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EOTAL ITOTITICTJLTURAL SOCIETY. 



that any human being should so pervert his instincts as to swallow 

 such a villanous concoction. 



Experience and observations like these would perhaps justify 

 the inference that an innocent species may sometimes be delete- 

 rious on account of its taking up some bad element from the soil. 

 But as I have never known a case of poisoning in families that are 

 well acquainted with the Common Mushroom or Pink-gill, that 

 gather the specimens for themselves, and have used this article of 

 food annually for many generations, I cannot agree with a sugges- 

 tion somewhere made by you, that perhaps all Mushrooms contain 

 a poisonous element, but some of them in such small quantity as 

 to have no appreciable effect. Now, had you seen the quantities 

 of stewed Mushrooms swallowed at a single meal which I seen thus 

 devoured, and with no more harm than from the same amount of 

 Oyster or Turtle soup, I think you would be forced to the con- 

 clusion that such an amount, even of poisonous infinitesimals, 

 must have had some very unpleasant manifestations, or else be a 

 very innocent diet. 



It is said that the sale of the Pink-gill (A. campestris) is for- 

 bidden in the Italian markets, because that species has often 

 proved to be poisonous. May not this have been occasioned by 

 ignorant and careless collectors or by worthless inspectors ? To 

 us in America, who use this species so freely and fearlessly, the 

 Italian's curse (" may he die of a Prataiuolo ! ") would have no more 

 terror than " may he die of aromatic pain ! " 



Our best and standard Mushrooms are the Pink-gill {A. cam- 

 pestris), Snowball (A. arvensis), Peach-kernel (A. amygdalinus), 

 Nut {A. procerus), French (A. prunulus), Morell (M. esculenta), 

 Coral (Clavarice), and Omelette {Ly coper don giganteum). These 

 are almost universally in higb esteem. Yet tastes differ on these 

 things as on fruits and vegetables, some putting one, some putting 

 another at the head of the list, though fond of all and ever ready to 

 use either of them, as one who prefers a peach may yet relish 

 an apple. There are some among us who regard A. procerus as 

 fully equal to A. campestris ; and 1 am almost of the same opinion : 

 when boiled or fried it truly makes a luscious morsel. I must 

 mention in this connexion that this species here bears the name 

 of Nut Mushroom from a quality that I do not find mentioned 

 in the books which describe it. The stem, when fresh and 

 young, has a sweet nutty flavour, very similar to that of the Hazel- 

 nut. Is this the case with you ? Its flavour is so agreeable that 



