Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms: What to Eat and What to Avoid

which a small fragment is biting and unpleasant when eaten raw is not worth experimenting with, and in the majority of instances, it will prove harmful when cooked. Another precaution may be added: such fungi that contain a milky juice, which exudes freely upon being cut or wounded, should not be eaten without careful determination. Once for all, it must be insisted upon that, to avoid danger, no fungi should be eaten at random. Only those that, after careful examination, are found to match our figures and descriptions—unless they are already practically well known—should be prepared for the table. No method is as safe as that which consists of mastering the characteristics of a few species, especially when pointed out by someone who is practically familiar with them, and then increasing that knowledge through experience. There are certainly some seventy or eighty common species to be found in this country that may be eaten with safety, but if only ten or twelve of these are well known, they