#55 "The Mushroom Culture"

The Journal Of Mushroom Cultivation

"TMC" Electronica
Copyright 2002 ISSN: 1078 4314
For July 2002

The Official Mushroom Journal For The "Independent

Mushroom Grower’s Network" (IMGN)

To learn more about IMGN, see www.mushroomsfmrc.com under store, or write to

FMRC to get complete information on this old and unique mushroom association……
many valuable benefits.

Articles Taken From

"The Bulletin Of the Boston Mycological Club, and other recent references to fungi encountered
during the editor’s quotidian activities .

From The West Coast Mushroom Patch

Know The Mushroom Laws In Your Area: Some readers who receive this Journal,
live in areas where no mushroom laws exist. Others, like in the USA, must be
aware of laws that forbid the possession and cultivation of mushrooms that
contain controlled substances. Psilocybe cubensis is an example of an illegal
mushroom in the USA. As articles are done on an International basis, always
keep in mind the laws on these said type mushrooms in your own specific area.
Questions? Check with the law from a pay phone.

Mushroom Identification Over The Phone …..A public service provided by FMRC
to Poison Control Centers and Emergency Rooms all over the world. Since 1972,
the Florida Mycology Research Center has offered this free service 24 hours a
day to all Poison Control Centers and Emergency Rooms. Please take the time
to contact your local Poison Control Center or local hospital and make sure
they are aware of this service. Many times, the identification of a mushroom
involved in a mushroom poisoning can mean the correct treatment…..the wrong
treatment could be bad for the victim. Call them and give our "Mushroom ID"
phone number…..1 850 327 4378.

Mushrooms Working With NASA To Create Life Support Systems

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Mar 12, 2002

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced today that Purdue University will
head a center to develop "advanced life support" technologies for sustaining human colonies on
Mars and elsewhere in space. Purdue received a $10 million, five year grant to lead the NASA
Specialized Center of Research and Training for Advanced Life Support. The center will include
24 researchers from Purdue and two historically black universities, Alabama A&M in Normal,
Ala., and Howard in Washington, D.C. The center's director, Cary Mitchell

Scientists at Alabama A&M are studying the ability of fungi to degrade crop waste that is inedible
by humans, producing shitake, oyster and other exotic mushrooms in the process.
Article sent in by Joseph Smithson, AZ

Japan Outlaws "Magic Mushrooms" TOKYO, Mar 16, 2002 The Government of Japan
will stop the sale and possession of mushrooms that they say contain "narcotic elements". They
will change the current laws to say that these type mushrooms are a raw material narcotic source.
These changes start taking place at the first part of April, with laws being in full effect by June
2002. They also plan to outlaw all other mushrooms that contain Psilocybin and Psilocin
including cultivation, imports, and even advertisements of said mushrooms.
No laws on any mushrooms have ever existed in Japan. Extracting compounds like Psilocybin
from mushrooms has been the law, but possession and sales were not covered by the law. The
activity up until now has just been overlooked by Japan. Because of this, they are sold in stores
and on the Internet. There are about 11 different mushrooms that grow wild in Japan that are
going to fall under the new law. Article sent in by Dian Isert, SC

But....Japan's "Magic Mushroom" Vendors Make One Last Sale

Japanese Magic Mushroom Dealers Await Fans

TOKYO (Reuters) Japanese purveyors of magic mushrooms, facing an end to a loophole that has
let them operate with impunity, say they expect few difficulties off loading their stocks as
thousands of soccer fans arrive for the World Cup.

Due to a bizarre legal twist, the magic mushrooms are now openly available in Japan, a country
known for some of the toughest drug laws in the world."We get a lot of foreign customers anyway
so I think well sell to soccer supporters," said the branch manager of Psychedelic Garden, a
basement shop in Tokyo's Nishi Shinjuku district. "I have no idea what well do if hooligans come
in." Psilocybin the chemical that gives them their "magic" properties is banned but the
mushrooms themselves are not.

