344 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
April  21,  1898. 
the  first  part  of  this  question.  You  would  see  the  minute  spherical  or 
ellipsoid  bodies,  when  supplied  with  the  requisite  moisture,  burst  and  put 
forth  slender  colourless  threads  called  “  hyphse.”  These  in  time  branch 
again  and  again,  extending  constantly  in  length  to  form  what  is  called  the 
“mycelium,’  or  vegetative  part  of  the  plant.  When  such  threads  are 
massed  together  in  strands,  lorming  white  lacework  or  cottony  bunches, 
they  are  easily  found  in  the  substratum  on  which  the  fungus  grows — in 
rotten  wood,  for  instance,  or  in  a  heap  of  leaves,  or  other  decaying 
vegetable  matter.  In  such  places  the  mycelium  spreads  over  or 
permeates  the  substance  from  which  it  draws  its  food  supply.  For  fungi 
do  not  elaborate  their  food  from  raw  materials  as  do  the  plants  that  have 
green  colouring  matter,  but  are  dependant  upon  other  vegetable  or 
animal  organisms,  either  living  or  dead  ;  that  is,  they  are  parasites,  or 
saprophytes. 
What  is  known  by  Mushroom  growers  as  the  ‘  spawn  ”  consists  of  a 
dried  compressed  portion  oi  a  Mushroom  bed,  generally  mixed  straw  and 
horse  droppings,  which  is  permeated  by  the  mycelium.  In  this  condition, 
in  the  form  of  flakes  or  bricks,  it  may  be  transported,  and  will  keep  its 
vitality  for  months,  active  growth  being  for  the  time  arrested.  As  a  rule, 
then,  when  Mushroom  beds  are  started,  it  is  the  mycelium  or  spawn 
which  is  planted— not  the  spores.  When  the  proper  conditions  of  warmth 
and  moisture  are  supplied,  growth  is  resumed,  and  the  threads,  lengthen¬ 
ing  and  branching,  very  soon  spread  throughout  the  bed. 
It  is  plain,  then,  that  the  Mushroom  plant  for  most  of  its  life  is  out 
of  sight,  and  consequently  not  familiarly  known.  To  this  fact  are  due 
many  erroneous  notions  about  the  origin  of  Mushrooms  themselves. 
When  the  time  has  come  for  the  plant  to  produce  its  fruit,  there  form  at 
various  points  in  the  mycelium  small  masses  of  densely  branching  inter¬ 
woven  threads,  which  in  time  enlarge  to  an  appreciable  size.  Each  of 
these  masses  is  the  beginning  of  a  button,  or  nascent  Mushroom.  An 
examination  of  buttons  in  various  stages  of  growth,  by  means  of  thin 
sections  brought  into  the  field  of  a  compound  microscope,  shows  pretty 
clearly  the  part  played  by  the  hyphse  in  the  Mushroom  proper,  the 
substance  of  which  is  made  up  of  the  compacted  and  closely  interwoven 
threads  and  their  branches.  Along  certain  radiating  lines  is  formed  the 
framework  of  the  gills,  which  in  the  developed  Mushroom  is  called  the 
“trama.”  Just  below  the  gills  an  air  space  appears,  the  outer  wall  of 
which  becomes  the  so-called  veil.  Lastly,  upon  the  surface  of  the  gills 
develops  a  layer  of  cells  standing  side  by  side  like  the  single  threads  in 
the  pile  of  velvet  or  in  the  surface  of  an  oriental  rug. 
With  these  cells  we  have  a  special  concern.  Taken  together  they 
form  the  “  hymenium,”  the  spore-producing  tissue,  which,  folded  like  a 
fan,  is  applied  to  both  sides  of  the  gill-plates.  A  section  through  a 
gill  shows  us  this  layer.  Each  one  of  the  club-shaped  spore-bearing  cells 
composing  it  is  called  a  “  basidium.”  Each  basidium  bears  four  spores 
on  minute  stalks. 
