The White Harvest Of Autumn

Chronicle (Levin), 26 February 1949, Page 3

The White Harvest Of Autumn

At this time of the year, when the hot summer sun has warmed •up the earth and the first falls of heavy autumn rain have soaked well into the ground, things begin to happen to the countryside. Over night the genus agaricus, or mushrooms to most of us, begin to make their annual display on the hills and in the valley. On foicycles, in cars and on foot, the town folk flock to the country in the early hours of the morning and swarm over the land to reap the white harvest of the little fungi, which does so much to improve the daily menu. Otherwise law abiding citizens disregard suoh notices as "trespasses will he prosecuted," and leave farmers' gates open in their mushroom rush.

Most farmers' have no objection to people gathering mushrooms on their property if the seekers take the precaution of first obtaining the permission of the land-owner. Other farmers, however, from the maddening experience of opene'd gates and mixed herds, take compensating delight in removing the impudent trespasser in the most undignified and fastest possible

[manner. a word of a-dvice to the l experienced or the amateur mushiroom gatherer is:_ Never leave a I gate open, it may cost the f armer a great deal to repossess straying stock, or redraft animals through your carelessness. Teach children to close gates carefully. They may be ke?n mushroomers, but learning that the right way to hunt- them imposes obligations, too. Always ask the owner of the land before tresspassing on his property Remember, if you don't you are considered a poacher.

The mushroom season usually begins after the first rains in February and lasts until the first frosts. It makes little difference Whether the pastures-vare closely croppe'd sheep country or rank stalky autumn grasses. Heavy stocking seems to be a necessity. This species of the fungus family seems to grow very well in the Manawatu district. As for the mushroom's food value, it's not exceptionally high. Its chief makeup is alkaline with a small amount of phosphorus. It ik not known wnat the mushroom has that makes man and his wife and the kiddies, too, creep out in* the gloomy dawn and scan the fields for • these dew-sprinkled delicacies. Overnight they appear and it's over oth^r people's fences that mah and his wife, .and their children, too, dissappear.