86 EDIBLE MUSHROOMS 



around the world. These natural conditions having 

 been even approximately fulfilled, will, within two 

 months, generally reward the cultivator with a crop of 

 mushrooms, which, with the continued ramifications of 

 the mycelium permeating the muck as the yeast fun- 

 gus permeates the home-made loaf, will insure a con- 

 tinual succession of crops for weeks or months, to be 

 renewed spontaneously, perhaps, the following season. 



The present volume, having specific reference to 

 fungi in their wild state, and the celebration of their 

 esculent virtues, being thus essentially in antithesis 

 to artificial culture, further consideration of the cul- 

 tivation of the mushroom is omitted. The reader is 

 referred to the volumes in my bibliographical list, 

 Nos. 8 and 22, in which full instructions will be found. 



The Campestris is conspicuous among mushrooms 



in its ready accommodation to artificial, imitation of 



its native environment. There, is no 



Species other mushroom which is thus coiifi- 

 opposed to 



cultivation dently to be relied on. Other species — 

 not a dozen, however, out of the thou- 

 sands — will occasionally reward the cultivator, who 

 has devoted the most scrupulous care to the humor- 

 ing of their fastidious conditions of growth. Thus 

 the Agaricus candicans of the Italian markets is said 

 to have been successfully raised from chips of the 

 white poplar which have been properly covered with 

 manure. Other species, it is claimed. 

 Certain can be humored from a block of the 

 exceptions cob-nut free after singeing its surface 

 over burned straw, while Dr. Thore 

 claims that both Boletus edulis, and Agaricus pro- 



