194 



HISTORY OF THK VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



power, resembles, from the numerous thread- 

 like cylinders, vermicelli. Close beneath the 

 surface, cup-shaped balls, about one-twelfth of 

 an inch in diameter, are arranged at regular in- 

 tervals. These cups are filled with a slightly 

 adhesive, yet elastic, colourless, quite transparent 

 matter, and from the latter character they at 

 firet appeared empty. These little gelatinous 

 balls could be easUy detached from the surround- 

 ing mass, except at the upper extremity, where 

 the edge divided itself into threads, which 

 mingled with the rest of the vermicelli-like mass. 

 The external skin, directly above each of the 

 balls, is filled, and as the fungus grows old it is 

 ruptured, and the gelatinous mass, which no 

 doubt contains the sporules, is disseminated. 

 After this process of fructification has taken 

 place, the whole surface becomes honey-combed 

 with empty cells, and the fungus shrinks and 

 grows together. In this state it is eaten by the 

 natives in large quantities uncooked, and when 

 well chewed, has a mucilaginous and slightly 

 sweet taste, together with a faint odour like that 

 of a mushroom. Excepting a few berries of a 

 dwarf arbutus, which need liardly be taken into 

 the account, these poor savages never eat any 

 other vegetable food befides this fungus. In 

 New Zealand the root of the fern was consumed 

 in large quantities before the introduction of the 

 potatoe. At the present day probably Terra del 

 Fuego is the only country in the world where a 

 cryptogamic plant affords a staple article of food. 

 The Ifushroom (agariais campestrisj, Plate 

 III. fig. 2. This well known substance is com- 

 mon in Britain, as well as in most parts of the 

 world. It is found throughout Europe, even in 

 Lapland ; in Asia as far as Japan, in Africa and 

 America. It is the only species of mushroom 

 cultivated as an article of food in tliis country. 

 As some other poisonous kinds resemble it nearly, 

 a minute description may not be without its use. 

 The stem of the edible mushroom is short, solid, 

 and vi-hite, marked a little below the cup with 

 a prominent ring, the remains of the curtain 

 which covers the gills in their early stage. The 

 cup is at first white, regularly convex, and a 

 little turned in at the edge. As it advances in 

 growth, the surface becomes brown, scaly, and 

 flattened. The flesh is white, firm, and solid ; 

 the gills are loose, reaching to the stem on all 

 sides, but not touching it. When young, these 

 are of a pinky red ; but change to a livid colour 

 about the same time that the cup alters its fonn, 

 and the upper surface also changes colour. The 

 latter circumstances distinguish it in this stage 

 from the dark gilled toadstool, with which it 

 might otherwise be confounded. This is the 

 champifinon of the French, and the pratioh of 

 the Italians. It was well known and highly es- 

 teemed by the ancients. This species varies mnrli 

 in size, from two to eight or nine inches in dia- 



meter. In some parts of the northern counties 

 of England a mushroom was gathered which 

 measured tliirty-four inches in circumference, 

 and weighed upwards of a pound ; another mea- 

 sured thirty-two inches in circumference, and 

 ten inches round the stem, and weighed one 

 pound eight ounces. The mushroom is chiefly 

 used to communicate its peculiar flavour to ra- 

 gouts, enters into the ingredients of sauces, or is 

 served up by itself, prepared with a rich gravy. 

 The button, or fleshy part, is the only portion 

 employed, the stem, giU, and skin, being re- 

 moved. Mushrooms are chiefly used for making 

 the well known sauce catsup. For this purpose 

 they are sprinkled over with salt, by which 

 means a juice is obtained, which is afterwards 

 mixed with spices, and boiled. The places 

 where mushrooms chiefly grow are dry rich old 

 pastures, where they are gathered in the autumn 

 months. They exert considerable expansive 

 force in gi'owing. Some men in the isle of 

 Wight, a few years ago, observed a large stone 

 rising considerably at the interstices, and upon 

 removing the pavement to discover the cause, 

 found it to be occasioned by a mushroom, the 

 vigorous efforts of which to increase upwards 

 had forced the stone from its proper station. 



In some parts of the country mushrooms are 

 to be found in great abundance, and sometimes 

 under circumstances and situations very unex- 

 pected. Some cultivators of a patch of potatoes, 

 situated in a field in Derbyshire, proceeding to 

 dig up their crop, found, to their great surprise, 

 that a large quantity of fine mushrooms had 

 sprung up among their potatoes ; and in a small 

 space of ground they gathered at least five pecks. 

 The ground, previously to planting the potatoes, 

 had been dressed with road scrapings, and with 

 a small quantity of moss taken from off^ an old 

 building. Indeed, in no case does it appear ab- 

 solutely necessary to sow the visible seeds of 

 these fungi. They seem to exist almost every 

 where ; and all that is requisite is a proper loca- 

 lity for their development. Some years ago 

 such an abundant supply of this " voluptuous 

 poison" was brought for sale to Preston, that 

 immense quantities were sold at from threepence 

 to fourpence per peck, and the smallest kind for 

 pickles, at twopence per quart. Cartloads were 

 purchased for the Manchester markets. 



Although of so spontaneous and abundant 

 growth in some situations and seasons, yet to 

 obtain a regular and unfailing supply, mush- 

 rooms are, in most large gardens, raised artifi- 

 cially from the spawn or seed in an incipient 

 state of growth ; but wild mushrooms from old 

 pastures are always considered more delicate in 

 flavour than those obtained by garden culture. 



Mtishroom Spawn is a white fibrous substance, 

 running like broken threads in any substance 

 wliich is fit to nourish it ; and this, scattered on 