Passing  some  other  groups  we  come  to  the  Morels,  Helvellas,  and 
Pezizas.  The  first  two  are  stalked,  and  roughly  resemble  the  familiar 
Agarics  ;  the  last  are  shallow  cups  or  fleshy  expansions.  A  word  as  to 
the  form  of  their  fructification  must  suflBce.  Examination  under  a 
microscope  of  a  bit  of  the  outer  or  upper  surface  of  one  of  these  plants 
will  reveal  a  mat  of  crowded  slender  cylindrical  cells  covering  the  surface; 
none  of  these  cells,  however,  bears  spores  on  its  tip.  Instead,  some  of 
them — not  all — contain  spores  in  their  interior.  Each  is,  in  fact,  a  little 
enclosure,  called  an  “  ascus,”  and  if  one  that  is  mature  be  separated  from 
the  rest  it  will  readily  be  seen  to  contain  eight — almost  invariably  eight — 
spores.  At  the  proper  time  these  escape  from  the  asci,  sometimes 
suddenly  and  myriads  at  once.  From  the  surface  of  a  Peziza,  for 
example,  as  you  look  at  it,  there  comes  a  little  puff  of  smoke  as  the 
ejected  spores  are  shot  into  the  air,  to  be  blown  away  in  a  tiny  cloud. 
Pezizas,  Helvellas,  and  Morels  are  some  of  the  “  Discomyeetes,”  a  class 
excellently  treated  for  Great  Britain  by  Phillips.  Multitudes  of  fungi 
besides  the  Discomyeetes  have  a  fructification  which  consists  of  asci,  and 
the  comprehensive  name  for  all  of  them  is  Ascomycetes. 
Most  of  the  Mushrooms  gathered  by  the  increasing  number  of  fungus 
hunters,  at  least  by  beginners  in  the  study,  belong  to  that  class  of 
Basidiomycetes  called  Hymenomycetes.  Among  these  an  Agaric  is  at 
once  recognised  by  its  gills  ;  a  Boletus  or  Polyporus  by  its  spores  ;  a 
Hydnum  by  its  tooth-like  projections ;  a  Clavaria  hy  its  coral-like 
appearance  ;  and  a  Tremella  by  its  gelatinous  nature.  So  far  identifica¬ 
tion  is  a  simple  matter ;  but  to  go  farther  and  decide  upon  the  species 
requires  close  study,  accurate  observation  of  details  of  structure,  ability 
to  interpret  published  descriptions,  and,  most  of  all,  experience. — {Abridged 
from  a  Papev  read  by  Mk.  Hollis  Webstee  at  a  meeting  of  the  Massa- 
schusetts  Horticultural  Society.') 
“BLACKS”  IN  POTATOES. 
Me.  W.  Pea  (page  320)  in  his  criticism  of  my  article  on  this  subject 
(page  276)  provides  a  literary  repast.  The  dish,  however,  like  exhibition 
Potatoes,  seems  got  up  to  take  the  eye.  It  is  dainty,  but  not  satisfying. 
Having  disposed  of  “  blacks  ”  by  ignoring  them,  your  versatile  corre¬ 
spondent  comes  to  the  question  in  respect  of  the  old  sorts  versus  new 
kinds  of  Potatoes  as  regards  quality.  The  Old  Ashtop  Kidnejq  Lapstone, 
and  York  Eegent,  with  Fluke  (to  make  the  quartette)  may  be  described 
as  “ancient,”  and  Webber’s  White  Beauty,  Duke  of  York,  Windsor 
Castle,  and  Up-to-Date  “  modern  ”  varieties.  What  say  cultivators  prior 
to  the  advent  of  the  disease  in  1844  of  the  quality  of  Potatoes  in  those 
days  as  compared  with  that  of  the  moderns  1  The  so-called  disease- 
resisting  varieties  have  been  produced  to  such  an  extent  at  the  expense 
of  quality,  that  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Fruit  and  Vegetable 
Committee  always  relegate  modern  sorts  to  Chiswick  for  trial,  and 
have  the  articles  cooked  before  expressing  an  opinion  on  their  merits  or 
otherwise.  Thus  quality  is  placed  foremost.  When  subjected  to  the 
crucial  test  of  eating,  the  most  that  even  Mr.  W.  Pea  can  claim  for  the 
latest  outcome,  Up-to-Date,  is  “respectable  flavour.”  What  has  become 
of  high  quality — the  “crack  their  sides”  with  mealiness  tubers,  and  if 
once  tasted,  never  forgotten  nutty  flavour  ? 