That has allowed vendors to hawk them from sidewalk stands and via the Internet. Magazines can
run advertisements for such exotica as Hawaiian toadstools without facing trouble.
In recent years, chains of the stores known as head shops and with names such as Herb on Air and
Whooppee! have sprouted in big cities, offering substances that would be considered Class A
narcotics in many parts of the world.But fans hoping to do some World Cup scoring of their own
will have only until June 6, when it will become a crime to sell or possess mushrooms
containing hallucinogenic elements.
The World Cup, being co hosted by Japan and South Korea, kicks off in Seoul n May 31 and
climaxes in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on June 30.With nine matches arriving in venues around
Japan before the ban takes effect, some vendors say turning their remaining inventories into cash
should be a piece of cake.
"Well get a lot of foreigners in here," said a sales assistant at Freak Brothers, a head shop in
Tokyo's Roppongi nightspot."Stocks are getting low, but were not putting up the price."
Many visitors will no doubt be drawn to the psychedelic interiors of head shops such as Freak
Brothers, which along with magic mushrooms and Peyote cacti, offer a range of pipes, bongs and
whackie T shirts.Police said magic mushrooms were low on their list of possible headaches.
"I cant say people won't buy them and get high, but we're not too worried,"
said an official at Azabu Police Station in Roppongi.

"Most people who come to Roppogi will be tourists, not hooligans. Alcohol is
more of a worry."In a society not known for recreational drug use, Japans laxity over magic
mushrooms has been the exception to the rule.Drug control is so strict that even some over the
counter cough medicines are routinely seized by customs officers because of the stimulants they
contain.Japan's most high profile drug bust was the 1980 arrest of former Beatle Paul
McCartney at Tokyo International Airport for possession of 219 grams (7.7 ounces) of marijuana.
He was held in jail for nine days before being deported. If convicted, he could have faced up to
seven years in prison. Article sent in by Chris Penny, PA *At the time of this printing, we had not
heard anything about how the final sales went. slp

MAIL C A L L

Steve Peele: Why do you say it is illegal to sell mushroom spores in syringes (spores capable of
producing a controlled substance)? Why are you unfair to P.F.? Bill

Bill: Spore Syringes.....#54 "TMC" April goes into this. This is the straight kinny from the federal
DEA....told to me in person by Agent Miller. How come they still sell them? How come they sell
them to people in CA? I don't know. I can tell you that FMRC doesn't sell them. And one day,
when they have some extra time on their hands, you are going to hear about all of them going to
jail. Did you hear about the recent busts on that child porno site? Just because your site is under
mushrooms, doesn't mean you are safe. Big Brother has his nose in everything now. That is one
big reason our site does not take credit card orders any longer. If you want to order something,
send it in the mail. Where am I being unfair to P.F.? I give him plenty of credit in "The
Easiest And Cheapest Ways To Grow Mushrooms". What is this about? Did the first guy to use
sawdust instead of logs really come up with a new idea? It is still wood. So wouldn't you think
powdered grain would still grow mushrooms? It is still grain. And the top portin of vermiculite
that does somewhat cut back on contamination, it can't compare to filter disks. Back in the 1920's,
a British mycologist named Onions, used a top layer of fine moist sand on top. The sand
technique works much better than the vermiculite as far as cutting down contaminants. The filters
are still better tha n the sand. You are right, water, KOH 3%, Melzer's and others are applied to
spores for microscopy. This is on the spot. Almost in all cases, this is done to identify the species.
Characteristics are compared to those in Mushroom Field Guides and other references that give
spore size, color, shape and so on. These important stats that are given are not from spores that
have been soaking in water for several days, or longer. You are right, water, KOH 3%, Melzer's
and others are applied to spores for microscopy. This is on the spot. Almost in all cases, this is
done to identify the species. Characteristics are compared to those in Mushroom Field
Guides and other references that give spore size, color, shape and so on. These important stats that
are given are not from spores that have been soaking in water for several days, or longer. They are
as the mushroom released them. I think all of your questions on this subject will be anwered
when you receive #54 "TMC" April 2002. I think it was in some chat room the other night, I read
an article where in Canada the police confiscated some syringes coming in from U.S. When they
contacted the person they were going to, he had the argument "For ID".....They said they were
good for cultivating only. This opinion seems to be common place among law enforcement. It is
things like this that cause our government to start making time to correct "said problems about
magic mushroom spores in syringes". Just like in Japan, so many young people doing them. There
they are falling all over the place and having to go to hospitals. This caused the government to
look again at magic mushrooms…..and BAM! Now they are illegal. As all these magic mushroom
spore syringe dealers get more and more opened, they are actually causing themselves to be
placed under the "Law's" microscope at a faster pace. I think you may very well see some busts in
the future. And I'm telling you, this "For Identification Purposes Only" or "For Research Only"
defense is going to suck eggs. I may use some of this in #55 TMC Mail Call. I will only
use "Bill". I can't keep giving out free subscriptions forever <Grin>.......take care Slp/FMRC

