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ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



have long been used in Europe, as I have made no experiments 

 upon new species which had not some affinity or analogy with 

 them. 



For instance, Agaricus carnpestris and arvensis being wholesome, 

 I did not doubt that A. amygdalinus (a new species closely allied 

 to A. arvensis) might be safely attempted; and it has proved equally 

 safe and palatable : indeed this may be regarded as the safest 

 of all species for gathering, as it can be discriminated from all 

 others even by a child or a blind person. Its taste and odour are 

 so very like those of Peach-kernels or Bitter Almonds, that almost 

 invariably the resemblance is immediately mentioned by those 

 who taste it crude for the first time. This flavour is lost by 

 cooking, unless the mushroom be underdone. When thoroughly 

 cooked, I cannot myself distinguish it from A. carnpestris. One 

 or two persons have expressed the opinion that they can distin- 

 guish it, and that it is not quite so good. Others, again, are 

 equally positive that it is better. In the crude state I deem it 

 the most palatable of all Mushrooms, as it leaves a very grateful 

 after-taste upon the palate, fully equal to that of Almonds. This 

 is the thing I sent you some years ago for cultivation, but which 

 failed to grow. I very much wish it might be propagated in 

 England, so that we might ascertain whether it would undergo 

 any change of qualities in a different soil and climate. I have, for 

 some time, been entertaining the suspicion that such is the case 

 with many of our species. Thus, in European books, theJVIorell is 

 described as possessing a peculiar flavour that has given its name 

 to the Morello Cherry. I can detect nothing of the sort in our 

 Morell. You speak of Ag. Ccesareus (in ' Introd. Crypt. Bot.') 

 as being "perhaps the most delicious of all Fungi." This grows 

 in great quantities in our Oak forests, and may be obtained by 

 the cartload in its season ; but to my taste and that of all my family 

 it is the most unpalatable of all our Eungi, nor can I find many of 

 our most passionate mycophagists who will avow that they like 

 it. I have tried it in almost every possible mode of cookery, but 

 without success. There is a disagreeable saline flavour that we 

 cannot remove nor overlay. 



In the Triclioloma section, in which are several species long 

 known as edible, I did not hesitate to experiment upon any 

 that had the odour and taste of fresh flour. I began with A. 

 Jrumentaceus, not learniug from books whether it had been eaten 

 in Europe. To this I subsequently added three new American 



