SOME OF THE MOST COMMON AND USEFUL EDIBLE FUNGI.
“Whole hundredweights of rich, wholesome diet rotting under
the trees; woods teeming with food, and not one hand to gather
it; and this, perhaps, in the midst of potato-blight, poverty,
and all manner of privations, and public prayers against
imminent famine.”
_Dr. Badham._
VALUABLE as is the common mushroom, it is indisputable that not a few
other kinds are also capable of affording excellent food. Therefore,
figures are given of the most prevalent, useful, and easily recognised
kinds of edible fungi, as well as of the common mushrooms of our gardens
and markets. These figures have been admirably drawn by Mr. W. G. Smith,
and are accompanied by what seemed the most satisfactory accounts of the
characters and properties that are obtainable. The spores which
accompany the figures are uniformly enlarged seven hundred diameters.
_Marasmius oreades_ (Fairy-ring Champignon).
_Pileus_ smooth, fleshy, convex, subumbonate, generally more or less
compressed, tough, coriaceous, elastic, wrinkled; when water-soaked,
brown; when dry, of a buff or cream-colour, the umbo often remaining
red-brown, as if scorched; _gills_ free, distant, ventricose, of the
same tint as the pileus, but more pale; _stem_ equal, solid, twisted,
very tough and fibrous, of a pale silky-white colour.
[Illustration: Fig. 30--1. _Marasmius oreades_ (Fairy-ring Champignon).
Pastures, roadsides, and downs, in the autumn; colour, pale buff; _gills
broad and far apart_; diameter, 1 to 2 inches.
Fig. 30--2. _Marasmius urens_ (False Champignon). Woods and pastures in
the autumn; colour, pale buff; _gills narrow and crowded together_;
diameter, ½ inch to 1½ inches.]
The fairy-ring agaric is a valuable little fungus, and common on almost
every lawn. In hilly pastures it generally appears in broad brown
patches, either circular or forming a portion of a circle.
_M. urens_, the most acrid of all allied funguses, usually grows in
woods, though sometimes in the fairy-ring. However, its flat top and
narrow crowded gills cause it to be readily distinguished anywhere.
_Opinions on the Merits of Marasmius oreades as an edible Fungus._--“On
the Continent this species has long been considered edible, but on
account of its coriaceous texture it is dried and employed in the form
of powder, to season various made-dishes.”--_Dr. Greville._
“The common fairy-ring champignon is the best of all our funguses, yet
there is scarcely one person in a thousand who dare venture to use it.
With common observation no mistake need be made with regard to it. It
has an extremely fine flavour, and makes perhaps the very best ketchup
that there is.”--_Rev. M. J. Berkeley._
“An excellent flavour, as good as that of most funguses.”--_Dr. Badham._
_Modes of Cooking Marasmius oreades._--_General Use._--“Cut in small
pieces and seasoned it makes an excellent addition to stews, hashes, or
fried meats, but it should only be added a few minutes before serving,
as the aroma is dissipated by over cooking. It is the mushroom used in
the French _à la mode_ beef-shops in London.”--_Dr. Badham._
When stewed, the champignons require rather longer time to ensure their
being made perfectly tender. They are readily dried by removing the
stems from the fungus, threading them on a string, and hanging them up
in a dry airy place. “When dried, it may be kept for years without
losing any of its aroma or goodness, which, on the contrary, becomes
improved by the process, so as, in fact, to impart more flavour to the
dish than would have been imparted by the fresh fungus; though it is not
to be denied that the flesh then becomes coriaceous (or tough), and less
easy of digestion.”--_Dr. Badham._
_Champignon Powder._--Put the champignons in a stew-pan with a little
mace and a few cloves, and a sprinkling of white pepper. Simmer, and
shake constantly to prevent burning, until any liquor that may exude is
dried up again. Dry thoroughly in a warm oven until they will easily
powder. Put the dried agaric, or the powder, into wide-mouthed glass
bottles, and store in a dry place. It will keep any length of time. A
tea-spoonful added to any soup, or gravy, or sauce, just before the last
boil is given, will produce a very fine mushroom flavour.
_Pickled Champignons._--Collect fresh buttons of the fairy-ring agaric
and use them at once. Cut off the stems quite close and throw each one
as you do so into a basin of water in which a spoonful of salt has been
put. Drain them from it quickly afterwards, and place them on a soft
cloth to dry. For each quart of buttons thus prepared, take nearly a
quart of pale white wine vinegar, and add to it a heaped tea-spoonful of
salt, half an ounce of whole white pepper, an ounce of ginger-root
bruised, two large blades of mace, and a fourth of a salt-spoon of
cayenne pepper tied in a small piece of muslin. When this pickle boils
throw in the agarics and boil them in it over a clear fire moderately
fast, from six to nine minutes. When tolerably tender put them into
_warm_ wide-mouthed bottles, and divide the spice equally amongst them.
When perfectly cold, cork well, or tie skins and paper over them. Store
in a dry place, and keep out the frost.
Full-sized champignons may be pickled exactly in the same way, but will
require longer boiling, until indeed they become tender.--_Modified from
Miss Acton._
_Champignons quickly Pickled._--Place the prepared buttons in bottles
with a blade of mace, a tea-spoonful of pepper-corns, and a tea-spoonful
of mustard seed in each, and cover with the strongest white wine
pickling vinegar boiling hot. Cork or tie down as before, but do not
expect them to keep above three months.
_Agaricus procerus_ (the Parasol Agaric).
[Illustration: Fig. 31. _Agaricus procerus_ (Scaly Mushroom). Pastures,
&c., in autumn; colour, pale brownish buff; diameter, 5 to 12 inches.]
_Pileus_ fleshy, ovate when young, then campanulate, and afterwards
expanded and umbonate (blunt pointed), from three to seven inches
across. Cuticle more or less brown, entire over the umbo, but torn into
patches, or scales which become more and more separated as they approach
the margin. Flesh white. _Gills_ unconnected with the stem, fixed to a
collar on the pileus surrounding its top. _Ring_ persistent, loose on
the stem. _Stem_ six or eight inches high, tapering upwards from a
pear-like bulb at the root, hollow with a loose pith, whitish brown,
but more or less variegated with small and close-pressed scales.
Whenever an agaric on _a long stalk_, enlarged _at the base_, presents
_a dry cuticle_ more or less _scaly_, a darker coloured _umbonated top_,
_a moveable ring_, and _white_ gills, it must be _Agaricus procerus_,
the parasol agaric, and it may be gathered and eaten without fear. When
the whitish flesh of this agaric is bruised it shows a light reddish
colour.
There are but two other agarics that at all resemble it, and both are
edible. One about the same size is _Agaricus rachodes_. It is not
generally considered so good in flavour as _A. procerus_. Mrs. Hussey,
however, says plainly, “If _Agaricus procerus_ is the king of edible
funguses, _Agaricus rachodes_ is an excellent viceroy.” The other is the
_Agaricus excoriatus_, a very much smaller fungus, with a more slender
habit, a shorter stem, and no true bulb at the base. This elegant little
fungus is also very good eating.
The parasol agaric has a very wide range of growth. It is a common
fungus, and is in _high request all over the Continent_.
_Opinions on the Merits of Agaricus procerus as an Edible Fungus._--“A
most excellent mushroom, of a delicate flavour, and it must be
considered a most useful species.”--_The Rev. M. J. Berkeley._
“Were its excellent qualities better known here, they could not fail to
secure it a general reception into our best kitchens, and a frequent
place among our side dishes at table.”--_Dr. Badham._
“If once tried, it must please the most fastidious.”--_Worthington G.
Smith._
There can be no question but that, when young and quickly grown, the
parasol agaric is a delicious fungus. It has a light and delicate
flavour without the heavy richness which belongs to the ordinary field
mushroom. The writer has prevailed on many persons to try it; all
without exception have liked it, many have thought it quite equal, and
some have proclaimed it superior, to the common mushroom.
_Modes of Cooking the Agaricus procerus._--_Broiled Procerus._--Remove the
scales and stalks from the agarics, and broil lightly over a clear fire
on both sides for a few minutes; arrange them on a dish over fresh-made,
well-divided toast; sprinkle with pepper and salt, and put a small piece
of butter on each; set before a brisk fire to melt the butter, and serve
up quickly.
If the cottager would toast his bacon over the broiled mushrooms, the
butter would be saved.
_Agarics delicately Stewed._--Remove the stalks and scales from young
half-grown agarics, and throw each one as you do so into a basin of
fresh water slightly acidulated with the juice of a lemon, or a little
good vinegar. When all are prepared, remove them from the water, and
put them into a stew-pan with a very small piece of fresh butter.
Sprinkle with white pepper and salt, and add a little lemon-juice; cover
up closely, and stew for half an hour. Then add a spoonful of flour,
with sufficient cream, or cream and milk, until the whole has the
thickness of cream. Season to taste, and stew again gently until the
agarics are perfectly tender. Remove all the butter from the surface,
and serve in a hot dish, garnished with slices of lemon.
A little mace, nutmeg, or ketchup may be added; but there are those who
think that spice spoils the mushroom flavour.