FMRC
1) do you offer any guarantee to the viability of your spore sample? 2) what re the approximate
dimensions of the samples ( if it is whole prints, no need to reply) and about the mislabeling, there
is no question, i know you know your xxxx. if you can assure me of a good print, you will have a
good and steady customer. thank you, and i apologize for interrupting your post.
CC

FMRC makes no growing claims or advises on what type of chain saw you are oing to need to cut
down the mushrooms you will grow from our spores. Many people have great success, but we
offer all our spores for microscopy and "ID" purposes only. Up until a few years ago, we offered
live cultures and suggested that was the way to go if you wanted to grow mushrooms. We no
longer offer live agar cultures. If a customer wants a live culture, we just tell them where to get it.
We still offer a selection of edibles on sawdust and plugs. Most of our spores are collected from
the wild, however, many cultivators sometimes send us "clean" lab grade spores. FMRC's
mushroom bank at the start of 2000 is now held several degrees above freezing to extend
viability. Our freshest spores are probably the ones we release in our Journals as when they come
in, they go out in the next Journal Issue. Our Catalogs and Journals state "No Growing Claims
Made" For ID Only. No we do not guarantee any viability. This keeps the law away, and has no
bearing on microscopy. Most of the people who submit mushroom spores for this Journal,
do a good job. We accept a lot more than what we turn down. As most spores donated are
collected by other people from the wild, and their purpose in the TMC Journal is for Identifying
Only, I do not take the time to see if they will grow and produce mushrooms before I place them
in the Journal.We try to hit Plus or Minus 10,000 spores. Sometimes when we are running low
on a particular species, we skimp down some. Their actual size, depending on how dark they are,
will be from 3/8'" to 1/2" square. We feel that this is more than enough to make permanent ID
Slides, or to compare with a mushroom you have found, or to ID a mushroom involved with a
mushroom poisoning at a ER or Poison Control Center. I have had workers make mistakes in the
past, and I myself once shipped a cube culture instead of an "edible" that was
ordered. Luckily, the customer took it in stride and the problem was corrected.

Until further notice, all of our spore samples are only $10.00. Our policy is such that it also helps
keep prices down. We do replace any sample, you do not have to give a reason, just ask for it.
Even if you tried to grow them, which we make no claim, and had no luck. It is a one time
replacement and must be ordered within 30 days of purchase. As I said earlier, many people have
great success growing mushrooms from our spores, we just make no growing claims, as I must
rely on the collector and donator. For only $10.00, this
sure is a lot of fuss. slp/fmrc

FMRC:Would you consider sending the email copy of your journals gratis to any hardcopy
subscribers who request it? This would be convenient for archiving and cross reference since
electronic copy is more easily searchable and the incremental cost to you is practically nil.
Thanks, Dennis 06 #55 "TMC" Electronica July 2002c

07 #55 "TMC" Electronica July 2002c

Dennis, I have had many people ask me this. And, in the past I have said no. I’ll add this...."Yeah,
the cost is practically nil, but what about my time mailing all these emails?" I do each mailing
separate to insure no one’s name appears on a list. After reading this letter, I have changed my
mind. Anyone who subscribes to a Hard Copy Edition can also request the email version at
no additional cost. You can all thank Dennis. slp/fmrc

