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Show rO TELL A MUSHROOM One Versed in Science May Determine De-termine New Species. Safest Method Is to Learn Each Edible Edi-ble Species Carefully From Some Good Authority Never Eat One Unless Known. (By L. M. BENNINGTON.) "Eat one aud if it kills you it is poisonous; if it does not make you sick it is edible." There are many rules for determining them yet all really center down to this the only Infallible one yet given. Those familiar fami-liar with only the common mushroom eay to avoid all which have white gills and a hollow stem; yet many edible ones are by this rule discarded. dis-carded. "All with milky juice are to be shunned," is another too comprehensive comprehen-sive rule. Equally fallacious is the general statement that a membranous sheath at the base of the stem or a warty cap is a hopeless ban. It is simply a reason for distrust, as are the other signs. The idea that if a silver spoon left in the dish remain untarnished they were edible, has also been too sadly demonstrated as false. . The safest method is to learn each edible species carefully from some good authority. Almost every mushroom lover knows one or two of the more common species for a certainty. But let him not be tempted into trying a new sort ' Toad Stool (Fifty Amanita) Often Mistaken for Mushroom. The Small Corky Patches on the Lower Cut Always Al-ways Show the Toad Stool. just from a rough . description given by someone else. The one versed In science may determine new species by analysis. Others can only verify by personal help from unquestioned authority. And even then, it takes sharp observation to be certain. Some " slight variation may require transfer to an objectlonal class. All morels, pun' balls and' fairy clubs, so far known, are harmless. But just here the caution against taking tak-ing this a sweeping statement must be made. There yet may be discovered discov-ered some rare species in any of these groups which is poisonous. So we can only go back to the former injunction injunc-tion to never eat a mushroom unless it Is known to be harmless. Those partial to them as food and having an abundance of unknown ma-, terial which "looks good enough to eat," will do well to send samples to some specialist for identification. This will usually be done gratuitously if stamps are enclosed. For identification identifi-cation both young and mature fruit are needed; and specimens should be freshly gathered and wrapped in oiled paper or green leaves to keep fresh. Then slip into a small pasteboard box, marking name and address of Bender on package as well as on letter. In gathering mushrooms it should be remembered that some are infested in-fested with by insects and their larvae. Those on which the sun has Bhone are especially prone to this trouble. Old, partly decayed, and water-soaked specimens should always be discarded. Only the fresh ones are fit to eat. The great puff balls, so inviting when fresh, deteriorate rapidly, the first indication being told in the yellowing yel-lowing stains. Mushrooms may bo rapidly dried and thus keep for future use. Analysis shows that they con- tain from twenty to fifty per cent j protein. I Sickness usually appears, if at all, several hours after eating, attended ' by nausea, stupor and often death. |