.AGARIC, in botany, a genus of the or der of Fungi, and class of Cryptogarnia : the pileus or cap ha.s gills underneath, and the gills differ in substance from the rest of the piant, being composed of two lamina, and the seeds are in the gills. There are nearly 400 species. Dr. Wi thering distributes them into three gene ral classes, comprehending those which have central stems, those with lateral stems, and those which have no stems ; and he again subdivides the two former classes into such as have solid, and such as hare hollow stems, with decurrent, fixed, and loose gills, respectively. Un der these licads,lie arranges the species by the colour of the gills, i nto those whose gills are white, hrown, red, bull; yellow, g-rey, green, and purple. As this ingeni ous author has formed a system, that serves to facilitate the investigation and description ofthe several species of Aga ries, we shall here give a brief sketch of the principles upon which it is founded. Agarics are composed of a cap or pileus, with gills underneath, and are either with or without stems. The stems are either central or lateral They have also a root, which is more or less apparent, and some of them, in their unfolded state, wholly enclosed in a membranaceous or leather. like case, called a wrapper. Some of them have also a curtain, or thin mem brane, extending- froin the stem tis dr.
edge of the pileus, which is rent as the pileus expands, and soon vanishes ; but the part attached to the stem often re mains, and forms round it a ring, which is more orless permanent, as its substance is more or less tender. Of all the species of Agaric, one only has been selected for cultivation in our gardens, viz. the A.
campestris, or common mushroom, or charnpignon. The gills of this species are loose, pinky red, changing to a liver colour, in contact with the stem, but not united to it very thick set, irregularly disposed, sonic forked next the stein, some next the edge of the pileus, some at both ends, and in that case generally ex cluding the intermediate smaller gills. The pileus is white, changing to brown when old, and becoming scurfy ; regular ly convex, fleshy, flatter with age, from two to four inches, and sometimes nine inches, in diameter, and liquefying in de the flesh white. The stem is so lid, white, cylindrical, from two to three inches high, half an inch in diameter ; the curta;n Aire and delicate. When this m shroom first makes its appearan ce, it is smooth and almost globular ; and in this state it is called a button. This species is esteemed the best and most savoury of the genus, and is much in request for the table in England. It is eaten fresh, either stewed or boiled, and preserved, either as a pickle or in powder; and it furnishes the sauce called Catchup. The field plants are better for eating than those raised on artificial beds, their flesh being more tender ; and those who are accus tomed to them can distinguish them by their smell, But the cultivated ones are more sightly, May be more easily collect ed in the proper state for eating, and are firmer and better for pickling. The wild mushrooms are found in parks and other pastures, where the turf has not been ploughed up for many years, and the best time for gathering them is August and September.