_Cottager’s Procerus Pie._--Cut fresh agarics in small pieces, and cover
the bottom of a pie-dish. Pepper, salt, and place them on small shreds
of fresh bacon, then put in a layer of mashed potatoes, and so fill the
dish, layer by layer, with a cover of mashed potatoes for the crust.
Bake well for half an hour, and brown before a quick fire.
_A la Provençale._--“Steep for two hours in some salt, pepper, and a
little garlic; then toss in a small stew-pan over a brisk fire, with
parsley chopped, and a little lemon-juice.”--_Dr. Badham._
_Agaric Ketchup._--Place agarics of as large a size as you can procure,
but which are not worm-eaten, layer by layer, in a deep pan, sprinkling
each layer as it is put in with a little salt. The next day stir them
well up several times, so as to mash and extract their juice. On the
third day strain off the liquor, measure, and boil for ten minutes, and
then to every pint of the liquor add half an ounce of black pepper, a
quarter of an ounce of bruised ginger-root, a blade of mace, a clove or
two, and a tea-spoonful of mustard-seed. Boil again for half an hour;
put in two or three bay leaves, and set aside till quite cold. Pass
through a strainer, and bottle; cork well, and dip the ends in resin. A
very little Chili vinegar is an improvement, and some add a glass of
port wine, or a glass of strong ale to every bottle.
Care should be taken that the spice is not added so abundantly as to
overpower the true flavour of the agaric. A careful cook will keep back
a little of the simple boiled liquor to guard against this danger: a
good one will always avoid it. “Doctors weigh their things,” said a
capital cook, “but I go by taste.” But then, like poets, good cooks of
this order must be born so; they are not to be made.
_Coprinus comatus_ (the Maned Agaric).
_Pileus_ cylindrical, obtuse, campanulate, fleshy in the centre, but
very thin towards the margin. The external surface soon torn up into
fleecy scales, with the exception of a cap at the top. _Gills_ free,
linear, and crowded. Quite white when young, becoming rose-coloured,
sepia, and then black, from the margin upwards. They then expand
quickly, curl up in shreds, and deliquesce into a black inky fluid which
stains the ground. _Stem_ of a pure white, four to five inches high,
contracting at the top, and bulbous at the base; hollow, fibrillose,
stuffed with a light cottony web. The bulb is solid and rooting, the
ring is movable.
[Illustration: Fig. 32. _Coprinus comatus_ (Maned Mushroom). Pastures,
parks, and roadsides, summer and autumn; colour, snow-white; height, 5
to 12 inches.]
This very elegant agaric has also been called _Ag. cylindricus_, Schœff;
_Ag. typhoides_, Bull; and _Ag. fimetarius_, Bolt. It is common
throughout the summer and autumn months, on road-sides, pastures, and
waste places. It is extremely variable in size. Its general appearance
is so distinct and striking, that it cannot possibly be mistaken for any
other agaric. It grows so abundantly on waste ground in the dwellings
and farm-yards that it may be, says Dr. Bull, called the “agaric of
civilization;” and for both these reasons it is most valuable as an
edible agaric. If its merits were known, it would be eaten as freely as
the common field mushroom.
“The maned mushrooms,” Miss Plues has well said, “grow in dense
clusters, each young plant like an attenuated egg, white and smooth.
Presently some exceed the others in rapidity of growth, and their heads
get above the ground, the stem elongates rapidly, the ring falls loosely
round the stem, the margin of the pileus enlarges, and the oval head
assumes a bell-shape; then a faint tint of brown spreads universally or
in blotches over the upper part of the pileus, and the whiteness of its
gills changes to a dull pink. A few more hours and the even head of the
pileus has split in a dozen places, the sections curl back, melt out of
all form into an inky fluid, and on the morrow’s dawn a black stain on
the ground will be all that remains. And so on with the others in
succession.”
_Opinions on the Merits of Coprinus comatus as an Edible
Fungus._--“Esculent when young.”--_Berkeley._
“Young specimens should be selected.”--_Badham._
“No despicable dish, though perhaps not quite equal to the common
mushroom.”--_M. C. Cooke._
“If I had my choice, I think there is no species I should prefer before
this one: it is singularly rich, tender, and delicious.”--_Worthington
G. Smith._
Dr. M‘Cullough, Dr. Chapman, Elmes Y. Steele, Esq., and some other
members of the Woolhope Club, hold Mr. W. G. Smith’s opinion as the
result of considerable experience. It must be noted, however, that when
too young this agaric is rather deficient in flavour, and its fibres
tenacious. Its flavour is most rich, and its texture most delicate when
the gills show the pink colour with sepia margins.
_Modes of Cooking the Coprinus comatus._--The best and simplest method
is to broil it and serve on toast in the ordinary way. It may be added
also with great advantage to steaks and made-dishes, to give flavour and
gravy.
_Comatus Soup._--Take two quarts of white stock, and put in a large
plateful of the maned agaric roughly broken out; stew until tender; pulp
through a fine sieve; add pepper and salt to taste; boil and serve up
hot. Two or three table-spoonfuls of cream will be a great improvement.
The agarics for this soup should be young, in order to keep its colour
light and good. The maned agaric is recommended on all sides for making
ketchup, but here, also, it should be quickly used, and the ketchup
quickly made.
_Agaricus gambosus_ (the True St. George’s Mushroom).
_Pileus_ thick and fleshy, convex at first, often lobed, becoming
undulated and irregular, expanding unequally; the margin more or less
involute, and at first flocculose; from three to four inches across; of
a light yellow colour in the centre, fading to almost opaque white at
the edges; it is soft to the touch; more or less tuberculated, and often
presenting cracks. _Gills_ yellowish-white, watery, narrow, marginate,
annexed to the stem with a little tooth: they are very numerous and
irregular, with many smaller ones interposed, “lying over each other
like the plaits of a frill” (from 5 to 11, Vittadini). _Stem_ firm,
solid and white, swelling at the base in young specimens; but in older
ones, though usually bulging, they are frequently of even size, and when
in long grass they occasionally even taper downwards. This agaric is
usually nearly white, smooth, soft, and firm, like kid leather to the
touch, and, as Berkeley has happily said, “in appearance it very closely
resembles a cracknel biscuit.”
They grow in rings; have a strong smell, and appear about St. George’s
Day (April 23), after the rains which usually fall about the third week
in April. They continue to appear for three or four weeks, according to
the peculiarities of the season. They are usually to be found on hilly
pastures in woodland districts.
The St. George’s mushroom cannot well be mistaken for any other. The
fact of its appearance at this early season, and growing so freely in
rings, when so very few other funguses are to be found, is almost enough
to distinguish it. It has, however, very distinctive characters in
itself in the thickness of its pileus; the narrowness of its gills,
which are very closely crowded together; and the solid bulging stem.
[Illustration: Fig. 33. _Agaricus gambosus_ (St. George’s Mushroom).
Pastures, _in the spring_; colour, cream; diameter, 4 to 6 inches.]
The St. George’s mushroom is not an uncommon agaric in this country, and
where it does appear it is usually plentiful--a single ring affording
generally a good basket full. It should be gathered when young, or it
will be found grub-eaten, for no fungus is more speedily and more
voraciously attacked by insects than this one.
_Opinions on the Merits of Agaricus gambosus as an Edible
Fungus._--“This rare and most delicious agaric, the _mouceron_ of
Bulliard, and the _Agaricus prunulus_ of other authors, abounds on the
hills above the valley of Staffora, near Bobbio, where it is called
_Spinaroli_, and is in great request; the country people eat it fresh in
a variety of ways, or they dry and sell it at from twelve to sixteen
francs a pound.”--_Letter from Professor Balbi to Persoon._
“The most savoury fungus with which I am acquainted ... and which is
justly considered over almost the whole continent of Europe as the _ne
plus ultra_ of culinary friandise.
“The _prunulus_ (_gambosus_) is much prized in the Roman market, where
it easily fetches, when fresh, thirty baiocchi--_i.e._, fifteen pence
per pound--a large sum for any luxury in Rome. It is sent in little
baskets as presents to patrons, fees to medical men, and bribes to Roman
lawyers.”--_Dr. Badham._
The _Agaricus gambosus_ “is one that a person cannot well make any
mistake about. It sometimes attains a large size, is excellent in
flavour, and particularly wholesome.”--_Rev. M. J. Berkeley._
_Mode of Cooking Agaricus gambosus._--“The best mode of cooking
_Agaricus gambosus_ is either to mince or fricassee it with any sort of
meat, or in a _vol-au-vent_, the flavour of which it greatly improves;
or simply prepared with salt, pepper, and a small piece of bacon, lard,
or butter, to prevent burning, it constitutes of itself an excellent
dish.”--_Dr. Badham._ “Served with white sauce, it is a capital
appendage to roast veal.”--_Edwin Lees._ It may be broiled, stewed, or
baked.