Mr. Peele:
IS ALL PHOENIX AND GOLDEN OYSTER SITE SPECIFIC? WHAT ARE THE ADDITIVES
THAT ARE SUGGESTED TO UP YIELDS? I NEVER MESSED WITH THEM AND WAS
WONDERING WHAT THEY WERE. WE ALWAYS USED STRAW AND THEN ALWAYS
UTILIZED COTTON SEED HULLS. WE UTILIZED COMPOST A COUPLE TIMES FOR
AGARICUS AND AGARICUS PORTABELLA DAD GOT FROM XXXXXXXXXX

If you got your cultures from xxxxxxxxxxx......why don't you ask them your questions, or do they
not want to answer? I personally don't grow the species you are asking about. People buy stuff
from xxxxxxxxxxx, then ask me questions about it. This is a long time "time consuming problem
I have". I don't mind answering questions about products I sell, but more and more people are
asking me about xxxxxxxxxxx products. Do you think people are asking them about products they
bought from me? I don't think so. I'm not coming down on you are anything, I'm just curious on
why this problem continues to grow. I'm not here to service other vendor's problems, but have
been doing this for many years now. Is it because I take the time to talk to people and the others
don't? Like I said, just curious. I guess I will continue to answer all these questions people send
me, like yourself, but I seem to be spending a lot of my time doing this task for other vendors,
time I could be spending on my own customers <grin>. Let me know about how xxxxxxxxxx
answers your questions. Seems to me they just sell, and then leave you hanging. Some have told
me they were very rude to them when they asked questions...even using the F word a lot <bigger
grin>. slp/fmrc
FMRC:
Mushrooms…..One Of The Best Sources Of Vitamin B FolateI read a small article in
"Countryside And Small Stock Journal, March Issue, that mushrooms were one of the best
sources for Vitamin B Folate. It went on to say that this vitamin may stop or reduce the loss of
memory in older people. Have you ever heard of this? Rick Cobb, VA
08 #55 "TMC" Electronica July 2002c

Rick: No. But that doesn’t mean this is untrue. I did not read the article myself, but there was a
blurb about this story in a recent issue of "The Mushroom Grower’s Newsletter"
<www.mushroomcompany.com

I am a graduate student with the UC Santa Cruz department of chemistry and biochemistry. I am
beginning a research project which involves the modification of phalloidin, an amanotoxin found
in the amanita phalloides mushroom. Buying the compound from a chemical company has proven
to be pretty expensive, so we have found a prep to extract phalloidin from the mushroom
itself. So, I am on a quest for these mushrooms. Do you know of anyone that supplies them?
Thank you for any help...
Laura Kapitzky

Laura: Yeah, Phalloidin is worth a lot more than gold. I believe Sigma Chemical Co. sells it for
about $100.00 a milligram. There are 1,000 milligrams in 1 gram. That's about $100,000.00 a
gram. Is that about the price you were quoted? In any case, I will post your letter in our Mail Call
Section, #55 "TMC" July 2002 Issue. Collectors in CA are your best contact for this mushroom.
Just some advice if you plan on doing the extracting yourself. Handle these mushrooms with
gloves on. When in the dried state, keep them under a vacuum hood while handling. Avoid
breathing any dust, or touching any open cuts or sores. This is just precautions for the mushrooms,
so as far as the pure final product.....be very afraid. Most chemical companies that sell Phalloidin,
do not do the extraction themselves for fear of their employee safety and being sued. slp/fmrc

reply to FMRC: Thanks for the advice on the precautions to take. In my reading on the subject I
had come across the facts that the death cap causes a nasty death, and has no antidote if you've
been exposed to too much.. and yes, Sigma does sell it at the bargain basement price of $122 a
milligram. This puts a damper on my research... thanks again for your help.
Laura Kapitzky

Laura: I will still leave your post in #55 "TMC" July 2002. It will have your contact information.
Perhaps some readers will contact you on your project. I sometimes advise people who want to do
extractions, and don't trust themselves, look in the phone book and find a local laboratory. If they
are set up to do the extractions, they do them, sometimes at a modest fee. When dealing with
something that will kill you, it might be best if someone else does the work <grin>. Have a small
amount done first. Just to see what the yield will be. Then, you will know just about how much to
expect with a large load. When dealing with something worth over $100,000.00 a gram, you want
to be watchful. Just some advice. slp/fmrc
FMRC:
Thanks for the spore list and your replies. You are probably referring to the Almond Portabello
(Agaricus blazei) that Fungi Perfecti sells. I also tried that and only got 1 mushroom. There is
another species of Almond Portabello (Agaricus subrufescens) kit sold by Mushroom Adventures
that comes in a box. I have had a lot more success growing those kits. Anyway, I'll touch base
with you later in the summer, if you do get any Boletus edulis, Morchella esculenta, or either of
these Agaricus prints, keep me in mind. And actually I am "up here" as a research scientist at
Columbia University, not Colombia. Thanks again, Curtis

