( lit, i".i\\i-i\ the king of 

 edible fungi. " Whenevi'r an agaric on a hmfj 

 Ktallc, enlarged at tin hajic. iiresenls a (//•// ruli- 

 c/( , more or less .icdli/. a dark colond unljiiiKited 

 tail, a iiiwinhk rinij, and white gills, it must l)e 

 A(iarkus iinirerus, and it may be gathered and 

 eaten without fear, says a good authority. 

 The fungipoiihagi.sts lament the tons of valua- 

 ble food wasted through neglect of fungi as 

 aiiicles of diet. Dr. liadham, Dr. (ireville, 

 Berkeley, -Mr. Worlhinglon Smith, and others 

 are enthusiastic in their praise. Dr. Ha<lliam 

 comiiares some of tlaiujis " iKU'fsteaks" grow- 

 ing on oaks in the shape of t'lsliiliiia ln}/iili<n. 

 ^lytuvcKi- /".■-■'■/«.<, to Jiickles in clusters under 

 them. Pulf-balls, not unaptly compared to 

 " sweet-breiul," for the rich delicacy of their 

 unassisted flavor. ////</»«. as good asoysters, 

 which they .somewhat resemble in taste; Aija- 

 riiiw: ililiriiisu.'<, reminding us of tender "lamb 

 kidney," the beautiful yellow eliaiiterille, the 

 " Kiihn l,-al<t'i(ith(iit'' of diet growing by the 

 bushel; the sweet nutty " IJoletus" in vain 

 calling itself m/k/is (edible), where there w:i8 

 none to believe; the dainty On-illii (yl;/ririciw 

 Itan-ojihtiUns), which ta.stes like the craw fish 

 when giiUtd; the red and green sjiecies of 

 Agaricus, to cook in any way and eipially good 

 in all"- -enough to make one's mouth water, 

 and feel like "going for them." Why, ihf 

 Uev. M. .1. Uerkeley, the profound author of 

 an extensive work (in Fungi, says of the Fairy- 

 ring champignon— the Marnsiiint.t oreuihs: 

 "The common fairy-ring fungus is the l*'st of 

 all of thi-ni. Yet tliere is .scarcely one per.son 

 in a thousand iilm dun itnture to use t/tero." 

 There are two kinds, however— tiiis hasancx- 

 tremely line flavor, and makes perhaps the 

 very best ketchu)) that there is. 



The two kinds are cliiefly distinguished by 

 the gills; in the tii-st the 3/. Orcml s, growing 

 in jMistures. gills broad and far ajtart. M. 

 Urcns, woods and i>asture, gill narmw and 

 crowded together. These latter are to be 

 avoided. To illusirate the uncertainty, I will 

 mention a few cases, beciiuse of the promi- 

 nence of an advocate in the u.se of fungi for 

 food. Mr. Worthington Smith, the futigolo- 

 gist, to whom specimens of tlu' befon'-mention- 

 ed ^fu)■usm!usorcl•lhs,vxUAU^^] by Uerkeley and 

 others, were sent for examination, Ix-iiig of a 

 lot partaken of by a woman ami two children 

 at Plymouth, England. Foui-teen hours alter 

 eating they were seized with symptoms of 