_Breakfast Agaric._--Place some fresh-made toast, nicely divided, on a
dish, and put the agarics upon it; pepper, salt, and put a small piece
of butter on each; then pour on each one a tea-spoonful of milk or
cream, and add a single clove to the whole dish. Place a bell-glass, or
inverted basin, over the whole; bake twenty minutes, and serve up
without removing the glass until it comes to the table, so as to
preserve the heat and the aroma, which, on lifting the cover, will be
diffused through the room. It dries very readily when divided into
pieces, and retains most of its excellence. A few pieces added to soups,
gravies, or made-dishes, give a delicious flavour.
_Agaricus rubescens_ (Brown Warty Agaric).
[Illustration: Fig. 34. _Agaricus rubescens_ (Red-fleshed Mushroom).
Woods, summer and autumn; colour, sienna-brown; diameter, 4 to 10
inches.]
_Pileus_ convex, then expanded, cuticle brown, scattered over with warts
varying in size. Margin striate. _Gills_ white, reaching the stem, and
forming very fine decurrent lines upon it. _Ring_ entire, wide and
marked with striæ. _Stem_ often scaly, stuffed, becoming hollow; when
old, bulbous. Volva obliterated. The whole plant has a tendency to turn
a sienna-red, or rust colour. This is very distinctly shown some little
time after it has been bruised.
It is very common all through the summer and autumn months; indeed, one
of the most abundant mushrooms; “and it is one of those species that a
person with the slightest powers of discrimination may distinguish
accurately from others.”--_Badham._
_Opinions on the Merits of Agaricus rubescens as an Edible Fungus._--“A
very delicate fungus, which grows in sufficient abundance to render it
of importance in a culinary point of view.”--_Badham._
“From long experience I can vouch for its being not only wholesome, but,
as Dr. Badham says, ‘a very delicate fungus.’”--_F. Currey_, Editor of
Dr. Badham’s “Esculent Funguses.”
_Modes of Cooking the Agaricus rubescens._--It may be toasted, boiled,
or stewed in the ordinary way.
_Fried Rubescens._--Place the full-grown agarics in water for ten
minutes, then drain, and having removed the warty skin, fry with butter,
pepper, and salt. The ketchup made from _Agaricus rubescens_ is rich and
good. “As it grows freely, and attains a considerable size, it is very
suitable for that purpose, quantity being a great desideratum in
ketchup-making.”--_Plues._
_Agaricus nebularis_ (Clouded Mushroom).
[Illustration: Fig. 35. Agaricus nebularis (Clouded Mushroom). Woody
places, in autumn; colour, cream, with slate-coloured top; diameter, 4
to 10 inches.]
“_Pileus_ from two and a half to five inches across; at first
depresso-convex; when expanded, nearly flat or broadly subumbonate;
never depressed; margin at first involute and pruinose; occasionally
somewhat waved and lobed, but generally regular in form; smooth, viscid
when moist, so that dead leaves adhere to it; grey, brown at the centre,
paler towards the circumference. _Flesh_ thick, white, unchanging.
_Gills_ cream-colour, narrow, decurrent, close, their margins waved,
unequal, generally simple. _Stem_ from two to four inches long, from a
quarter of an inch to an inch thick; incurved at the base; not rooting,
but attaching by means of a floccose down round its lower portion and
for one-third of its length, a large quantity of dead leaves, by which
the plant is held erect; subequal, more or less marked with longitudinal
pits, firm externally, within of a softer substance. The _odour_ strong,
like that of curd cheese.”--_Badham._
“Common in certain places, but very rare near London. This species comes
up late in the autumn on dead leaves in moist places, principally on the
borders of woods. The gastronomic excellences of this species are well
known. When gathered, it has a wholesome and powerful odour; and when
cooked, the firm and fragrant flesh has a particularly agreeable and
palatable taste.”--_W. G. Smith._
“The _Agaricus nebularis_ requires but little cooking; a few minutes’
broiling (_à la_ Maintenon is best), with butter, pepper, and salt, is
sufficient. It may also be delicately fried with bread crumbs, or stewed
in white sauce. The flesh of this mushroom is perhaps lighter of
digestion than that of any other.”--_Badham._
_Lactarius deliciosus_ (Orange-milk Mushroom).
[Illustration: Fig. 36. _Lactarius deliciosus_ (Orange-milk Mushroom).
Under fir-trees, in autumn; colour, brown-orange; milk at first orange,
then green; diameter, 3 to 10 inches.]
_Pileus_ smooth, fleshy, umbilicate, of a dull rufous orange, turning
pallid from exposure to light and air, but zoned with concentric circles
of a brighter hue; margin smooth, at first involute, and then becoming
expanded; from three to five inches across. Flesh firm full of
orange-red milk, which turns green on exposure to the air, as does any
part of the plant when bruised. _Gills_ decurrent, narrow, each
dividing into two, three several times from the stem to the edge of the
pileus; of a dull yellow by reflected light, but being translucent, the
red milk shines brightly through them. _Stem_ from one to three inches
high, slightly bent and tapering downwards; solid, becoming more or less
hollow with age; short hairs at the base; sometimes pitted
(scrobiculate).
There is no possibility of mistaking this fungus. It is the only one
which has _orange-red milk_, and which _turns green when bruised_. These
properties distinguish it at once from _Lactarius torminosus_ or
_necator_, the only fungus which in any way resembles it.
This acrid fungus (_Lactarius torminosus_) is somewhat similar in shape
and size, and is also zoned. But the involute edges of the pileus are
bearded with close hairs. It is of a much paler colour, and with gills
of a dirty white. The milk, also, is white, acrid, and unchangeable in
colour.
The Orange-milk agaric chiefly affects the Scotch fir-tree, and is
generally to be found beneath the drip of the branches around the tree.
It is also found in hedgerows occasionally, but is most abundant in
plantations of Scotch fir or larch.
_Opinions on the Merits of Lactarius deliciosus as an Edible
Fungus._--“This is one of the best agarics with which I am acquainted,
fully deserving both its name and the estimation in which it is held
abroad, it reminds me of tender lambs’ kidneys.”--_Dr. Badham._
“Very luscious eating, full of rich gravy, with a little of the flavour
of mussels.”--_Sowerby._
“Cook them well, and you will have something better than kidneys, which
they much resemble both in flavour and consistence.”--_Mrs. Hussey._
_Modes of Cooking Lactarius deliciosus._--“The rich gravy it produces is
its chief characteristic, and hence it commends itself to make a rich
gravy sauce, or as an ingredient in soups. It requires delicate cooking,
for though fleshy it becomes tough if kept on the fire till all the
juice is exuded. Baking is perhaps the best process for this agaric to
pass through. It should be dressed when fresh and pulpy.”--_Edwin Lees._
_Stewed Deliciosus._--“The _tourtière_ (or pie-dish) method of cooking
suits _Lactarius deliciosus_ best, as it is firm and crisp in substance.
Be careful to use only sound specimens. Reduce them by cutting across to
one uniform bulk. Place the pieces in a pie-dish, with a little pepper
and salt, and a small piece of butter on each side of every slice. Tie a
paper over the dish, and bake gently for three-quarters of an hour.
Serve them up in the same hot dish.”--_Mrs. Hussey._
_Deliciosus Pie._--Pepper and salt slices of the agaric, and place them
in layers with thin slices of fresh bacon, until a small pie-dish is
full; cover with a crust of pastry or mashed potatoes, and bake gently
for three-quarters of an hour. If with potato crust, brown nicely before
a quick fire.
_Deliciosus Pudding._--Cut the agaric into small pieces; add similar
pieces of bacon, pepper, and salt, and a little garlic or spice;
surround with crust, and boil three-quarters of an hour.
_Fried Deliciosus._--Fry in slices, properly seasoned with butter, or
bacon and gravy; and serve up hot with sippets of toast. A steak in
addition is a great improvement.
_Morchella esculenta_ (the Morel).
Every one knows the Morel--that expensive luxury which the rich are
content to procure at great cost from our Italian warehouses, and the
poor are fain to do without. It is less generally known that this
fungus, though by no means so common with us as some others (a
circumstance partly attributable to the prevailing ignorance as to when
and where to look for it, or even of its being indigenous to England),
occurs not unfrequently in our orchards and woods, towards the beginning
of summer. Roques reports favourably of some specimens sent to him by
the Duke of Athol; and others, from different parts of the country,
occasionally find their way into Covent Garden Market. The genus
_Morchella_ comprises very few species, and they are all good to eat.
Persoon remarks, that though the Morel rarely appears in a sandy soil,
preferring a calcareous or argillaceous ground, it frequently springs up
on sites where charcoal has been burnt, or where cinders have been
thrown.
[Illustration: Fig. 37. _Morchella esculenta_ (the Morel). Woods, &c.,
in the spring; colour pale buff; height, 3 to 5 inches.]
_Pileus_ very various in shape and hue, the surface broken-up into very
little cells, made by folds or plaits of the hymenium, which are more or
less salient, and constitute the so-called ribs. These _ribs_ are very
irregular, and anastomose with each other throughout; the pileus
hollow, opening into the irregular stem. _Spores_ pale yellow. Neither
of these funguses should be gathered after rain, as they are then
insipid and soon spoil.