Stephen, No. The spawn didn't produce any mushrooms. Which has happened with a few varieties
of mushroom spawn I've gotten from this company. I'm sorry they did not produce, as I was
looking forward to eating them, too. I may try again. Out side instead of in the greenhouse. It
seems to me that species of Agaricus is from "down there". Columbia wasn't it? ......Well, that's
why there hasn't been any spores. MushroomGoddess, NH

FMRC: hi i built a grow chamber i wanted to know if it would be good to put my ion gen in the
grow chamber or have the base out side touching the side plastic wall with the nozzel inside here
is sum pics of my grow chamber can i actully put the whole thing in there would that work whats
the best way to use it i got mine for 80 buck i wish i heard of u guys earlier im gunna order
another one from u guys in a week or so thank you please get back to me on this ?
The unit will work somewhat in the manner you described, but all of the collected contaminants
are held on the inside of the plastic and not on t he paper for which the device was designed. You
also do not even use 10% of the effectiveness. The entire unit should be place just inside where
the entrance door is. Once the grow room is clean, this entrance is the only way for anything to
get in. The unit stops it right there. my chamber has 3 shelfs if i put the ion gen in there which
shel would be best to put it on? i dont want contams travleing ocer my casings to get to the ion
base what to do?

What ever shelf that is most close to the entrance opening. Is your ion gen the aspenair a 10 2
ionizer dose it look excatly like this pic? if so get back to me asap on my emails for the info so i
can order from u guys tomorrow do u except pal pay? or jus money order? this is how i was told
to use it give me sum insight please

Yes, it is the same one. It's amazing to me how someone can use our research into the Ion, acting
like they did everything, then give wrong directions for using the Ion, and sell the same Ion for
twice the $$$. You can be certain they he ard about the Ion first from FMRC. I guess they just
hope you never find out about us. We hope you find out that we are like no other mushroom
company that has come along since we have, back in 1972. You will also find out that we return
calls and answer our email instead of just leaving you out there struggling <grin>. No, no Pal Pay
or Pay Pal. The best method of payment is a U.S. Postal Money Order that you get at the Post
Office. Just make it out to FMRC. We consider ourselves #1 and so do our customers. Thank
you for your interest in FMRC. Highest Regards, Stephen L. Peele, Curator FMRC

COLLEGE OF BASIDIOMYCETES …..FMRC was the first to introduce home correspondence

courses to study mushrooms. Degrees from Associate to Doctor’s
are offered. Don’t be fooled by "come lately" courses that others have now started. If you want to
learn about mushrooms in the privacy of your home, and do so at your own pace, sign up with the
only one that has 30 years of experience. No one else but FMRC can give you the real training
you desire to have. Courses are listed in FMRC’s "MAIN" Catalog and posted on
www.mushroomsfmrc.com. Complete degree courses start as low as $100.00. Financing is
available and pre approved. Tuition Schedule: Doctor.....$500.00, Master, $260.00, Bachelor
$180.00, and Associate $100.00.

Persons who pay full tuition may deduct 10%. Persons who wish to make tuition payments by the
lesson can pay 20% down and then make remaining payments as lessons are successfully
completed. Lessons are completed at your convenience. After receiving a passing grade, the next
following lesson is sent. Upon completion of all lessons, and receipt of full payment, the degree
is awarded. The suggested text book you will have to purchase is "The Audubon Society Field
Guide To North American Mushrooms", by Gary H. Lincoff. You can order this book from any
book store. Additional materials needed to complete Doctor or Master degrees are all furnished.
These include specimens, spores, reagents, and other reading materials. Students outside the USA
must add $25.00 for Overseas Airmail to cover all the mailing of materials and courses.Academic
Courses are as follows. Doctor Degree must complete all Courses.

