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to the contrary, that having eliminated this banetul but beautiful 

 genus from our collecting, the greater part of the danger is elim- 

 inated at the same time. Having assured yourself that the plant 

 is not an Amanita, see that it is free from larvae and that it is 

 young and not past its prime. These two cautions are very im- 

 portant, as many mushrooms, sweet and nutritious when fresh, 

 are bitter and nauseous when infested with larvae or when begin- 

 ning to decay. It is even claimed by many that the deadly 

 helvejlic acid, found in the Gyromytra esculenta, is only developed 

 when the plant is too old or inclining towards decay. Although 

 this acid has been isolated from this species and several known 

 cases of poisoning have been traced to it, yet this danger 

 must be due to some unusual condition or incipient decay in the 

 plant, for Mr. Mcllvaine tells us that he and his friends have 

 eaten of it again and again without experiencing the 

 slightest discomfort from their daring. If the plant you are col- 

 lecting is known to you as an edible species, these two cautions 

 about larvae and too mature plants are the only ones to be noted. 

 If however you are collecting toadstools about which you know 

 nothing, you cannot proceed with too much caution. Test the 

 plant by cutting off a portion of a fresh cap, and try it as before 

 detailed for bitter, acrid, or peppery principles. If the piece has 

 a pleasant taste and smell, a little of the juice can be swallowed, 

 for even were the plant poisonous, a drop or two of the juice 

 cannot injure you permanently. If by these tests it seems good 

 for food, test the stem to see whether it is fleshy and brittle like 

 the cap, or tough. Very few toadstools have the stem as fleshy 

 as the cap, so that it is better to collect only the caps and thus 

 save weight and dirt, unless the stem has been proved to be suc- 

 culent and edible. If any of the stems are collected, the different 

 plants should be wrapped in soft paper to prevent the dirt from 

 getting into the gills or pores of the fungus. If you cannot refer 

 these collections, to someone who knows the main species in any 

 district, and can pronounce upon their edibility with certainty, 

 try them by the gradual cooking process previously detailed from 