“M. Roques says the Morel may be dressed in a variety of ways, both
fresh and dry, with butter or in oil, _au gras_ or _à la crême_. The
following receipts for cooking them are from Persoon. 1st. Having washed
and cleansed them from the earth which is apt to collect between the
plaits, dry thoroughly in a napkin, and put them into a saucepan with
pepper, salt, and parsley, adding or not a piece of ham; stew for an
hour, pouring in occasionally a little broth to prevent burning; when
sufficiently done, bind with the yolk of two or three eggs, and serve on
buttered toast. 2nd. _Morelles à l’Italienne._--Having washed and dried,
divide them across, put them on the fire with some parsley, scallion,
chervil, burnet, tarragon, chives, a little salt, and two spoonfuls of
fine oil. Stew till the juice runs out, then thicken with a little
flour; serve with bread-crumbs and a squeeze of lemon. 3rd. _Stuffed
Morels._--Choose the freshest and whitest morels, open the stalk at the
bottom, wash and wipe them well, fill with veal stuffing, anchovy, or
any rich _farce_ you please, securing the ends, and dressing between
thin slices of bacon; serve with a sauce like the last.”--_Badham._
_Hygrophorus pratensis._
“_Pileus_ convexo-plane, then turbinate, smooth, moist; disc compact,
gibbous; margin thin; _stem_ stuffed, even, attenuated downwards;
_gills_ deeply decurrent, arcuate, thick, distant.”--_Grev. t. 91; Huss.
II. t. 40._
[Illustration: Fig. 38 (1). _Hygrophorus pratensis._ Pastures, in
autumn; colour, full buff; diameter, 2 to 3 inches.
Fig. 38 (2). _Hygrophorus virgineus_ (Viscid White Mushroom). Pastures,
in autumn; snow-white; diameter, ½ inch to 1½ inches.]
“On downs and short pastures. Very common. _Pileus_ tawny or
deep buff, sometimes nearly white, as in the next. Probably
esculent.”--_Berkeley._
_Hygrophorus virgineus_ (Viscid White Mushroom).
“_Pileus_ fleshy, convexo-plane, obtuse, moist, at length
areolato-rimose; _stem_ stuffed, firm, short, attenuated at the base;
_gills_ decurrent, distant, rather thick.”--_Grev. t. 166._ “On
downs and short pastures. Extremely common. Mostly pure
ivory-white.”--_Berkeley._
This species, exquisite in form and flavour, is one of the prettiest
ornaments of our lawns, downs, and short pastures at the fall of the
year. In these situations it may be found in every part of the kingdom.
It is essentially _waxy_, and feels and looks precisely as if made of
the purest virgin wax. The stem is firm, stuffed, and attenuated, and
the gills singularly distant from each other; it changes colour a little
when getting old, at which time it is unfit for culinary purposes.
A batch of fresh specimens, broiled or stewed with taste and care, will
prove agreeable, succulent, and flavorous eating, and may sometimes be
obtained when other species are not forthcoming.
“Several allied species enjoy the reputation of being esculent, notably
_H. niveus_; and my friend Mr. F. C. Penrose has eaten, and speaks
favourably of _H. psittacinus_--a highly ornamental yellow species, with
a green stem, sometimes common enough in rich pastures (and _said_ to be
very suspicious).”--_W. G. Smith._
_Cantharellus cibarius_ (Chantarelle).
[Illustration: Fig. 39. _Cantharellus cibarius_ (Chantarelle). Woods,
autumn; rich golden yellow; diameter, 2 to 4 inches.]
When young its _stalk_ is tough, white, and solid; but as it grows this
becomes hollow and presently changes to yellow; tapering below, it is
effused into the substance of the _pileus_, which is of the same colour
with it. The _pileus_ is lobed, and irregular in shape; its margin at
first deeply involute, afterwards when expanded, wavy. The _veins_ or
plaits are thick, subdistant, much sinuated, running some way down the
stalk. The _flesh_ is white, fibrous, dense, “having the odour of
apricots” (_Purton_) or of “plums” (_Vitt._). “The _colour_ yellow, like
that of the yolk of eggs, is deeper on the under surface; when raw it
has the pungent taste of pepper: the _spores_, which are elliptic, are
of a pallid ochre colour.” (_Vitt._) The Chantarelle grows sometimes
sporadically, sometimes in circles or segments of a circle, and may be
found from June to October. At first it assumes the shape of a minute
cone: next, in consequence of the rolling in of the margin, the pileus
is almost spherical, but as this unfolds it becomes hemispherical, then
flat, at length irregular and depressed.
“This fungus,” observes Vittadini, “being rather dry and tough by
nature, requires a considerable quantity of fluid sauce to cook it
properly.” “The common people in Italy dry or pickle, or keep it in oil
for winter use. Perhaps the best ways of dressing the Chantarelle are to
stew or mince it by itself, or to combine it with meat or with other
funguses. It requires to be gently stewed, and a long time to make it
tender; but by soaking it in milk the night before, less cooking will be
requisite.”--_Badham._
_Hydnum repandum_ (Hedgehog, or Spine-bearing Mushroom).
[Illustration: Fig. 40. _Hydnum repandum_ (Spine-bearing Mushroom).
Woods, autumn; colour, pale buff; diameter, 2 to 5 inches.]
_Pileus_ smooth, irregular in shape, depressed in the centre, more or
less lobed, and generally placed irregularly on the stem (eccentric); of
a pale buff or cinnamon colour; from two to five inches in diameter.
Flesh firm and white; when bruised it turns slightly brown. _Spines_
crowded, awl-shaped, slanting, soft and brittle, varying in size and
length, and of a faint cinnamon tint. _Stem_ white, short, solid,
crooked, and often lateral.
There is no possibility of mistaking the hedgehog mushroom: when once
seen it is always to be remembered. Its awl-shaped spines are crowded
beneath the pileus; its size and colour are most marked; it resembles
closely, as has been said, a lightly-baked cracknel biscuit in colour.
“This fungus occurs principally in woods, and especially in those of
pine and oak; sometimes solitary, but more frequently in company and in
rings.”--_Badham._
_Opinions on the Merits of Hydnum repandum as an Edible Fungus._--“The
general use of this fungus throughout France, Italy, and Germany, leaves
no room for doubt as to its good qualities.”--_Roques._
“When well stewed it is an excellent dish, with a slight flavour of
oysters. It makes also a very good _purée_.--_Dr. Badham._
“A most excellent fungus, but it requires a little caution in
preparation for the table. It should be previously steeped in hot water
and well drained in a cloth; in which case there is certainly not a more
excellent fungus.”--_Berkeley._
“A wholesome fungus and not to be despised; but not in the first class
as to flavour, requiring the help of condiments. It has the advantage,
however, of growing later than most funguses, and may be found up to the
middle of November.”--_Edwin Lees._
“One of the most excellent fungi that grows; its flavour very strongly
resembles oysters.”--_The Rev. W. Houghton._
_Modes of Cooking Hydnum repandum._--The hedgehog mushroom is dense in
structure, and in whatever way it may be cooked, all authorities agree
that it must be done slowly at a low temperature until it is tender, and
with plenty of stock or white sauce to supply its deficiency in
moisture.
_Stewed Hydnum._--“Cut the mushrooms in pieces and steep for twenty
minutes in warm water; then place in a pan with butter, pepper, salt,
and parsley; add beef or other gravy, and simmer for an hour.”--_Trans.
from M. Roques._
“Stew in a brown or white sauce.”--_Mrs. Hussey._
“Cut up in bits about the size of a bean, and stew in white sauce, when
it will almost pass off as oyster sauce.”--_The Rev. W. Houghton,
F.L.S._
_Agaricus orcella_ (Orgelle or Vegetable Sweetbread).
_Pileus_ thin, irregular, depressed in the centre, lobed, with undulated
borders, from two to three inches across. In colour clear white,
sometimes tinted with pale brown on its prominences, and occasionally
with a grey centre or even lightly zoned with grey. Its surface is soft
and smooth to the touch, except in wet weather, when it becomes soft
and sticky. The flesh is soft, colourless, and unchangeable. _Gills_
crowded, decurrent, at first nearly white, then pinkish grey, taking at
length a light brown tint. Spores pale brown. _Stem_ smooth, solid,
short, decreasing in size; central when young, but becoming eccentric
from the pileus growing irregularly. _Odour_ pleasant, usually compared
to that of fresh meal, but Dr. Badham and others think it resembles more
closely the smell of cucumber or syringa leaf.
[Illustration: Fig. 41. (1) _Agaricus orcella_ and (2) _Agaricus
prunulus_ (Plum Mushroom). Woody places, in autumn; colour, snow-white,
with pale rose gills; diameter, 2 to 4 inches.]
_Agaricus prunulus_ (Plum Mushroom).
_Pileus_ fleshy, compact, at first convex, then expanded, becoming
depressed in the centre, irregularly waved, and slightly pruinose; from
two to five inches broad; surface dry, soft, white, or sometimes grey.
The flesh thick, white, and unchangeable. _Gills_ crowded, deeply
decurrent, at first white, then a pale dull flesh-colour, or yellowish
brown. Spores pale brown. _Stem_ white, solid, firm, slightly
ventricose, an inch or more long, and half an inch thick; naked, often
striate, and villose at the base; often eccentric. _Odour_ like that of
new meal, but usually too strong to be agreeable.