Lesser Degrees complete fewer Courses:1.....Plant Structure 2.....Basic Mycological Terminology

3.....Microscopy 4..... Advanced Mycological Terminology 5.....Identifying Mushrooms
6.....Identifying Mushrooms With Chemical Reagents 7.....The Mushroom’s Spore8.....Mushroom
Toxins 9.....Psychoactive Mushrooms 10.....Cultivation Of Mushrooms 11.....Maintaining And
Preserving Live Mushroom Cultures 12.....Deadly Mushrooms 13.....Choice Edible Mushrooms
14.....The Amanitas15.....Lepiotaceae 16.....Hygrophorus 17.....Russulaceae 18.....Lentinus
19.....Pleurotus 20.....Armillaria 21.....Clitocybe 22.....Coprinus 23.....Panaeolus
24.....Psilocybe 25.....Agaricus For more information, write FMRC and ask for a free "MAIN"
Catalog. Just say you read about the free offer in "TMC" 11 #55 "TMC" Electronica July 2002c
Books Available Only From FMRC’s Book StoreThis is a partial listing of publications available
from FMRC. For a complete list of FMRC’s publications, videos, and a listing of all the Back
Issues of "TMC" with a summary of each ones contents, order FMRC’s "BOOK STORE" Catalog
by sending $10.00 and requesting it at FMRC.

"THE EASIEST AND CHEAPEST WAYS TO GROW MUSHROOMS" , By Stephen L. Peele,

Curator Florida Mycology Research Center (FMRC)…..A new mycological table
text dealing with problems and solutions on cultivating mushrooms. Topics include: How to
obtain free or very cheap mushroom growing substrates. How to obtain free mushroom cultures
and their spores. Liquid fermentation of mushroom mycelium and liquid inoculation. How to store
master mushroom cultures for extended long periods of time. With this book you will
be able to not only grow mushrooms like the top cultivating experts, you will do it better and
cheaper than they can. The USA yearly mushroom crop is now approaching $900 million…
Latest federal Dept. of Agriculture documents these figures stating that there are now less than
300 growers! With this book you can get your share of this industry and become a productive
member in this small group. Order your copy today for only $20.00 ($25.00 out of USA): FMRC,
POB 18105, Pensacola, FL 32523.
"THE MUSHROOM RESEARCHER" This is the first publication ever to compile 358
different entries of mushrooms and their medicinal activity, 130 references, 53 toxic mushrooms
and spore identifications, and 65 names and addresses of places to purchase mushroom cultures,
spores, specimens, publications, and any other mushroom items concerned with mushroom
research. This publication also gives many different techniques of storage and preservation of
mushroom cultures. Complete and full instructions are given for the following techniques: The
simple drying technique on natural substrate. The simple drying technique on agar. Drying the
mushroom spores. The liquid paraffin technique. The silica gel technique. The sandor soil
technique. The freeze drying technique. Freeze drying spores as a technique. Freezing cultures on
agar technique. Liquid nitrogen technique. Continuous live growing cultures. The sclerotia
technique, and there is even a section on helpful storage hints on what methods are best for certain
species. What every doctor should know about mushroom poisonings. How to clone a mushroom.
Obtaining sterile spores from a contaminated sample. New type culture tubes. The "After
Ripening" period for mushroom spores. Keeping agar mediums free of contaminants. How to
prepare all the different mushroom agar media. FMRC’s Universal Spore Print Chart. The spore
print. How mushrooms grow. The dual element Ion Generator. Keeping and maintaining agar
medium cultures. Mushroom compounds and their worth. How to separate and isolate mushroom
compounds using column chromatography.

