20.
While some 35-40 members were involved
in these three shows, particular mention
must be made of Mary Grainer who transported
vast loads of stuffed animals, dripping
vegetation and display boards to and from
the shows.
Ron Allen
---oOo---
KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
Everyone has at some time (I hope!)
seen the Cultivated Mushroom and eaten it,
and usually thereafter people are sharply
divided into mushroom lovers and mushroom
haters as far as taste is concerned.
Beyond the shop mushroom the only wild
mushroom with which most people are familiar
are the Field Mushroom and the Horse Mushroom.
Just what exactly they mean by these names
is often very uncertain. I think most
people would be surprised to learn that we
have over 40 species of mushroom in this
Country of which some 20 species have been
recorded in Essex.
Before going any further it would be as
well to clarify exactly what I mean when I
use the word Mushroom. I use this word in
its strict sense and I mean any member of
the group (called a genus) Agaricus, i.e.
the shop mushroom is Agaricus hortensis and
the Field Mushroom is Agaricus campestris
etc. Many people, especially the Americans,
use the word mushroom to refer to any edible
fungus. This is not actually incorrect,
just confusing. Actually the word has no
true scientific meaning but is just a folk-
word handed down over centuries with