\Q Report of the State Botanist. 



tough it is often eaten with relish and with proper preparation its 

 toughness is overcome. Some species are tender when young 

 though tough when old. Some tough species may be utilized in 

 making soups or in giving flavor to other dishes. 



Another rule says reject all such as have an unpleasant taste 

 or odor in the fresh state. The honey colored mushroom may be 

 cited as an exception to this rule. Its taste is harsh and 

 unpleasant when uncooked, but this to a great extent removed 

 by proper cooking, and a very good and harmless meal may be 

 made of it. Some species of Lactarius have a very hot, acrid or 

 peppery taste when fresh, but this in some cases may be dispelled 

 by cooking. Even the delicious lactarius and the chantarelle, 

 whose edible qualities are highly commended, are not very 

 pleasant in flavor when fresh. 



In some species of Boleti the flesh where bruised or wounded 

 quickly assumes a blue or greenish-blue color. The rule is to 

 avoid all such species as dangerous. 



One author counsels avoidance of all such as have pink or 

 flesh-colored spores. An exception to this rule is found in the 

 plum clitopilus, Clitopilus prunulus, which is regarded as a 

 very good mushroom, notwithstanding its pink spores. 



Even mushrooms which in good condition are palatable and 

 nutritious may become unfit for food and even hurtful by age 

 and decomposition or by becoming water-soaked or infested by 

 the larvae of insects. Even too long keeping before cooking has 

 been known to make them deleterious. In one instance a large 

 quantity of a species known to be edible was collected. The 

 family made a meal of a part of them the same day. No evil 

 results followed. The remaining part was reserved till the next 

 day, then cooked and eaten. Those partaking of these stale 

 samples were made sick and vomiting ensued. But all except 

 one soon recovered after the rejection of the noxious material. 

 Even the common edible mushroom is said to keep in good condi- 

 tion longer if cooked soon after it is gathered than if left in its 

 raw state. 



Several edible species have when fresh a farinaceous or meal- 

 like taste and odor. From this some have drawn the inference 

 that this is a mark of edible species, or at least that all which 