There has been considerable confusion, writes Dr. Bull, between the two
Agarics _orcella_ and _prunulus_; some thinking that we have only
_orcella_ in England (_Dr. Badham_); and others only _prunulus_ (the
_Rev. M. J. Berkeley_), and others again that they are both the same
fungus, differing only in size. Dr. Badham and some others again confuse
_prunulus_ with _gambosus_, the fungus of early spring, and this has
arisen from the French term _mousseron_ being often applied to both
these funguses; but they are so essentially different as not to be
liable in any way to be mistaken for each other. _Agaricus orcella_ and
_A. prunulus_ are both placed on the same page in the illustration, so
that their close alliance may be seen at a glance. Fries treats them as
separate funguses, “in deference to ancient authority, since their
differences are chiefly in degree.” These differences are, nevertheless,
so well marked, that they are kept separate here. _Orcella_ is a smaller
and more delicate fungus than _prunulus_. It is thinner and less fleshy,
more undulated in its borders, and has a lighter and more agreeable
odour. _Orcella_ grows in more open glades than _prunulus_; it is
usually much whiter in colour, sometimes in high situations white and
glazed as an egg-shell, or even pottery. _Orcella_ grows more solitary
than _prunulus_, in light, scattered groups, showing an inclination for
the neighbourhood of oak-trees, and where it does grow it may be found
year after year in the same place, but seldom more than two or three in
a spot. Last year, 1869, when _orcella_ was pretty plentiful, _prunulus_
was not to be found in the situations where it grows usually most
abundantly. _Prunulus_ is the reverse of all this. It prefers more
shaded places, is larger, more fleshy, and with a strong odour rather
heavy and overpowering. It grows in greater quantities together, and not
unfrequently in crowded rings from four to six feet in diameter.
As edible funguses they should certainly be kept distinct. _Orcella_ is
light and pleasant in odour, and excellent in flavour: it is so tender
and delicate as to be termed, not inaptly, “vegetable sweetbread.”
_Prunulus_, on the other hand, though always good, is to many people
too strong in odour, and more coarse in taste.
_Opinions on the Merits of Agaricus orcella and A. prunulus._--“A very
delicate mushroom.”--_Dr. Badham._ “The flavour of _orcella_ is very
delicate, and equal to anything amongst fungi, or rather superior to the
majority. The same remarks apply to _prunulus_, which I think is the
same thing. It belongs to the first rank of edible fungi.”--_Edwin
Lees._
_Modes of Cooking Agaricus orcella and Agaricus prunulus._--_Orcella_
being usually found in small quantities, is best, perhaps, when broiled
and served on hot toast. _Prunulus_ will yield an abundance for broiling
or stewing, or both. “_Orcella_ should be eaten the day it is gathered,
either stewed, broiled, or fried with egg and bread-crumbs like
cutlets.”--_Dr. Badham._ “However prepared, it is most excellent; the
flesh is firm and juicy, and full of flavour, and whether broiled or
stewed, it is a most delicious morsel.”--_Worthington G. Smith._
“_Orcella_ will dry, and may be preserved in this way. It loses much of
its volume, but it acquires _un aroma suavissimo_.”--_Vittadini._ _From
the Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club._
_Edible Fungi in America._--To give an idea of the rich stores of fungi
that spring up in some distant parts of the earth, and in climes so
different to ours that one would at first sight suppose such fragile and
fugacious bodies as fungi would not abound in them, the following
interesting communication from Dr. Curtis, of South Carolina, to the
Rev. W. Berkeley is here given. It will prove well worthy the attention
of American readers:--
“You have asked me to give you my ‘experience with the eatable mushrooms
of America.’ This will be most satisfactorily done, I presume, in pretty
much the same style in which I would narrate it to you at your own
fireside. My experience runs back only about twelve or fifteen years.
You may remember that previous to this period I expressed a fear of
these edibles, as I had grown up with the common prejudices against them
entertained by most people in this country. Having occasionally read of
fearful accidents from their use, and there being abundance of other and
wholesome food obtainable, I felt no inclination to run any risks in
needlessly enlarging my bill of fare. Thus I had passed middle life
without having once even tasted a mushroom.
“But as under your guidance and assistance my knowledge of fungi
increased, a confidence in my ability to discriminate species grew up
with it, and a curiosity to test the qualities of these much-lauded
articles got the better of timidity; and now, I suppose, I can safely
say, that I have eaten a greater variety of mushrooms than anyone on the
American continent. I have even introduced several species before
untried and unknown. From the beginning of my experiments, however, I
have exercised great caution, even with species long recognised as safe
and wholesome. In every case I began with only a single mouthful. No ill
effect following, I made a second essay upon two or three mouthfuls, and
so on gradually until I made a full meal of them. Fortunately, I have
never blundered upon any kind that was mischievous, although I have
eaten freely of forty species. This is due, perhaps, to my general
acquaintance with species that have been long used in Europe, and hence
I have made no experiments upon new species which had not some affinity
or analogy with them.
“For instance, _A. campestris_ and _A. arvensis_ being wholesome, I did
not doubt but that _A. amygdalinus_ (a new species closely allied to _A.
arvensis_) might be safely attempted, and it has proved equally safe and
palatable. Indeed, this may be regarded as the safest of all species for
gathering, as it can be discriminated from all others even by a child or
a blind person. Its taste and odour are so very like those of peach
kernels or bitter almonds, that almost invariably the resemblance is
immediately mentioned by those who taste it crude for the first time.
This flavour is lost by cooking, unless the mushroom be underdone. When
thoroughly cooked I cannot myself distinguish it from _A. campestris_.
One or two persons have expressed the opinion that they can distinguish
it, and that it is not quite so good. Others, again, are equally
positive that it is better. In the crude state I deem it the most
palatable of all mushrooms, as it leaves a very agreeable aftertaste
upon the palate, fully equal to that of almonds. This is the thing I
sent you some years since for cultivation, but which failed to grow. I
very much wish it might be propagated in England, so that we might
ascertain whether it would undergo any change of qualities in a
different soil and climate. I have for some time been entertaining the
suspicion that such is the case with many of our species. Thus, in
European books the Morel is described as possessing a peculiar flavour,
that has given its name to the Morello cherry. I can detect nothing of
the sort in our morel. You speak of _A. Cæsareus_ (in _Introd. Crypt.
Bot._) as being ‘perhaps the most delicious of all fungi.’ This grows in
great quantities in our oak-forests, and may be obtained by the cartload
in its season; but to my taste, and that of all my family, it is the
most unpalatable of all our fungi, nor can I find many of our most
passionate mycophagists who will avow that they like it. I have tried it
in almost every mode of cookery, but without success. There is a
disagreeable saline flavour that we cannot remove nor overlay.
“In the _Tricholoma_ section, in which are several species long known as
edible, I did not hesitate to experiment upon any that had the odour and
taste of fresh flour. I began with _A. frumentaceus_, not learning from
books whether it had been eaten in Europe. To this I subsequently added
three new American species belonging to the same group. All are
excellent when stewed, and are especially valuable for their appearance
in late autumn, even during hard frosts, when other agarics are mostly
out of season.
“Again, there seemed such a similarity of texture and habit between _A.
cæspitosus_ (_Lentinus_, Berk.) and _A. melleus_, although the former
belongs to _Clitocybe_, that the temptation to a trial of it was
irresistible. As it is found here in enormous quantities, and a single
cluster will often contain fifty to a hundred stems, it might well be
deemed a valuable species in a time of scarcity. It would not be highly
esteemed where other and better sorts can be had; but it is generally
preferred to _A. melleus_. I have found this species very suitable for
drying for winter use.
“Among the _Boleti_ I ventured, in ignorance if it had ever been eaten,
to try _B. collinitus_, on account of its close relationship with _B.
flavidus_. I am not particularly fond of _Boleti_, but this species has
been pronounced delicious by some to whom I have sent it.
“So among the _Polypores_, I had no fear of harm from the use of a new
American species (_P. poripes_, Fr.), on account of its relation to _P.
ovinus_, in its texture and its flavour. The taste of the crude specimen
is like that of the best chestnuts or filberts. It has been compared
even with the cocoa-nut, and is certainly of very agreeable flavour. It
does not, however, make a superior dish for the table, being rather too
dry, but it is innocent and probably nutritious.