Webber’s  White  Beauty  may  yield  double  the  crop  of  the  Old  Ash¬ 
top  Kidne}’,  but  where  is  it  for  earliness  ?- a  matter  of  conseciuence  as 
regards  price  and  clearance  of  the  land  fur  an  after  crop,  often  of  as  much 
or  more  value  than  the  Potatoes  ;  and  then,  as  regards  return,  wherein 
consists  the  difference  in  profitable  production  ?  Besides,  while  the  Old 
Ashtop  Kidney  is  quite  fit  for  an  epicurean  taste,  the  “Beauty  ”  only 
finds  favour  with  the  masses  in  towns,  who  set  more  store  upon  quantity 
than  quality.  Duke  of  Y"ork  represents  constitutional  vigour  and  coarse¬ 
ness  with  negation  of  high  quality.  Windsor  Castle  needs  considerable 
qualification,  and  I  cannot  describe  its  quality  as  comparable  with  that 
of  Y^ork  Regent.  As  for  cropping,  York  Regent,  on  warp,  has' given 
25  tons  per  acre,  and  a  single  set  44  lbs.  In  an  80-acre  field,  in  1897. 
Windsor  Castle  gave  a  yield  of  12*  tons  per  acre. 
Now  we  come  to  the  “modern”  Potato  par  excellence,  “  the  tough 
hardy  conRitution,  respectable  quality,  and  magnificent  cropping  and 
disease-resisting  powers.”  All  efl'orts  of  late  years  have  been  directed 
to  avoiding  the  Potato  disease,  yet  the  all-important  Magnum  Bonum, 
the  doughty  Champion,  and  the  Bruce,  all  fall  before  the  Raphael 
Aben-Ezra  Potato  fungus,  only  Up-to-Date  holding  up  its  head. 
Mr.  W.  Pea  says  nothing  about  “blacks”  except  in  connection  with 
“injurious  acidity.”  This  betrays  some  acquaintance  with  the  subject 
by  one  who  has  “  been  experimenting  with  Potato  manures  rather  freely 
during  the  last  few  years,”  and  he  seems  to  have  heen  convinced  by  “  one 
trial  ”■  that  a  muriate  manure  is  the  best  he  has  found.  The  modern 
experimentalists  do  not  appear  to  see  that  by  cropping  with  Potatoes,  and 
applying  heavy  dressings  of  manure  successively  on  the  same  land  with 
but  one  cereal  or  other  crop  in  alternate  years,  the  ground  may  he 
soured  by  organic  acids  as  badly  as  by  the  use  of  acid  fertilisers,  muriate 
(chloride),  or  sulphate  (sulphuric).  “  A.  D.”  grasps  this  fact,  hence  his 
“jumping”  at  lime,  which  in  older  times  answered  well  enough,  but  in 
these  days  oftener  does  the  reverse,  by  burning  and  blackening  crops  in 
consequence  of  the  acid  fertilisers  applied.  How  many  growers  have 
suffered  serious  loss  by  the  use  of  kainit,  muriate  of  potash,  and  acid 
phosphate  ?  Who  found  it  out  that  they  were  injurious  ?  Or  who 
advised  autumn  applicatidn  before  growers  had  found  spring  dressing 
sinister  ?  What  produced  “  blacks  ”  formerly  does  the  same  now  ;  the 
one  caused  by  inattention  to  rotation,  and  the  other  by  a  wholesale  and 
injudicious  use  of  fertilisers. 
