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October 14, 1993 - Mastering the Mysteries of Mushrooms6A • The Suffolk Times • October 14, 1993 Mastering the Mysteries of Mushrooms By Paul Stoutenbur &h_ I can't remember when we've had as dry a summer as this year. Then, during September it seemed as if Mr. Weather was trying to make up for his lack of rain by filling the month with wetness. Overnight, things turned from dry brown lawns to green, from parched woodlands to lush growth. The world was coming alive again. During the dry summer there was hardly a mush- room to be found and like the lawns that turned green overnight, suddenly after the rain we were in the midst of a mycologist's par- adise. Like jack -in- the - boxes, mush- rooms of all sizes, colors and shapes appeared. For those who collect them and know them, baskets were brought out and the frugal art of collecting began. You notice I said, "For those who know them." This is not a game for the amateur to participate in because one slight mistake in eating one could have disastrous results. Yet, for those who do know them, they are a gourmet's delight. It just so happened that one of the most knowledgeable people concerning mushrooms came to Long Island to give a lecture and walk for the Group for the South Fork. Lance Biechele is an old friend of mine and, being mushroom time, it meant we'd have to get together. Lance is a self -made mycologist, one who has educated himself in this very difficult field of natural history. Fungus and its allies are so vast and varied that most people just can't cope with them. But Lance has made it a life study and, in my mind, has become the expert. Of course, as soon as we met we immediately headed into the field in search of mushrooms. Only a stone's throw away from our cottage we found mushrooms galore along an old aban- doned roadway. Latin names whizzed by me like there was no other language and then Lance would break one open, smell it or even take a nibble of it to satisfy his identification. It was all a mystery to me. Some were poisonous, the amanitas; others would be stored in the car for later eating; all were fantasies in shape and color. The poiso- nous ones were particularly handsome with their sleek red- orange tops, speck- led with spots around the dome and, of course, the large bulb at the base and veil on the stem. Deadly but beautiful. As we drove out of the woods, right in the middle of the roadway were two grapefruit -size, brown - skinned puffballs, another member of the fungus family. Of course, we had to get out and check them. Lance opened one and it was per- fectly white. "This is excellent eating," he said. "Sliced and fried in a little egg batter and bread crumbs, there's nothing better." The other puffball was a bit larg- er but upon opening it we found it was passed. Spores Everywhere Mushrooms multiply by spores; thou- sands, even millions of these dustlike spores drop from beneath the gills of the mushroom and float off into the air. Some travel worldwide, others only a short distance. Then they land on water, land, trees, plants and possibly we may even inhale some of them. Of the thou- sands and even millions of tiny spores that are released by a mushroom only a few will land on the correct medium where they will thrive. Some could stay for years before the right conditions of tem- perature, moisture and medium are just right for their development. Once the conditions are met, the spores develop and sent out threadlike roots called mycelium that penetrate the medium, which can be soil, rotting trees, decayed organic matter, etc. Here it will spread until the right conditions exist and then our mushrooms will bloom or flower in a wide array of beauty we associate with this little -known field of Focus on Mature 3'armer 34ike's Farmstand Main Road, Peconic EGGPLANT 3 Ib. $1 FALL SQUASH 5 for $2 Tomatoes 504 lb. BROCCOLI Lettuce • Arugula Broccoli Coriander • Dill Parsley • Basil Cauliflower Swiss Chard Cabbage • Potatoes Aster Flowers $2 bunch 8 for $1 � All items when available Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh BIRD'S NEST FUNGI —The world of mushrooms is a fascinating one of shapes, colors and sizes. The ones above that look like tiny bird's nests are 3/8 inch in diameter. natural history. The mushroom above ground is the flower of the fungus and it is only there for a short time, a time when its spores will then start a new cycle. Thank goodness for fungus, for it converts dead wood and other - organic matter back into productive soil. I'm a neophyte when it comes to mushrooms but I know a dear lady who knows and loves them well, and so I wanted to bring Lance and Fran together while he was here. We met in her kitchen and the chatter that took place between them was something to hear. I thought I was in a foreign country for all the Latin names that were being passed between them. It was a joy to see two people so intensely involved in their field of knowl- edge. Each bub- bled over with enthusiasm and each had to show samples of their early morning gathering. Her basket was on the table laden with her morning's collection. It wasn't long before we had to leave so Lance could get back to Maryland. We had had a delightful day in the field, topped off by bringing two total strangers together who immediately acted like lifelong friends through their interest in mushrooms. Back at the cottage I happened to look down on the ground as I got out of the `Some were poisonous; others would be stored for later eating; all were fan- tasies in shape and color.' Storage Sheds • Backyard Structures 100% built by North Fork Wood Design Recycling Bin A Great Buy at $269 Holds your 3 average size garbage cans. Unfinished - paint to match your home. ORDBiS TAKEN NOW Recycling Bins ready in 1 to 2 weeks. Pressure - treated foundation. We buy the best materials, to build the best products to sell to the best people ... our "customers." 765 -3090 Paul's Lane fax 765 -0013 Peconic car. There was a whole series of tiny yel- low mushrooms. Immediately Lance was on his hands and knees closely scrutiniz- ing them. Again with enthusiasm and excitement he announced, "They're bird's nest fungi." Nature had created tiny cups with spore sacks resembling eggs in a nest, and so the name. Lance explained that when the raindrops hit these little "eggs," they would burst open and disperse their spores in the air. It was an appropriate ending to a delight- ful day in the field with an old friend. NFEC Schedules Annual Meeting MATTITUCK —The North Fork Environmental Council will hold its annual membership meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Mattituck Youth Lodge at Bailie Beach. A pot -luck dinner, staff reports and nomination of directors all begin at 6 p.m. The guest speaker will be Rob Pike, a former Riverhead Town Councilman. For directions and more informa- tion, call 298 -8880. Sign -Up Slated For Master Gardeners RIVERHEAD —The application deadline for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners program is Oct. 31. The program will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 1994, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will run for 20 consecutive weeks, concluding on May 25. Space is limited. Each volunteer will receive an initial 120 hours of research based instruction in all areas of environmental horticul- ture as part of an agreement to share their knowledge with the others by vol- unteering an equivalent number of hours in community service. All participants are required to make a $125 deposit fee and an additional $125 program fee to defray the cost of materials. The deposit will be reim- bursed when trained Master Gardeners fulfill their obligations within two years of completing their training program. Application forms are available upon request. Call Caroline Kiang at 727- 7850 for more information.