Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 139, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1918 — Safety in Mushrooms [ARTICLE]

Safety in Mushrooms

There is no simple test for distinguishing between edible and poisonous mushrooms, according to specialists in the U. S. Department of Agriculture. For example, the common belief that any mushroom may be eaten with safety if the skin can be peeled readily from the cap is quite unfounded. Peeling of this character is possible with many poisonous species. The presence of insects on • mushrooms, too, is no proof that they are Safe for human consumption Insects infect some of the most poisonous as well as some of the best species of fungi. Again, there is a common belief that if ‘ poisonous mushrooms are soaked' or boiled in salt water they will do no harm. This is a dangerous and unfounded supposition. The only safe mushrooms to eat are those which are gathered by a collector who knows exactly what he is doing. In order to .make easier the all-important distinction between pol-. sonous and nonpoisonous growths, the Department of Agriculture has published a new bulletin entitled, "Some Common Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms,"'Farmers’ Bulletin 796. The illustrations and text of this bulletin should enable collectors to avoid doubtful species. The authors point out, however, that it is most important to pick only those which it is absolutely certain are harmless. No attempt should be made to gather rare forms or those species which are not readily recognizable. The most common edible mushroom is known to scientists as agaricus Campestris. This variety is not only cultivated commercially, but it is widely distributed and is abundant in the wild state. The cap is fleshy and hemispherical in shape, but later becomes expanded and nearly flat. It is smooth, in color white or light brown, and the flesh is white and firm. The gills are white at first, later become pink, and finally * turn. a blackish brown. The stem is stout, smooth, and furnished with a ring. This type of mushroom is Readily recognized, but there is some possibility that it may be confused with an amanita, of which there are several varieties, most of them extremely poisonous. The risk of mistaking the common mushroom for one of these may be avoided if the fungus is not picked until the gills are pink or turning to brown. The gills of the Amanita remain white. These poisonous fungi, however, may be dlsinguished from edible mushrooms with white gills by the presence of a veil or of a volva, a membraneous envelop® or sack which completely surrounds the plant in the young state. After this volva breaks away a part remains on the top of the cap around its margin as scales and as a brokep cup at the base of the stem. Certain edible varieties do have such volvas, but as they are rare and the poisonous species common and dangerous, the only safe plan is to leave alone all the fungi which possess this feature. In addition to describing the varieties of edible mushrooms, the bulletin already mentioned gives a number of recipes for their preparation. Many people, it is said, believe that mushrooms are best eaten with no other seasoning than salt, pepper, and butter. The fungi may, however, be prepared in any of the ways which have heen found suitable for oysters.