EXPLANATORY. 1 7 



II.— EXPLANATORY. 



Notwithstanding all the efforts which have been 

 made during the past twenty years to diffuse informa- 

 tion concerning the use of fungi as food, there still 

 remains a vast amount of prejudice to overcome, and 

 the necessity for the diffusion of knowledge is almost, 

 as great as ever. In the time of our grandfathers it 

 was almost universally believed that our islands pro- 

 duced but one kind of fungus which was edible, and 

 that was denominated the " mushroom ; " all the rest, 

 were classed together as dangerous, and were only 

 known as "toadstools." That this was a popular 

 error has now come to be acknowledged, but hardly 

 to the extent of admitting that we have not less than 

 eighty different species which may be cooked and 

 sent to table. A courageous lady of our acquain- 

 tance confesses to having cooked and eaten as many as 

 sixty without the slightest accident or inconvenience. 

 As may be expected, these are not all equally good.,, 

 possessing a variety of flavour, and a difference of 

 texture ; and as tastes differ, so there will be a 

 diversity of opinion as to relative merits, but, it being 

 admitted that all are edible, it must be left to indivi- 

 dual tastes to select those which please, them best. 

 Neither must it be expected that all are equally 

 available for the same purposes, or are capable of 



B 



