TWELVE EDIBLE MUSHROOMS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
For several years past tlie Division of Microscopy of tlie IT. S. Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture lias been in receipt of numerous letters from regular 
correspondents and others to the effect that in various localities, rep¬ 
resenting almost every section and climate of the Union, there are found 
large quantities of edible mushrooms and other allied fungi, few of 
which are utilized because the great majority of the people do not know 
how to distinguish the edible from the poisonous species. To obtain 
some clear and trustworthy criteria by which to make this essential 
distinction has been the object of the various communications received, 
and, in view of the highly nutritious properties of this class of escu 
lents and of the great possible value of their aggregate product, as 
indicated by the vast quantities produced in countries where attention 
is given to their cultivation, the importance of a satisfactory answer to 
these inquiries will be readily appreciated. 
FOOD VALUE OF MUSHROOMS. 
Rollrausch and Siegel, who claim to have made exhaustive investiga¬ 
tions into the food values of mushrooms, state that u many species de¬ 
serve to be placed beside meat as sources of nitrogenous nutriment,” 
and their analysis, if correct, fully bears out the statement. They find 
in 100 parts of dried Morchella esculenta 33.18 per cent of protein; in 
Helvetia esculenta , 26.31 per cent of protein, from 16 to 49 per cent of 
potassium salts and phosphoric acid, 2.3 per cent of fatty matter, and a 
considerable quantity of sugar. The Boletus edulis they represent as 
containing in 100 parts of the dried substance 22.82 per cent of pro¬ 
tein. The nitrogenous values of different foods as compared with the 
mushroom are stated as follows: u Protein substances calculated for 100 
parts of bread, 8.03; of oatmeal, 9.74; of barley bread, 6.39; of legum¬ 
inous fruits, 27.05; of potatoes, 4.85; of mushrooms, 33.0.” A much 
larger proportion of the various kinds of mushrooms are edible than 
is generally supposed, but a prejudice has grown up concerning them 
in this country which it will take some time to eradicate, notwith¬ 
standing the occurrence of occasional fatal accidents through the inad¬ 
vertent eating of poisonous species, fungi are largely consumed both by 
savage and civilized man in all parts of the world, and while they con¬ 
tribute so considerable a portion of the food product of the world we 
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