Just  a  few  words  relative  to  the  one-eighth  acre  experiments.  How 
long  have  they  been  conducted  on  the  same  land  ?  Mark,  there  does  not 
exist  much  change  of  crop  on  allotments,  and  one  experiment  proves 
nothing,  for  a  mere  changing  of  fertilisers  affects  the  land  wondarfully, 
while  the  continuation  of  the  same  mixture  may  result  in  disaster.  The 
prescription  given  on  page  320  consists  of  32  tons  per  acre  of  farmyard 
manure,  costing  at  least  £8,  and  of  10  cwt.  per  acre  of  artificial  fertiliser 
in  mixture,  entailing  an  outlay  of  something  like  £4,  which,  with  labour 
and  planting,  amounts  to  half  as  much  more,  or  about  £18  per  acre.  Try 
it  as  a  commercial  concern,  not  once,  but  over  a  series  of  years,  and  then 
send  the  result  to  the  Journal,  if,  indeed,  there  be  any  result  left 
wherewith  to  procure  the  needful  Experience  has  taught  me  that 
fertilisers  are  unprofitable  unless  they  lessen  the  need  of  farmyard  manure 
to  the  benefit  of  a  larger  range  of  crops. 
Reverting  to  “A.  D,”  (page  303),  will  he  kindly  say  what  three 
present  day  varieties  of  Potatoes  he  has  found  equal  in  quality  to  the  old 
Ashtop  Kidney,  Fox’s  Seedling,  and  Prince  Regent  ?  three  varieties— 
early,  second  early,  and  late  respectively.  I  find  them  enumerated  in  a 
catalogue  issued  by  Messrs.  Thomas  &  .lames  Backhouse,  York  (third 
edition),  in  1827. 
In  1844  the  three  varieties — Ashtop  Kidney,  Lapstone  or  Haigh’s 
Seedling,  and  Prince  or  York  Regent — were  the  standard  for  early,  second 
early,  and  late  use,  and  I  submit  they  have  not  been  excelled  since  for 
quality.  “A.  D.”  can  term  the  dictum  “  strained  ”  or  “  untrue,”  but  that 
will  not  alter  my  half-century’s  experience  in  arriving  at  a  decision 
regarding  the  so-called  “  up-to-date”  varieties — a  coarse  and  poor  quality 
lot.  Of  several  hundred  varieties  submitted  to  trial  not  any  that  I  have 
grown,  or  seen  grown,  have  the  mealy  quality  and  rich  flavour  of  the  fifty 
years  ago  varieties. 
Not  long  ago  “A.  D.”  made  light  of  the  Potato  disease  causing  the 
“blacks” — a  phase  of  the  matter,  he  now  says,  demands  the  “fullest 
consideration.”  As  to  “  the  denudation  of  leafage  by  the  fungus  ” 
causing  the  evil,  that  is  a  matter  of  opinion,  worth  nothing  unless  backed 
by  experience,  and  I  state  it  as  a  fact  that  Potatoes  were  infested  by 
“blacks”  before  the  appearance  of  the  Potato  fungus  in  1844.  What 
caused  them  then  ?  “A.  D.”  puts  forward  lime  as  a  cure  for  “blacks,”  a 
mere  conjecture — at  least,  there  is  no  evidence  that  this  element  has  any¬ 
thing  to  do  with  freedom  or  otherwise  of  the  tubers  from  discolouration. 
How  does  he  know  that  lime  has  anything  to  do  with  the  production  of 
starch,  or  what  this  has  to  do  with  “  blacks,”  or  even  the  Potato  fungus  ? 
Bordeaux  mixture  appears  the  thing  for  preventing  the  Potato  disease, 
but  your  correspondent  seems  unaware  that  “  a  green  vigorous  condition” 
is  just  that  in  which  the  fungus  delights,  and  the  resultant  tubers  are 
discoloured  by  disease,  even  if  there  is  up  to  10  per  cent,  of  lime  in  the 
soil.  The  proper  draining  and  working  of  the  soil  exerts  a  more  whole¬ 
some  influence.  Let  “A.  D.”  give  the  matter  fuller  consideration. — 
Expeeimentalist. 