The "Glossary" of mushrooms $50.00 (Out of USA $60.00)

"GROWING MUSHROOMS WITHOUT CONTAMINATIONS" An in depth study on problems
and solutions involved with growing mushrooms. Both lab and compost techniques
discussed………$25.00(Out of USA $30.00)

Submitting Spore Samples For This Journal

Submitting spore samples to this Journal entitles you to one year’s free subscription to the
"Physical" issues published by FMRC. "TMC" still remains the only "Color" mushroom journal
that comes with mushroom spore print samples. This is mainly due to reader collection and the
fact it is quite troublesome to place the said samples in this Journal. To this date, I know
of no one else who has tried taking on this task. Mushroom prints should be taken on paper. Any
dark colored spores can be taken on white paper. Light colored or white spores should be taken on
a dark colored paper. This will ensure contrast and make the spores easy to see. Seven to nine
complete sheets should be submitted. Place a cover sheet over each sheet of prints.
Send date and where collected. Wild edibles make the best submissions for this Journal. If you
wish to submit a controversial type, like Psilocybe cyanescens, these said types may be submitted
(or we will forward) to "TEONANACATL", The International Journal Of Psychoactive
Mushrooms (TEO). Because "TMC" issues have this unique feature of mushroom spore print
samples, it has a cutoff of 3,000 subscribers. There is no cutoff on "TMC" Electronica
subscriptions. This makes original Hard Copy back issues of "TMC" rare and the most valuable to
collect.
Dear Mr. Peele, What a pleasant surprise it was to find out that you are still in business. A few
years ago I purchased a Manchurian Tea Culture. A few days ago I started thinking about the tea
and I went through all of my FMRC literature to read up on it again. At least five or six years
have passed since I consumed the tea for the last time. What has your research revealed so far?
Are you still consuming it? Was it everything you expected it to be? Has your health improved as
a consequence of ingesting the tea? In other words, what's the bottom line on the "Manchurian
Tea"? I haven't been in contact with you for a long time. I've been busy "hitting the books". It
took me four years to get a BA in Political Science and in a few weeks I'll be starting on my third
year of law school. It's been a lot of hard work and sacrifice. If it is still available I would like to
purchase the Manchurian Tea Culture and subscribe to The Mushroom Culture Journal. I need
information on the prices and on how to go about ordering the products. Be advised that I am a
proud and bona fide IMGN member of the FMRC since March 8, 1994. The so called experts
claim that your research has no scientific bearing. I believe without a doubt that it does. When I
complete my law degree I will be at your service. If there is anything that I could do in the present
please let me know. Sincerely, Lawrence Latorre Lawrence: 2 culture tubes of Manchurian culture
with info package is $20.00.

I will send you #54 "TMC" Electronica. This will give you subscription information….$20.00 for
1 year. Our mailing address is FMRC, POB 18105, Pensacola, FL 32523. You can look over a lot
of our products at www.mushroomsfmrc.com. I think there are some benefits to the Manchurian
Tea, and different people get different bio responses.

Stephen, Do you know the length of time it takes for the hypomyces mold to change its host
mushroom? The reason I ask is because about 3 years ago I began dumping the spores of
Hypomyces Lactifluorum (and the scraps from cleaning them) in an area that was very abundant
with Russula Brevipes. Since I've started doing that the Russula have not been back. Does the
Hypomyces attack at the mycelium stage or at the onset of the formation of the host
mushroom? R.A., NH

RA: This could happen, but I think there may be a lack of "mass". I have also collected Russula
brevipes in areas, and then, not found them anymore. There could of course always be other
factors. Other things could have happened that no longer provide for it's growth. slp/fmrc

John: I recently upgraded our computer room. I bought a new computer also.
This new "pooter" is like a super computer compared to our old one. I am now realizing that most
people are still using computers like I use to use. To prevent this problem from happening in the
future, I will keep the email "TMC" version "toned down". This way everyone will be able to
receive and enjoy "TMC" Electronica without having the problems of handling over 15
million bytes. This will also be true for our new Journal "TEONANACATL", The International
Journal Of Psychoactive Mushrooms ("TEO"). I will send #54 "TMC" Hard Copy. Another
problem I was having...it took over an hour for me to upload #54 "TMC" (using said new
computer) for emailing. As I had a rather large list, I was sending it out to five people at a time. I
know some people are protective over their email address, that's why I didn't put the whole
list down for one mailing. From now on the new "Friendly Version" will upload very fast. This
will allow me to send each one out....individually. This way, no one will have our entire list, or
even just five names. I will also send this new "Friendly Version" just in case you might still want
to continue to receive it. I will use this letter in "MAIL CALL" #55 "TMC" using only John
for the name. Thanking you again for your interest in FMRC, Highest Regards, Stephen L. Peele,

