PUFFBALL

or Smoke-ball, an order of fungi which derive their popular titles from the fact that when ripe and dry they will, if squeezed, emit their ‘‘spores,’’ or seeds, in puffs like smoke. Several species equal the common mushroom in properties and flavor. They are found in many parts of the United States, both in open pastures and woodlands, and in divers shapes, but generally round or nearly so, with (at the edible stage) white, grey, cream-colored, or light-brown exterior, and of various sizes—from very small up to the Giant puffball (Lycoperdon giganteum, or Calvatia maxima), frequently the size of a man’s head, and sometimes reaching three feet in diameter. 7 nls The large puffballs are generally the most desirable; small varieties and sizes are usually lacking in flavor. The Giant puffball referred to above is perhaps the best of all, but it is so searce as to be relatively unimportant. The most common, and the next best in flavor, is the large Field, or ‘‘common pasture,’’ or Cup-shaped puffball (ZL. cyathi for me, or C. cyathiform is), Ulustrated in the double color-page inserted between 334 and 335. It has a nearly smooth surface, with thin, whitish-grey or brownish skin which becomes purplish with age, and ranges from two to six inches in diameter. It is roundish or depre ed roundish in form—the title ‘‘cup-shaped’’ often applied to it being derived from the appearance of old specimens after they have sloughed off their upper parts and dispersed their spores. When at the right age to be enjoyed, the flesh of a puffball is a loose ti ue, smooth, homogeneous (somewhat like cream cheese), elastic, and (in the best kinds) fragrant—without any discoloration and without any sign of any internal structure or growth. If there is any yellowish, or greenish, or brownish, or any other dis cole ration of the flesh, the specimen should be discarded, for it is unsound or too old. If there is any sign of any internal structure in a specimen examined—if it is not entirely homogeneous—it should also be rejected, for it is not a puffball (or at all events, not a normal one). A. good puffball is tender, easily cooked, and easily digested. It may be prepared in any way suitable for mushrooms. Large specimens are generally eut in slices of = an inch or le in thickne and then ee fried—preferably in butter, and preferrea, ee ee ably in a deep, covered pan. The result is especially pleasing if the slices are eT ee sav as,:.. eee = clipped in egg yolk before frying. Some t GS Seer. i old, tig i people prefer batter to the yolk.: wis! the fruit of leguminous plants. _ i ye) ~ PUMPKIN. When the title ‘‘pumpj 4. | kin’? is carefully restricted, it applies 4 (by American custom) only to the large, P Jf late, -roundish or oblong varieties of,; 1 Cucurbit a pepo, cultivated in fields of ae ri! a ™) maize by the Indians before the coming Columbus as they still are to-day by our own people in the fifth century after ————— mv, wis arrival. Large specimens weigh fmm Pumpkins in a Pennsylvania cornfield or more pounds. More freely used, the hungry cattle—but it is in the form of ‘‘pumpkin pie’’ that they have achieved the highest fame. Modern cultivation supplements the cornfield crop of pumpkins with those grown in fields devoted exclusively to a pumpkin crop. Pumpkins may be kept fresh until spring if gathered just before fully ripe and if the storage place is dry, cool, and protected from frost. The best method is to place them on shelves, seeing that they do not touch each other and occasionally wiping them off with a dry cloth. Peeled, cut up, sun-dried, and properly stored, they can be used all the year. For pie and all other culinary purposes, ‘‘pumpkin flour’’—dehydrated, sliced pumpkin, ground to a powder—is a convenient and satisfactory substitute for the fresh fruit. Ea Enameled cans should be used for putting up pumpkins in order to avoid discoloration.