7She RURAL NEW-YORKLR 
407 
Mushrooms for Every Home 
iNSKcr ('oNTUor..—The easiest way to 
handle the insect problem is t<> guard 
against infestation, especially during 
warm weather, t'are should he taken to 
have all inlets and outlets scremnal with 
fine wire gauze* rather tlmn with mos- 
,|uit«> netting. Such .a .screen wmild be 
(‘iVective against the entrance of gnats 
and mites. Itefore bedding, the sjiawn 
should b<‘ examiiu'el for the jiresence* of 
mites, as tlu'se tiny insects arte sometimes 
r(‘Spt>nsible for the poor start, of the 
spawn. When tin compost is being pre¬ 
pared. the outsidt* of the pile should al¬ 
ways be turned into the middle of tin* 
new heai). because the he.at of the mannit* 
is destructive to much iu.sect life in tin* 
composting manure. If any insects an* 
pre.sent. their rapid increase may be re¬ 
tarded by very carefully maintaining .a 
temiierature at or .iust bt'low Tm or titt. 
r,y tairefully pro\ iding these itrecaut ion¬ 
ary method.s. radical measures of fumig.a- 
tion. com]»ost sterilization or dt'strnction 
of the beds should be unnecessary. One 
of the most common insect.s'. the sowbug. 
may be easily destroyed by placing bits 
of (ait raw potato, diiiped in Paris green, 
around the b(‘ds. or else the poison bran 
mash (aunmonly ir-ed to d(*stroy (aitworms 
may be s'liread ai. und the liouse. Snails 
;ire Homotimes t roubtcsoim'. but these 
may be easily hand lUcked ,at night with 
the aid of a lantern. Whenever it is 
feared that insects are i»resent. prompt 
measures should he takcai to di'stroy them 
before they multiply enough to materially 
.afl'ect the cro]!. 'Phe United States I)e- 
pai’tment of Agra nlture has recently is- 
siu’d an excellent ciiaailar, entitled “.Mush¬ 
room Pests and I'ow to (lontrol I'hem.” 
It is known as I'armers' P.ulletin 7St>. 
und is free upon reiiuest. However, it is 
.piite imi>robable that the amateur grower 
would have any serious tiouble for the 
lir.st few seasons. 
Vakiktik.s. —'Phere are many kinds of 
iiiushroms and toiulstoids, most of which 
an* edihle, while a Tew of them are 
deadly poisonous 'Phere is no way for 
the inexperienced jterson to deteiniine 
whether a mushiMom is edible or poison¬ 
ous I'xcept to eat them, unless the.\' take 
the advice of someone who surely knows. 
Contrary to gi'iieral belief, both kinds 
have the same action on a silver coin. .\ 
Acry jioisonous kind ma.v be very )d«*asing 
to the taste* and the skin ia*<‘ls olf soim* 
vari(*ties of each kind. Insects may <‘at 
mushrooms (h*adly i»oisonous to us. and 
yet the insects wMI not h<* affeetted. 'I’lii* 
Ohio Agrie-iiltural Hxperim<*nt Station 
j:iv(*s some v<*ry accurate and c()n(*i.se 
rules, as follows: 
Wit AT TO .\VO.I).— 
1. Avoid musli •ooms in the young or 
••hiitton” stage. At that time it is im¬ 
possible to tell, excejit aft<*r long exia*ri- 
«*nc(*. some jioisonous si)(*cies from some* 
edible species*, unless, of ceiurse*. the* soure'e* 
of the spawn is known. 
2. Avejid all thei.se with jiores on the 
under side of tluj cap eintil sufficient ac- 
eiuaintance* teache.*-. the ellfference betw(*e*n 
e*dible and jieiisoneius varieties. 
.\void all specie's which have* white* 
spore's, a ring, and a veiha eir bulb-like' 
ha.se together in same spe*cimen. 'Phe' 
most poisonous are in this grouji, whie h 
alsei has gills. 
4. Avoid those having a milky juice nn- 
h'ss the milk is red. . 
r». Aveiiel those having the cap thin in 
eeemjiarison with the gills, esjie'cially if 
the*y are bright colored, and in which gills 
.are nearly all of eeiual le*ngth. 
ti. .'Vvoid all mushreioms which are* neit 
strie'tly fresh, since de-eax seemetieiu's 
greatly increase's jioisoneuis suhstane'e*s. 
