﻿I 
  20 
  A 
  PLAIN 
  AND 
  EASY 
  ACCOUNT 
  

  

  specific 
  characters 
  of 
  each 
  fungus 
  which 
  enjoys 
  a 
  good 
  

   reputation. 
  

  

  Suhjcct 
  as 
  all 
  fungi 
  are 
  to 
  speedy 
  decomposition, 
  

   which 
  intimates 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  new 
  compounds 
  as 
  the 
  

   result 
  of 
  the 
  chemical 
  action, 
  it 
  is 
  always 
  advisable 
  that 
  

   all 
  mushrooms, 
  whether 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  kind 
  or 
  those 
  

   less 
  commonly 
  included 
  under 
  that 
  term, 
  should 
  be 
  

   prepared 
  for 
  the 
  table 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible 
  after 
  being 
  

   collected. 
  Not 
  only 
  do 
  they 
  lose 
  flavour 
  by 
  keeping, 
  

   but 
  they 
  are 
  then 
  more 
  likely 
  to 
  produce 
  unpleasant 
  

   results. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  excellent 
  precaution 
  to 
  employ 
  

   plenty 
  of 
  salt 
  and 
  spice 
  in 
  the 
  preparation. 
  Even 
  

   poisonous 
  fungi, 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  an 
  active 
  character, 
  have 
  

   been 
  cooked 
  with 
  plenty 
  of 
  salt, 
  and 
  eaten 
  with 
  safety. 
  

   It 
  is 
  only 
  under 
  such 
  circumstances 
  that 
  we 
  can 
  imagine 
  

   a 
  fungus 
  so 
  injurious 
  as 
  Amanita 
  muscaria 
  being 
  eaten 
  

   at 
  all, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  Russia. 
  The 
  fact 
  is 
  equally 
  

   well 
  known, 
  that 
  in 
  Russia 
  fungi 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  cooked, 
  

   and 
  with 
  plenty 
  of 
  salt. 
  We 
  have 
  always 
  exercised 
  

   what 
  we 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  prudent 
  caution 
  in 
  experiment- 
  

   ing 
  upon 
  the 
  esculent 
  qualities 
  of 
  fungi, 
  and 
  would 
  

   recommend 
  others 
  to 
  follow 
  our 
  example. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  

   that 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  known 
  

   to 
  be 
  wholesome 
  ; 
  but 
  an 
  amateur 
  testing 
  a 
  species 
  for 
  

   the 
  first 
  time 
  would 
  do 
  well 
  to 
  exercise 
  caution 
  in 
  con- 
  

   ducting 
  the' 
  experiment, 
  to 
  have 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  taste 
  

   when 
  raw, 
  and 
  to 
  proceed 
  still 
  more 
  cautiously 
  if 
  there 
  

   is 
  any 
  evidence 
  of 
  acridity 
  in 
  the 
  uncooked 
  fungus. 
  We 
  

   would 
  fain 
  hope 
  that 
  our 
  little 
  account 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  a 
  

   " 
  plain 
  and 
  easy 
  " 
  one, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  lead 
  to 
  a 
  better 
  

  

  