206 CIVIC BIOLOGY 



. The table on the preceding page will enable the beginner 

 to place any agaric in its proper genus, and indicates the 

 genera that contain edible species. The other families, espe- 

 cially the puffballs, morels, boleti, coral and hedgehog mush- 

 rooms, also contain many edible species. In fact, almost all of 

 them that are agreeable to the taste are perfectly safe if taken 

 in prime condition. All the soft-skinned puffballs, if perfectly 

 white to the center, are free from suspicion, as are all the 

 morels, all the hydnums, and all but one of the coral mush- 

 rooms Clavaria dichotoma, a rare, pure-white form, in which 

 all the branches fork regularly. Among the boleti the group 

 luridi, characterized by red mouths of the tubes, contain 

 species that are rated as poisonous. 



Raising mushrooms is a growing industry. Can members of 

 the class visit local mushroom cellars and report on methods 

 employed ? If none are grown locally, cannot a committee of 

 the class try the experiment as an industrial project ? Several 

 of the state experiment stations and the United States agri- 

 cultural department publish bulletins that will give the neces- 

 sary information. 



As a people we are permitting a considerable food supply to 

 go to waste. As we study the matter, can we estimate the 

 amount and value of the mushrooms that grow annually on 

 our home premises and in our gardens, lawns, woods, and 

 meadows ? What might these figures be for our township, 

 county, and state ? 



