60 
House & Garden 
Pictures can seldom he relied upon in identifying 
mushrooms. But here, in the dipper left corner 
and lower right, are large and small pufj-halls 
KNOWING THE WILD 
MUSHROOMS 
ORIN CROOKER 
T he best way to make a beginning in the 
study of mushrooms is to secure a thor¬ 
oughly reliable manual on them. Browse 
through certain parts of this before making any 
effort to gather specimens, though on first sight 
it will appear no more intelligible than a classic 
in the original Greek or Hebrew. But it is 
essential to secure a preliminary knowledge of 
the different parts of these fungus growths, and 
this the book will help you to gain without leav¬ 
ing your sitting-room. 
By studying the plates and illustrations in the 
book you will become familiar with the anatomy 
of the mushroom, and learn to know its parts. 
First Steps in Identification 
This elementary knowledge may seem confus¬ 
ing enough, but it will give an idea of what to 
look for when gathering the first specimens. 
You will expect, of course, to make no use of 
these for food no matter how well the descrip¬ 
tion may appear to tally. Indeed, some students 
never attempt to use the edible mushrooms until 
they have spent at least one season in study and 
observation. This, however, is not strictly neces- 
The common edible mtishroom, both in a wild 
state and under cultivation, is Agaricus. There 
is some resemblanee between it and the poison¬ 
ous Amanitas 
sary. There are a few varieties in almost any 
vicinity about which there is little or no question. 
The student soon becomes familiar with these. 
Using them for food—once he has become 
acquainted with them—will serve to keep up his 
mushroom enthusiasm. 
It is impossible to record in a popular article 
the characteristics by which the edible mush¬ 
rooms as a class may be told from the poisonous 
fungi. There is no set and fast rule to follow. 
Further than this, however, is the fact that speci¬ 
mens of the same species differ so much that any 
directions set forth here might be very readily 
misconstrued by the ambitious amateur. 
There are many so-called “tests” published 
from time to time in the press and in circula- 
Sometimes it is literally as large as a man's hat, 
this giant edible puff-ball. It matures during the 
late summer and early fall, in open situations 
Some Common Edible Species 
and What They Are Like 
tion by word of mouth. Without exception these 
are to be avoided. The so-called “poison” or 
“death cup” rule that any species springing from 
a cup or socket at its base is poisonous is an 
unsafe guide. Not only are there non-edible 
forms which have no such “cup,” but often in 
gathering mushrooms a poisonous variety will 
break off at the base in such a way as to make 
it appear that it did not possess such a cup when 
in reality it did. The popular idea that a silver 
spoon or onions or anything else when cooked 
with mushrooms, will turn black if any poisonous 
specimens are present, is also a fallacy. These 
and other tests being in error, there remains but 
one road to a knowledge of mushrooms, and this 
is the path of study and observation. 
Puff-Balls and Other Edible Species 
Among the first of the edible fungi with which 
the beginner is likely to become familiar are 
those of the puff-ball family.' There is small 
chance of making a serious mistake with these, 
since all the white puff-balls are said to be edible 
if eaten before the flesh within begins to change 
from the pure marshmallow white which is so 
(^Continued on page 80) 
When Agaricus is fully groion it opens out into 
umbrella shape. At first it is a mere "button" 
as shown in the foreground above 
Not infrequently the puff-balls grow in groups. 
One or two of these big fellows would be suf¬ 
ficient for a family of four 
The PleuroUis genus, groiving invariably on 
live or dead wood, includes some of the most 
palatable of the fungi family 
