Mushroom Culture: Its Extension and Improvement

stris (True Me

ent shades of tawny, fuliginous, or brown; gills free, at first pallid, then flesh-coloured, then pink, next purple, at length tawny-black; the stem white, full,

autumn; colour, white or pale brown; gills, salmon, at length bla

ould take the trouble to recognise at a glance many of those esculent species, which every spring and autumn fill our plantations and pastures with plenteousness. Neither is this left to be a mere matter of inference; it is corroborated in a singular manner by what takes place at Rome; there, whilst many hundred baskets of what we call toadstools are carried home for the table, almost the only one condemned to be thrown into the Tiber, by the inspector of the fungus market, is our own mushroom; indeed, in such dread is this held

it. There is an edict in existence ordering certain fungi to be thrown into the Tiber, but it is now, and has long been altogether effete; and whilst there is an abundance of

f-tea; where arrowroot and weak broths are distasteful to the patient, the simple seasoning of a little ketchup will frequently form an agreeable change. Some roast them, basting with melted butter and white (French) wine sauce. In patties and vols-au-vent they are equally excel

vensis (Hor

e; stem hollow, with a floccose pith; ring broad, pendulous, double, the outer split in rays; gills free, wi

Pastures, in autumn; colour, yellowish; gills

but dirty brownish white, ultimately becoming brown-black. It has a big, ragged, floccose ring, and the pithy stem is inclined to be hollow. It is the species exposed for sale in Covent Garden Market. Indeed, after knowing the market for many years, I have rarely seen any other species there; when the true mushroom, however, is there, it is frequently mingled with horse mu

it yields an abundant gravy, and the flesh is firm and delicious. It is a valuable plant whe

similar to the hairy variety of the meadow mushroom, the A. villaticus of Dr. B

s one of the ingredients of ketchup. Opinions appear to differ greatly regarding the excellence of this species. Mr. Penrose writes:-'I think young, and especially bu

e with the latter; or if horse-dung be kicked aside in a rich meadow frequented by graminivorous animals, the earth will fr

th great apparent gusto, although the fungu