106 



NATURE STUDY MADE EASY 



LESSON XXXVII 



MUSHROOMS 



Have you ever noticed in the 

 early morning a funny little plant 

 that looks like a wide-open umbrella, 

 or a plant that looks like an um- 

 brella partly closed ? The first plant 

 is a mushroom, wholesome, and good 

 to eat; the second is a toadstool 

 or poisonous mushroom. The true 

 CULTIVATED MUSHROOM mushroom is very much like an um- 



brella in shape. It has a handle, a ring, rays on the under side 

 somewhat like the spokes of an umbrella, and it has a top or cover. 

 The handle is the stem of the mushroom, the ring is the collar; 

 the rays are called the gills of the mushroom, and the cover is called 

 the cap of the mushroom. Four things to remember. 



The gills of the mushroom spread out from a common center 

 something like the spokes of a wagon wheel, though there are many 

 more. In between the gills lie little brown spores which will later 

 produce new mushrooms. These take the place of seeds of other 

 plants. 



When these spores fall on rich soil, they produce fine white 

 cords called spawn. This spawn spreads over the soil, and draws up 

 water and nourishment, just like a root ; yet it is not a root. From 