“Of the ‘_Merisma_’ group of _Polypores_, having already tried _P.
frondosus_, _P. confluens_, and _P. sulfureus_, I ventured, after some
hesitation, and with more than usual caution, to test the virtues of a
new American species (_P. Berkelei_, Fr.), notwithstanding the intense
pungency of the raw material, which bites as fiercely as _Lactarius
piperatus_. When young, and before the pores are visible, the substance
is quite crisp and brittle, and in this state I have eaten it with
impunity and with satisfaction, its pungency being all dissipated by
stewing. I do not, however, deem it comparable with _P. confluens_,
which is rather a favourite with me, as it is with some others to whom I
have introduced it. _P. sulfureus_ is just tolerable; safe, but not to
be coveted when one can get better. When I say safe, I mean not
poisonous. I cannot recommend it as a diet for weak stomachs, which
should be said of some other fungi of similar texture. I am here
reminded of an experience I had three or four years ago with this
species, which would have greatly alarmed me had it happened at an
earlier date in my experiments, and which would probably have deterred
anyone unused to this kind of diet from ever indulging in it again. I
had a sumptuous dish of it on my supper-table, of which most of my
family, as well as a guest staying with us, partook very freely. During
the night I became exceedingly sick, and was not relieved until relieved
of my supper. My first thought on the accession of my illness was of
_Polyporus sulfureus_; but as I remembered that inflammation was one of
the symptoms of fungus-poisoning, and I could detect no indications of
this in my case, I soon dismissed the rising fear, did not send for the
doctor, nor take any remedy. Others, who had partaken of the fungus more
freely than myself were not at all affected; and I presume my sickness
was no more induced by the _Polyporus_ than by the bread and butter I
had eaten. And yet, had I alone partaken of the dish, or had one or two
others been affected in like manner, doubtless the night attack would
have been very confidently attributed by some to the mushroom; or had
this been my first trial of that article, possibly I might ever after
have regarded it with suspicion. I learned a few days afterwards from
one of our physicians, that this kind of sickness was then somewhat
prevalent in the community, and could be attributed to no known cause.
For the credit of this species, therefore, we were fortunately able to
distinguish the _post hoc_ from the _propter hoc_.
“There are families in America that for generations have freely and
annually eaten mushrooms, preserving a habit brought from Europe by
their ancestors. In no case have I heard of an accident among them. I
have known no instance of mushroom-poisoning in this country, except
where the victims rashly ventured upon the experiment without knowing
one species from another. Among the families above mentioned, I have not
met with any whose knowledge of mushrooms extended beyond the common
species (_A. campestris_), called pink gill in this country. Several
such families live near me, but not one of them was aware, until I
informed them, that there are other edible kinds. Everything but the
pink gill, which had the form of a mushroom, was to them a toadstool,
and poisonous. When I first sent my son with a fine basket of Imperials
(_A. Cæsareus_), to an intelligent physician, who was extravagantly fond
of the common mushroom, the lad was greeted with the indignant
exclamation, ‘Boy, I wouldn’t eat one of those things to save your
father’s head!’ When told that they were eaten at my table, he accepted
them, ate them, and has eaten many a one since, with all safety and with
no little relish. Since that time our mycophagists eat whatever I send
them, without fear or suspicion.
“I have interested myself to extend the knowledge of these things among
the lovers of mushrooms, and also their use among those who have not
before tried them. In the latter work I am not always successful, on
account of a strong prejudice against vegetables with such contemptible
names, and an unconquerable fear of accidents. Yet, as in my own case,
curiosity often conquers these errors. When away from home I have
frequently obtained permission from a kind hostess to have cooked a dish
of mushrooms that I have found on her premises. It has rarely occurred
in such cases that the dish, then tasted for the first time, was not
declared to be delicious, or the best thing ever put in the mouth. This
latter phrase was once used in reference to so indifferent an article as
_A. salignus_. Indeed, I have found several persons who class this
amongst the most palatable species. To such persons a dish of fresh
mushrooms need seldom be wanting, as this one can be had every month of
the year in this latitude. I am induced to believe that the quality of
this species varies with the kind of wood it grows from, and that it is
better flavoured when gathered from the mulberry, and especially from
the hickory, than when taken from most other trees. Its fitness for the
table seems also to depend much upon the rapidity of its growth; those
which grow slowly, as is the case with some of our garden vegetables,
being of tougher texture and of less delicate flavour. A warm sun after
heavy rains brings them out in greatest perfection.
“I have several times been asked by persons eating mushrooms for the
first time, whether these things belong to the vegetable or animal
kingdom. There is certainly a very noticeable resemblance in the flavour
of some of them to that of flesh, fish, or mollusc, so that the
question, as founded merely on taste, is not an unnatural one. But I was
much struck with its propriety when reading an article in ‘Fraser’s
Magazine,’ a few years since, written by the late Mr. Broderip, who
therein says that mushrooms contain osmazome. If this be so, it
accounts both for their flavour and for their value as food. Of this
latter quality I had become so well convinced that, during our late war,
I sometimes averred, and I doubt if there was much, if any, exaggeration
in the assertion, that in some parts of the country I could maintain a
regiment of soldiers five months of the year upon mushrooms alone.
“This leads to a remark which should not be overlooked, upon the great
abundance of eatable mushrooms in the United States. I think it is Dr.
Badham who boasts of their unusual number in Great Britain, stating that
there are thirty edible species in that kingdom. I cannot help thinking
that this is an under-estimate. But if the Doctor is correct, there is
no comparison between the number in your country and this. I have
collected and eaten forty species found within two miles of my house.
There are some others within this limit which I have not yet eaten. In
the catalogue of the plants of North Carolina, you will notice that I
have indicated one hundred and eleven species of edible fungi known to
inhabit this State. I have no doubt there are forty or fifty more, as
the alpine portion of the State, which is very extensive and varied, has
been very little explored in search of fungi.
“In October, 1866, while on the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee, a
plateau less than 1000 feet above the valleys below, although having
very little leisure for examination during the two days spent there, I
counted eighteen species of edible fungi. Of the four or five species
which I collected there for the table, all who partook of them, none of
whom had before eaten mushrooms, most emphatically declared them
delicious. On my return homeward, while stopping for a few hours at a
station in Virginia, I gathered eight good species within a few hundred
yards of the dépôt. And so it seems to be throughout the country. Hill
and plain, mountain and valley, woods, fields, and pastures, swarm with
a profusion of good, nutritious fungi, which are allowed to decay where
they spring up, because people do not know how, or are afraid, to use
them. By those of us who know their use their value was appreciated, as
never before, during our late war, when other food, especially meat, was
scarce and dear. Then such persons as I have heard express a preference
for mushrooms over meat had generally no need to lack grateful food, as
it was easily had for the gathering, and within easy distance of their
homes if living in the country. Such was not always the case, however. I
remember on one occasion during the gloomy period, when there had been a
protracted drought, and fleshy fungi were to be found only in damp,
shaded woods, and but few even there, I was unable to find enough of any
one species for a meal; so gathering of every kind, I brought home
thirteen different kinds, had them all cooked together in one grand
_pot pourri_, and made an excellent supper. Among these was the
Chantarelle, upon which I would say a few words in confirmation of what
I have already said upon the varying qualities of mushrooms in different
regions and localities. You have somewhere written of this mushroom as
being so highly esteemed a delicacy, that it is much sought for when a
dinner of state is given in London. Can this be because it is a rarity?
(for nothing common and easily obtained is deemed a delicacy, I
believe), or because you have it of finer flavour in England? Here,
where it abounds, no one seems to care at all for it, and some would
forego mushrooms entirely rather than eat this. It certainly varies much
in quality, as I have occasionally found it quite palatable, and again,
though cooked in the same mode, very indifferent. I have been unable to
ascertain whether this difference is due to locality, exposure, shade,
soil, moisture, or temperature. That soil has much to do with the
flavour of some species of mushrooms I am well convinced. In a parcel of
pink gills I have sometimes found one or two specimens, though perfectly
sound, of such unpleasant odour and taste as would spoil a whole dish.
So also with the snowball (_A. arvensis_), of which I annually find a
few beautiful specimens growing near my residence, upon a grassy turf
which covers a pile of trash made up of decomposed sticks, leaves, and
scrapings from the adjoining soil. Their taste and odour are perfectly
detestable. I had one specimen cooked, but no amount of seasoning could
abate the offensiveness of the odious thing; yet within a hundred yards
of these I gather specimens of the same identical species, which are of
fine flavour, equal to that of the best mushrooms. As I have before
intimated the varying flavour of mushrooms growing on different kinds of
wood, so here I suppose the unpleasant qualities of some specimens of
these two well-known and favourite species, may be owing to something in
the soil where they grow which they cannot assimilate, and so render a
palatable and wholesome species totally unfit for the table. Whether
such specimens, if eaten, would be poisonous or unwholesome, I do not
feel any temptation to prove. It is not probable that they will ever do
any mischief, for it is incredible that any human being should so
pervert his instincts as to swallow such a villanous concoction.
“Experience and observations like these would perhaps justify the
inference that an innocent species may sometimes be deleterious, on
account of its taking up some bad element from the soil. But as I have
never known a case of poisoning in families that are well acquainted
with the common mushroom or pink gill, that gather the specimens for
themselves, and have used this article of food annually for many
generations, I cannot agree with a suggestion somewhere made by you,
that perhaps all mushrooms contain a poisonous element, but some of them
in such small quantity as to have no appreciable effect. Now, had you
seen the quantities of stewed mushrooms swallowed at a single meal which
I have seen thus devoured, and with no more harm than from the same
amount of oyster or turtle soup, I think you would be forced to the
conclusion that such an amount, even of poisonous infinitesimals, must
have had some very unpleasant manifestations, or else be a very innocent
diet.
