36 



NATURE STUDY 



Fig. 14— The common edible mushroom. 



being the cause of the most 



Many are harmless to 

 man, many are indifferently 

 good or bad, many are deli- 

 cious and nutritious food, 

 many are destructive 

 enemies to man's buildings, 

 his clothing, and especially 

 ^'■^W^^^f \ li's food, others attack the 

 '. </«S;i/f«&s;?3Sii I plants he nurtures for their 

 fruits and grains, and some 

 are deadly enemies to his 

 own body, being poisonous 

 like some ot the poisonous, 

 mushrooms, or, as with 

 some forms of bacteria, 

 dreaded diseases. Their 



abundance and importance as well as their interesting mode of 

 life, are sufficient reasons for their introduction into a course of 

 nature study lessons, for which a few of the more common and 

 conspicious forms may serve as an introduction. 



As the terms mushroom and toad-stool will come up imme- 

 diately for consideration, it may be said that the usage shows 

 both terms applied indiscrimately to the same species. Toad- 

 stool is applied by some to those forms only which they consider 

 poisonous, while mushroom is reserved for those considered 

 edible. But the general usage among botanists is to make the 

 term mushroom serve as the common general name of all the 

 forms to which the names mushroom, toad-stool and puff-ball are 

 commonly applied. 



It may be stated also that it is not the object of this lesson 

 to point out any methods of distinguishing the edible from the 

 n on -edible mushrooms. While it is very desirable that a bette- 

 anderstanding ot the wholesome and nutritious value of many of 

 the common forms be extended and thus save great waste of ex- 