It is safe to sa.v that by feillowing 
these* rule's imjilicitly one* max tixeiid the* 
nieist jieiisonoiis kinds, but the neivice* 
slioiihl neit e*x)>e'riment, e*\e'e*iit jie'i-liaps 
xvith the greate'st preciiutiem. 
.\mong the* common e'dible mushrooms 
iire* the .sponge*-Iike morel (Meirchedhi e-scu- 
lenta) which is found in the* Sjuing of 
the year, and alao all puffballs (while* the 
flesh remains white). The commem morel 
grows about thre*e indies high anel is 
generally to be found in old orchards dur¬ 
ing the months eif Ajiril and iMay. 
The common meadow mushroom 
f.'Vgaricus cainjiestris) is the one in gen- 
e*:'; ! use. Tt never grows in the dense 
\vc but i;i ;a> Dpe.i ]>;i:!r.ri*s from 
.\ugu.st to October. It has a white or 
drab c-olor stalk and caji. The gills are* 
jiinkish to breiwnish jiurjile. 'Phe stalk 
is nither short, cylinelrie'al. solid, and 
peissesses a small ring tiround the stalk. It 
is never bulbous at the base, but straight 
and even. If xve have* no pasture* lot near 
by, whe*re we may jiick a goeid sujijily, we 
can buy some eif the sjiawn during e'arly 
Summer and bed jiieces eif it in faveirable 
locations in our laxvn or betwe*(*n the* 
vege'tahle jdants in flie home gierdi'u. 
Florists se>me*time*s idm-e spaxvii be*lxvee*n 
The Deadly Amanita or Death Cup 
llieir I'arn.'il ions anel smilax jilants aneP 
gather a line sue.ply feir at least lhe*ir' 
own use*. I 
•\ I hi.xiK.STK' Sri’i'i.v. -'Phe e'eimmon! 
mu.shroom is so very e*asy to grow that' 
it miike*.s me woneler xvfiy so many jie'ojih* 
are* so anxious tei utilize* the* e*elible' jiuff- 
balls. toaelsteiols anel more*ls. Soone*r or 
lale*i' siie'h a jirictice xx'ill g(*t them intei 
trouble'. AVhy not start seime* of the 
e*ommon mushroeen sjiawn in your own 
e'e'llarV .V e'onstant Seipjily will be iiro-| 
ilue“e*d for lhre*i* months for thee use of: 
your family and i* thi*re is more than you 
('an use to goorl advantage the surplus 
The Edible Morel, Morchella esculenta 
('an be sohl feir g('<al jirie'cs, or better yet 
it may be* elrie*d or ('aniie'd .so that it will 
keep in jie'i IVcl (.mdition until used the 
folleiwiug Summer. Furthermore*, if fine* 
conelilions can be* jirovideel for the* grow¬ 
ing of mushreioi.is, the oj)e*rator should 
re'alize that he ahei has an e*.\e;ellent jilace 
for the* eh'X’clopment of othe*r ve*ry elesir- 
abh* e'l'ops in )\’int(*r. Itliubarb roots 
iiiid xvitloof ('hicory roots re*(|uire! jiracti- 
e-ally the same; conditions of temiierature, 
humidity and el'i;'kne*ss. 'Phils, without; 
much e'xtra xvo'rl: eae'h home* may also' 
have a supply of fre'.sh rhubarb ami eh*- 
lie'ious salad, la'.mle's an abundane'e* of 
mushrooms which may he* S(*rve*el in many 
jileasing xvays .n-! flavoring and food. 
IS. XV. II. 
Mc'Pavksii and -Maciiherson are adrift 
at sea in an open boat. IMcTavish (on 
his knee's) : “f) Imrd. I ken I've broken! 
maist o’ 'Phy e'ommandments. And I've*; 
been a hard drinker all my days. Tint.! 
O Lord, if we’re sjiared this time. I 
promi.se never—’’ Macjiher.son : “I widna 
commit myself eixver far, Donald. I think | 
S.'Wl 
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