318 HALF-HOURS IN THE GREEN LANB8. 



make ketchup, but in a stew, or added to other 

 mushrooms, it is a great dainty. Gather this, as 

 well as all other kinds of edible fungi, when young 

 the younger the better, in all species, for even the 

 edible " mushroom " is bad for food when too old. 



Fig. 257. 



Fairy-ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades). 



Lastly, we have another group of fungi of equal 

 abundance to the champignon, to be found growing 

 wherever there are damp pastures. You know them 

 better as " puff-balls " (Lycoperdon) on account of 

 their emitting such a quantity of snuff-like powder 

 'spores) when thoroughly ripe and dry. Formerly, 

 the dry Puff-balls made excellent " tinder," on 

 account of the ease with which a apark could 