“It is said that the sale of the pink gill (_A. campestris_) is
forbidden in the Italian markets, because that species has often proved
to be poisonous. May not this have been occasioned by ignorant and
careless collectors or by worthless inspectors? To us in America, who
use this species so freely and fearlessly, the Italian’s curse, ‘May he
die of a Pratiolo!’ would have no more terror than ‘May he die of
aromatic pain.’
“Our best and standard mushrooms are the pink-gill (_A. campestris_);
snowball (_A. arvensis_); peach-kernel (_A. amygdalinus_); nut (_A.
procerus_); French (_A. prunulus_); morel (_M. esculenta_); coral
(_Clavaria_); and omelette (_Lycoperdon giganteum_). These are almost
universally in high esteem. Yet tastes differ on these things as on
fruits and vegetables; some putting one, some another, at the head of
the list, though fond of all and ever ready to use any of them--as one
who prefers a peach may yet relish an apple. There are some among us who
regard _A. procerus_ as fully equal to _A. campestris_, and I am almost
of the same opinion. When broiled or fried it truly makes a luscious
morsel. I mention in this connexion, that this species here bears the
name of nut mushroom, from a quality that I do not find mentioned in the
books which describe it. The stem when fresh and young has a sweet nutty
flavour, very similar to that of the hazel nut. Is this the case with
you? Its flavour is so agreeable that I am fond of chewing the fresh
stems. From this peculiarity in connexion with its movable ring, its
form and colours, I deem it a perfectly safe species to recommend for
collecting. We have no species likely to be mistaken for it, except _A.
rachodes_, and I fully tested the innocence of this before commending
the first to others. This has been suspected by some, but I have found
it harmless. Though pretty well flavoured, it is not comparable with _A.
procerus_, and the flesh is so thin and spongy that no one would choose
it when those of more compact texture are to be had. _A. excoriatus_, of
the same group, is a much preferable species.
“The Morel is one of my greatest favourites, but this is not found in
quantity except in calcareous districts. A few days since (April 21) I
had a dozen for supper, the largest number I ever had at one time.
“The _Lycoperdon giganteum_ is also a great favourite with me, as it is,
indeed, with all my acquaintances who have tried it. It has not the high
aroma of some others, but it has a delicacy of flavour that makes it
superior to any omelette I have ever eaten. It seems, furthermore, to be
so digestible as to adapt it to the most delicate stomachs. This is the
South Down of mushrooms.
“In this latitude (about 36 degrees) we can find good mushrooms for the
table during nine or ten months of the year. Including _A. salignus_,
which some are quite fond of, we can have them in every month, as this
species comes out during any warm spell in winter. _A. campestris_ makes
its appearance here as early as March, but is not in full crop until
September. Several excellent species of the _Tricholoma_ group do not
spring up until after frost sets in, and continue into December. Such is
the case too with _Boletus collinitus_, which sometimes emerges from the
earth frozen solid.
“These observations and experiences are confined chiefly to the
Carolinas; though I presume, from casual observations elsewhere, and
from information derived from correspondents in other States, that,
making some allowance for difference of climate and length of seasons,
what I have said is generally applicable to the whole country.”
_Why we should not eat Funguses._
The following interesting paper from the Rev. J. D. La Touche was read
at a meeting of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club:--
“It is said that at Rome, when a mortal is about to be raised to the
dignity of sainthood, the precaution is taken of providing a ‘devil’s
advocate,’ who, by pointing out as strongly as he can all the faults of
the candidate, secures the fair discussion of both sides of the
question, and is a guarantee, moreover, that no unworthy aspirant to
such exalted honours should be rashly admitted to them.
“On the present occasion I make bold to present myself in this unamiable
capacity. No member, indeed, of this respected Club is seeking
canonization, yet, a step not less important is contemplated in the
enrolment of a hitherto despised and even abhorred member of the
vegetable kingdom among the list of its edible products; indeed, some
may consider such a step as of more importance to our race than the
apotheosis of a peccant mortal; and therefore it would appear that, if
in the one instance it is desirable that all the peccadilloes of the
candidate should be exposed, _a fortiori_, it must be so in the other.
“Let me, then, first observe that these gentlemen at the bar have
actually a very bad character, and that it is not likely that this would
be the case unless they were really great sinners.
“Here, some will exclaim, no doubt, ‘Prejudice, my dear sir! vulgar
prejudice is capable of the grossest injustice--ignorant prejudice has
driven from our tables a delicious article of food, and deprived the
poor of a wholesome diet.’ It is often said that he was a brave man who
first ate an oyster, and truly a more uninviting mouthful than it was
could scarcely be imagined; and yet the fact that it _is_ good and
wholesome soon disposed of any prejudice against it. And is it not
likely that such would be the case, were the fungus tribe fit for human
food? Can we suppose any prejudice arising from their leathery looks
would not evaporate like mists before the morning sun, were they really
the nutritious and delicious dainties they are described to be by their
enthusiastic advocates?
“I think it may be observed that the general character which a man bears
is, on the whole, a true one. That big school, the world in which we
live, contrives, in some way or other, to hit off pretty accurately our
average merit and take our measure, and though it may make a mistake now
and then in some particular instance, its general estimate is a fair
one; and so with funguses. There may be a too-sweeping condemnation of
all kinds of them: nay, it may be even probable that _Agaricus
campestris_ is not the best that grows, and yet, after all, the
prevalent distrust of the tribe is well founded.
“When, _e.g._, some family in a parish is known to have been poisoned by
eating a wrong sort, it is not surprising, nor can it be called stupid
prejudice, if their neighbours are ever after rather shy of the article
of food which produced that result. But it will be said that the
mischief arose from ignorance--had that family known the marks that
distinguish between the wholesome and the poisonous kinds this would
never have taken place. If ever there was a case in which ignorance was
bliss, surely this is it. A short time ago, I accompanied a scientific
friend in a foray among the funguses, which we made with a special view
to the improvement of our intended repast, and was on that occasion
struck with the elaborate precautions which seemed to be necessary to
observe in discriminating the good from the bad. It would almost seem
that Nature had purposely contrived a labyrinth of ingenious
stumbling-blocks to guard this mysterious product from the insatiable
appetites of mankind; and so it came to pass after all, my good
friend--who really seemed well up in the subject, and who found at every
turn some well-known test of wholesomeness or otherwise to guide him in
the specimens we collected--wound up the day by nearly poisoning a
member of my family: for he had, it appears, mistaken _Boletus flavus_,
a violent poison, for the very similar but wholesome and excellent
_Boletus luteus_--the only difference being that the pores of the one
are somewhat smaller and less angular than those of the other. Surely,
in this instance, knowledge (and it was not in his case a little
knowledge either) was a dangerous thing.
“But still it may be said that there are species the characters of which
are sufficiently well-defined, and that from these, at least, the
stigma ought to be removed. But even so, I would submit one or two
questions to those who may be inclined to admit this. 1st. Is it so
clear that a fungus which agrees with one person may not be very
injurious to another? One man has, to use a vulgar expression, the
stomach of a horse. Can I, an average mortal, calculate on possessing
such a treasure? I saw with my own eyes my scientific friend eat and
swallow an entire _Boletus flavus_, raw, without any apparent bad
effects either that evening or the following day, whereas a small
portion of the same kind, cooked too (I cannot, however, say _secundum
artem_), produced violent sickness on another individual, who, moreover,
had never before experienced sickness; indeed, this fact would seem to
suggest that the stomach may be ‘educated’ by long habit to bear this
noxious food, and, therefore, that its evil effects (harmless upon
organs well trained) happen when the _experimentum in corpore vili_ is
tried. My friend assures me that he has eaten the highly poisonous
_Boletus satanas_ with no worse effect than a little indigestion the
next morning. Can, I would ask, the experience of such a seasoned
digestive apparatus as his be any guide to those who have not gone
through the course of training which he has?
“Again, may it not be possible that the same kind of fungus which in
some instances is wholesome, may, if grown under different
circumstances, and supplied with different nutriment, assume very
different properties? And again, are we competent to judge of the
wholesomeness of a particular article of food unless it is tried by a
very large number of persons--unless it be ‘exhibited,’ to use a medical
term, on a great variety of constitutions? Indeed, is there not some
ground for thinking that such an exhibition would be in many instances
far from satisfactory?
“On the whole, it would appear that the advice of an eminent physician,
an ardent admirer of the fungus, was good and sound. When he heard of
the escape my family had on this occasion, he said that this article of
diet should be partaken of with ‘great caution.’ And by the way, is not
this itself a very suspicious expression? ‘Great caution!’ If I am
introduced to a gentleman, and told at the same time that I must conduct
myself towards him with ‘great caution’ or he will probably do me some
deadly mischief, it would hardly be thought a very hearty and promising
introduction; yet here we are told that this excellent family to which
we are so warmly introduced has some members belonging to it so
villanously disposed, that possibly we may pay for our acquaintance with
our lives. This is not very encouraging, and so the course adopted by a
young lady who indulges in these experiments, to whom I was speaking the
other day, would seem to be a very prudent one. She says she never
partakes of these dainties till she has seen the effect they have had
upon somebody else! But even so, only picture the ghastly scene which a
banquet of this kind would present; each guest looking anxiously into
his neighbour’s face, awaiting in terror the contortions which are to
show that he has partaken of the fatal dish.”
