There is another common, though much coarser species of edible mushroom, often mistaken for this one, and sold as such by dealers. Although it resembles the cultivated species, it may be easily distinguished by its big, ragged ring (Fig. 7), its pithy stem, tending to hollow, and its gills of a dirty-brownish white. It is also much larger,
Fig. 7.—Agaricus Arvensis.
being sometimes more than a foot across, while the common mushroom rarely exceeds three or lour inches; in good specimens its top is smooth and snowy white, and it turns of a brownish yellow as soon as broken. It is known as the snowball, or horse-mushroom (A. arvensis).
On the subject of distinguishing poisonous species, Mr, Cooke says that there is no golden rule which will enable us to tell at a glance the good species from the bad. The only safe guide lies in mastering, one by one, the specific distinctions, and increasing the knowledge through experience, as a child learns to distinguish a filbert from an acorn, or a leaf of sorrel from one of white-clover. The characters of half a dozen good, esculent species, he says, may be learned as easily as the ploughboy learns to discriminate as many species of birds. He tells us, moreover, that it is not enough to avoid poisonous species, but that discretion should be used in preparing and eating good ones. They change so rapidly, that even the cultivated mushroom, if long kept, is unfit for use. Nor is it enough that they be of good species and fresh; but plenty of salt must be used in their preparation, to neutralize any deleterious property, and pepper and vinegar are also recommended as advantageous.
Encouraged by these statements, from so distinguished and reliable an authority, we venture to present the pictures and descriptions of three more of the most highly esteemed of the edible fungi, which are common in the United States.
