Oct. 1, 1899.] Sujjplemmi to the "Tropical Agriculturist." 
293 
being used for the test, which consisted in im- 
mersing the eggs for varying lengths of time, 
from a few hours to six months, iu («) lime-water, 
and (d) 10 per cent solution of " water glass." 
Those eggs which were treated for a few hours, 
days or weeks, as the case might be, were subse- 
quently placed, together with the untreated eggs 
to be used as a check, in a rack within a drawer 
in the laboratory lill the close of the experiment, 
March 30th, 1899. All the eggs were at a tem- 
perature from 65° to 72° F. throughout the trial. 
The testing consisted in breaking the eggs into a 
glass and noting the appearance of the 'white' 
and yolk, whether the yolk was stuck to the shell, 
size of air-space, odour, &c. The eggs were then 
poached and again the odour, appearance, &c. noted. 
Without giving in detail the results of the various 
trials, it may suffice for the present purposes to 
summarize the conclusions reached, as follows : — 
Conclusions. 
1. Ill no instance, either of treated or untreated 
eggs, were any ' bad' eggs found. 
2. In all cases where the eggs were not kept 
covered throughout the period of the test with 
the preservative solution, shrinkage of the con- 
tents had taken place, as shown by the larger 
air-space, less globular form of the yolk, and in 
many instances by the adherence of the yolk to 
the shell. The eggs treated for seven days and 
less with lime-water showed somewhat less 
shrinkage than those treated a similar length of 
time with silicate of sodn. 
3. It would appear that lime-water and ' water- 
glass' used continuously are equally efficacious 
in preventing shrinkage. They may also he said 
to give xjracticully the same j'esults as regards 
both external and internal appearances, flavour, &c. 
of the eggs preserved. Since ' water glass ' (sili- 
cate of soila) is more costly and more disagreeable 
to use than lime-watei', we could not from the 
present results recommend the former as the 
better preservative. 
4. The albumen or ' white' in all the preserved 
eggs was very faintly yellow (though not to the 
same degree in all the eggs), the tint becoming 
deeper on boiling. 
5. No offensive odour was to be perceived from 
any of the eggs when broken, but iu all instances 
a faint but peculiar musty or slate odour and 
flavour developed on poaching. 
6. It is probable that no preservative will 
prevent the loss of flavour possessed by the fresh 
egg, but those which wholly exclude the air (and 
thus at the same time prevent shrinkage from 
evaporation) will be the most successful. Con- 
tinual submergence is evidently better than treat- 
ment for a few days. The lime-water may bo 
made by putting two or three pounds of good 
fresh lime in Ave gallons of water, stirring well at 
intervals, for a few hours and then allowed to 
settle. The clear supernatant fluid can then be 
poured over the eggs, which have been previously 
placed in a crock or water-tight barrel. 
Some authorities recommend the addition of a 
pound or so of salt to the lime-water, but the 
writers are of the opinion that this is unnecessary, 
and probably leads to the imparting of a limy 
flavour to the eggs by inducing an interchange of 
the fluids witliiii and without the egg, The all 
essential points to be remembered are: — (1) That 
the eggs to be preserved shall be perfectly fresh, 
and ('2) that they shall be covered with the pre- 
servative fluid. 
FRANK T. SIIUTT, 
Chemist, Dom. E.iyt. Farm, 
A. G. GILBERT, 
Poultry Manaf/er, Ex^jt. Farm. 
«. 
MUSHROOMS. 
Mr. Tardent, a frequent contributor to the 
Queensland Ayncultural Journal, supplies some 
useful information regarding mushrooms to tiie 
September number of that journal, quoting Mr. 
A. de Zaczewsky, who is referred to as one of the 
greatest living authorities on mycology, in saying 
that " from the most ancient times mushrooms 
have been considered as an extremely healthy^ 
esculent. Modern science has confirmed that' 
opinion. According to analysis made by the 
greatest authorities known to chemical science, 
mushrooms are by far the most nutritious of 
vegetable substances, not excluding bread. The 
proportion of protein they contain brings them 
nearer to meat than to plants. In addition, they 
contain an important proportion of assimilable 
phosphorus." 
In Paris alone over £1,500 worth of mushrooms 
are being sold daily. In Italy and Germany they 
form an important part of the alimentation of the 
people. For Russia there are no available statistics, 
but the writer of these lines can affirm, with Mr. 
de Zaczewsky, that in certain localities the people 
live nearly exclusively en mushrooms, especially 
at tlie lirne of the heaviest outdoor work. 
The only drawbacks to the use of mushrooms 
are tiie cases of poisoning which occur nearly 
every year. According to Mr. de Zaczewsky, there 
are absolutely no emj)iric means of ascertaining 
the true nature of mushrooms. Neither the shape, 
nor the colour, nor tlie smell or flavour can be 
taken as a sure indication. Of course it is pure 
superstition to believe with some ignorant pe^plo 
that those mushrooms are poisonous which grow 
near a snake-hole, or close to a rusty nail, a 
mouldy piece of cloth, or a poisonous plant. 
Neither is it true that we can eat safely mushrooms 
which have been gnawed by insects. There are 
snails and insects capable of eating with impunity 
mushrooms which are highly poisonous to man. 
Even cows can eat varieties whicli it would not 
be safe for maa to touch. But dogs, cats, and 
rats are affected similarly to human beings, and 
we can safely try on them suspicious varieties. 
Another groundless prejudice is to believe that 
if a silver coin or spoon or an onion become 
blackened by beiug put in the water in which 
mushrooms liave been boiled, it is a sign of poison. 
It is not a poisonous substance which thus darkens 
those objects, but tlie presence of sulphur, which 
combines with other elements, forming thus 
sulphydric acid. Onions or silver boiled with eggs 
will become dark, too. Still, nobody would say 
that it is because eggs are poisonous. 
As to the effects produced on our system by 
poisonous mushrooms, they are of two Uiilds, 