While Mr. La Touche’s paper should not deter us from using and showing
others the value of the quantities of _edible_ fungi now generally
allowed to rot in our fields and woods, and nowhere perhaps so abundant
as in the pleasure grounds and woods round country seats, yet, as
impressing the necessity of using due discrimination in gathering, it
may be read with advantage by all.
INDEX.
PAGE
AGARICUS amygdalinus, 147
„ arvensis, 98
„ Cæsareus, 97, 152
„ cæspitosus (Lentinus), 149
„ campestris, 95
„ cylindricus, 118
„ excoriatus, 114
„ fimetarius, 118
„ frumentaceus, 148
„ gambosus, 121
„ melleus, 149
„ nebularis, 127
„ orcella, 141
„ procerus, 113
„ prunulus, 143
„ rachodes, 114
„ rubescens, 125
„ salignus, 153
„ typhoides, 118
„ villaticus, 100
“Agaric of civilization”, 119
American Edible Fungi, 145
Arches, Mushroom culture in, 47
BOLETUS collinitus, 149
„ flavidus, 149
„ flavus, 163
„ luteus, 163
„ satanas, 164
Bricks, mushroom-spawn in, 25
Brown Warty Agaric, 125
CANTHARELLUS cibarius, 137
Cave-culture of mushrooms, 57
Cellars, mushroom culture in, 51
Champignonniste at Montrouge, 57
Chantarelle, 137
Clavaria, 158
Clouded Mushroom, 127
Common Mushrooms, 95
„ how to cook the, 102
Coprinus comatus, 117
Coral Mushroom, 158
Covering for Mushroom-beds, 34
„ advantageous to Mushroom crop, 87
Cucumber frames, Mushroom culture in, 56
FAIRY-RING Champignon, 108
Fermentation of manure, how prevented, 16
Floor of Mushroom-house, 3, 5
French mode of preparing manure, 16
„ Mushroom-caves, 57, 71
„ Mushroom-spawn, 28
Forsyth’s Mushroom-house, 7
Frogmore, Mushroom-house at, 5
GARDENS and fields, Mushroom culture in, 77
Gardens about London, Mushroom culture in, 78
Greenhouses, Mushroom culture in, 53
HABITATS of the wild Mushroom, 90
Heating of the Mushroom-house, 6
Hedgehog Mushroom, 139
Horse Mushroom, 98
Hydnum repandum, 139
Hygrophorus pratensis, 135
„ psittacinus, 136
„ virgineus, 135
„ niveus, 136
IRON injurious to Mushrooms, 74
LACTARIUS deliciosus, 129
„ piperatus, 150
„ torminosus (necator), 130
Lawns, Mushroom culture not desirable on, 93
Lycoperdon giganteum, 159
MANED Agaric, the, 117
Manure, preparation of, 13
„ Mr. Early’s method of preparing, 14
„ Mr. Barnes’s „ , 14
„ Frogmore „ , 15
„ how prepared by London market-gardeners, 15
„ how kept from fermenting, 16
„ French mode of preparing, 16
„ summary of directions for preparing, 17
Marasmius oreades, 108
„ urens, 109
Mill-track Mushroom-spawn, 27
Montrouge, Mushroom-caves at, 57
Morchella esculenta, 130
Morel, the, 130
Mouceron or mousseron, 123, 143
Mushroom-beds, materials for, 13
„ „ of sawdust, 19
„ „ of leaves and loam, 19, 21
„ „ of street-sweepings, &c., 19
„ „ chief point to be observed in making, 21
„ „ best time for making, 21
„ „ depth of, 18
„ „ in a stable, 30
„ „ covering for, 34
„ „ how to reduce the heat of, 34
„ „ how to ascertain the heat of, 34
„ „ how to spawn properly, 35
„ „ soil for earthing, 37
„ „ the watering of, 38
„ „ vermin in, 39
„ „ treatment of old, 41, 46
„ „ temperature of, 33, 79
„ „ soil for covering, 79
„ caves, contrivance for watering beds in, 75
„ „ „ for making beds in, 75
„ „ localities of, 75
„ „ depth of, 18, 76
„ „ immense extent of, 76
„ „ at Montrouge, 57
„ „ description of soil used in, 61
„ „ daily produce of, 62
„ „ appearance of beds in, 61
„ „ kind of manure used in, 65
„ „ difficulty in visiting, 65
„ „ at Frépillon, account of, 66
„ „ „ extent of beds in, 66
„ „ „ plan of, 68
„ „ „ appearance of beds in, 70
„ „ „ daily produce of, 66, 70
„ „ preparation of manure in, 71
„ „ „ of spawn in, 73
„ crop, how to gather, 42
„ culture in a shed, 45
„ „ in arches, 47
„ „ in stables, 49
„ „ in cellars, 51
„ „ in bottoms of old casks, 52
„ „ in cold greenhouses, 53
„ „ under stages in glass-houses, 55
„ „ in cucumber or melon frames, 56
„ „ in caves near Paris, 57
„ „ open-air in Parisian market gardens, 80
„ „ in gardens among other crops, 84
„ „ in gardens and fields, 77
„ „ in summer, 77
„ „ in gardens at Earl’s Court, 78
„ „ on lawns not desirable, 93
„ „ in pastures, &c., 88
„ growing in open-air, Mr. Ayres’s account of, 85
Mushrooms dislike coal and iron, 74
„ „ tar, 48
Mushroom-house, chief requirement in the construction of, 2
„ „ at back of hothouses, 2
„ „ floor of, 3, 5
„ „ without artificial heat, 4
„ „ with slate or tiled roof, 4
„ „ with thatched roof, 5
„ „ condition of air in, 4
„ „ at Frogmore, 5
„ „ how secured from damp, 5, 6
„ „ best position for, 6
„ „ how heated, 6
„ „ used for forcing and blanching vegetables, 6
„ „ under shed (Forsyth’s), 7
„ „ best kind of shelves for, 7
„ „ at Stoke Place, 8
„ „ against wall, best roof for, 9
„ „ proper width of, 9
„ „ Russian (Oldacre’s), 10
„ „ ventilation of, 5, 7, 9
„ „ with brick arched inner roof, 9
„ „ with close-bottomed shelves, 9
„ „ shelves of cast-iron grating for, 11
„ „ necessity of cleaning, 42
„ „ temperature of, 33
„ spawn, what it is, 23
„ „ how obtained in the first instance, 24
„ „ “natural” or “virgin”, 24
„ „ how to preserve, 25
„ „ in bricks, 25
„ „ „ „ recipes for making, 26
„ „ mill-track, 27
„ „ French, 28
„ „ how to save the expense of purchasing, 29
„ „ French, experiment with, 30
Mushrooms not produced by chance, 89
„ quantities exported from France, 64
NUT Mushroom, 158
OLDACRE’S mushroom-house, 10
Old mushroom-beds, treatment of, 41
Omelette, 158
Open-air culture of Mushrooms at Paris, 80
Orange-milk Mushroom, 129
Orgelle, 141
PASTURES, how to introduce Mushrooms into, 92
Parasol Agaric, 113
Peach-kernel Mushroom, 158
Pink-gill Mushroom, 158
Places in which Mushrooms may be grown, 1
Plum Mushroom, 143
Polyporus Berkelei, 150
„ confluens, 150
„ frondosus, 150
„ ovinus, 149
„ poripes, 149
„ sulfureus, 150
Pratiolo, 97, 158
RAIN, injurious to mushroom-crop, 87
Red-fleshed Mushroom, 125
Roof of mushroom-house, 4, 5
Russian mushroom-house, 10
SAWDUST for mushroom-beds, 19
Scaly Mushroom, 113
Shed, mushroom-house under, 7
„ mushroom culture in, 45
Shelves of mushroom-house, 7
„ cast-iron grating for, 11
Snowball Mushroom, 158
Soil for earthing mushroom-beds, 37
Spawn, how to prepare without expense, 91
Spinaroli, 123
Spine-bearing Mushroom, 139
Stables, mushroom culture in, 49
Stoke Place, mushroom-house at, 8
Street-sweepings for mushroom-beds, 19
St. George’s Mushroom, 121
Summer cultivation of Mushrooms, 77
TAR, Mushrooms’ dislike of, 48
Temperature of mushroom-beds, 33
„ of mushroom-house, 33
VEGETABLE Sweetbread, 141
Ventilation of mushroom-house, 5, 7, 9
Vermin in mushroom-beds, 39
“Virgin” mushroom-spawn, 24
Viscid White Mushroom, 135
WATERING of mushroom-beds, the, 38
“Why should we not eat Funguses”, 160
THE END.
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes
Missing periods and quotation marks have been supplied where obviously
required. All other original errors and inconsistencies have been
retained, except as follows:
Page 106: medium-sized changed to medium-size
(or so of medium-size, place two)
Page 123: Stafora changed to Staffora
(the valley of Staffora, near Bobbio,)
Page 138: Cantharelle changed to Chantarelle
(dressing the Chantarelle are)
Page 165: person--sunless changed to persons--unless
(number of persons--unless it be)