MUSHROOMS IN JAPAN. 
105 
There is yet another plan. The cut logs are at once hnried in 
the earth, and in a year’s time are dng out and beaten in the 
manner as above described. 
The mushrooms thus grown are stored in a barn on shelves 
ranged along three sides with braziers lighted under. Afterwards 
they are placed in small boxes, the bottoms of which are li.ied 
either with straw or bamboo mats. These boxes are then ranged 
on the shelves and all approaches carefully closed. An even degree 
of warmth is thus diffused. The boxes ranged on the upper or 
lower tiers are constantly changed so that the contents of each are 
thoroughly dried. 
Another mode of drying is to string the mushrooms on thin 
slips of bamboos, which are piled together near the brazier; the 
heat is well kept in by inverting a closely woven basket over them. 
Dried mushrooms are much esteemed in China, and they are also 
largely consumed by Japanese either as a dish by themselves or 
as a condiment with other dishes. Dried mushrooms retain their 
flavour for a great length of time, and thus bear transport to any 
distance very well. 
Of other edible mushrooms in Japan beside the shii-take there 
is the kikurage, which grows in spring, summer, and autumn on 
the mulberry, the willow, and other trees. It is a small, thin, soft 
mushroom, very much curled at the edge, and of a brownish tinge; 
when dried in the sun the upper surface gets quite black, and the 
under surface a brownish gi’ey. ddie flavour is somewhat insipid. 
The iwatake, which grows on rocks in thick masses. 
The so -take, a very delicately flavoured mushroom, to be found 
on precipitous crags, and consequently scarce, owing to the diffi- 
culties attendant on gathering it. 
The kawa-take, to be found in shady spots on moorland ; a 
funnel-shaped mushroom with a long hollow stalk. 
Beport of H.M. Consul in Japan, 1875. 
N.B. — The Eev. M. J. Berkeley informs us that the ‘shu-take’ 
Is a species of Armillaria, as far as he can judge from the only poor 
specimen which he has seen. — Ed. 
De Notaris. — We regret to record the death of our old friend 
and correspondent, Guiseppe De Notaris, Professor of Botany in 
the University of Rome, who died 22nd January, 1877. Professor 
De Notaris published numerous works on different branches of 
Cryptogamic botany, of which perhaps “ Briologia Italica” is the 
largest. He is claimed as the founder of the modern school of 
Mycologists, advocating generic distinctions based solely on the 
fructification. If so, his followers go much farther than he 
would have thought of proposing. 
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