Hello Stephen, 1) Congrats to me. :) 2) I was told recently that morels use forms of bacteria
growing in the substrate to grow instead of nutrients. Basically, he refuted my theory that
carbohydrates were involved. Have you ever read that bacteria is wha t makes them form fruit?
Seems odd to me, but odder things have happened! I am curious, why did you become involved in
the field of mycology? Was it an ongoing need to gain knowledge of all things naturally fungal
OR was it the result of other interests yo u had conglomerated that ultimately led you,
unconsciously, to explore the subject so fully and diversely? Take care, Robin Robin: No I have
never heard of this. The sclerotia that are produced by this mycelium is what gives birth to the
fruiting body. Tha t in my opinion, is the secret to growing good morels…..grow good healthy and
large sclerotia. Even the sclerotia of Psilocybe tampanensis and others, can produce the largest of
specimens. I have never read this in any of the Patents. My 4th grade class wa s almost two miles
from my house. This was Ingleside School on Virginia Beach Blvd. and Ingleside Rd. in Norfolk,
VA. One day walking to school, I found a large stand of beautiful mushrooms. I had never really
paid much attention to a mushroom, but for some reason, these caught my eye that morning. They
were huge. I now know they were Chlorophyllum molybdites. I gathered several of them up and
took them to school. There was a cabinet in the back of the room. I placed them there on top of
some white sheets of paper, and shut the door. Several weeks past by when I remembered the
mushrooms. When I opened the door, the mushrooms were dried out……but there was this thick
green powder all over the paper. And to this day, I still remember seeing the pattern of the gills
somehow pictured in the green powder! Now in my 4th grade days, I was sort of a trouble maker.
When I took a sheet of this paper to the teacher and asked her "What is this? How did the
mushrooms make this picture of the gills?" She said "That’s a good project for you to work on
Stevie." Well, that was my first mushroom spore print and I’ve been making them ever since.

MUSHROOM QUIZ "MQ"

Mushroom Quiz ("MQ") is featured in each edition of this Journal. If you know the answer, write
it down and mail it in. No phone calls. No E mail. No FAX. Your entry must be mailed by 1st
Class U.S. Mail only (Overseas and Out Of Country can use Airmail). The first letter that is
opened and has the correct answer WINS. What do you win? An entire year’s subscription to this
Journal…..FREE! Your name will be posted with the correct answer in the following
edition (unless you state "Not to publish your name"). So come on and impress your mushroom
friends with your knowledge. Send your entry to FMRC, "MQ", POB 18105, Pensacola, FL
32523.
Last Issue’s "MQ" for #54 "TMC": What mushrooms with green colored spores should be
removed from lawns and areas where small children may find them?
Last Issue’s Answer: "The Green spored Lepiota, Chlorophllum molybdites. If eaten it will cause
violent purging, but is easily distinguished from look alikes by it's unique green hued spores.
WINNER with first correct answer: Keith Williams, MI
"MQ" For This Issue #55: What main characteristics separate Amanita from Lepiota?

How To Win A Year’s Free Subscription To "TMC"

If you see any article about mushrooms, past or present, and you think others may like to read
about it, send it in. If it is used in "TMC", you get the free subscription. If you find a large stand
of a particular species of mushroom, and are able to collect 7 to 10 good full sheets of spore prints
(enough to place samples in "TMC"), send them in. If they are accepted, they will be placed in
"TMC", and you get the free subscription. If you send anything in that has to do with mushrooms,
and it is used (Mail Call letters do not apply), you get the free subscription. If you do not want
your name mentioned, please state so and we will honor your wishes. Free subscriptions are
physical issues with spore print samples and 4" X 6" co lor photograph. Winners may elect to
receive "TMC" Electronica if they wish.

For Physical "TMC" Subscriptions That Contain Spore SamplesIF YOUR CULTURE FLASK
HAS A "RED" CONTAMINANT IN IT,THIS IS YOUR LAST ISSUE! Send $20 to renew your
subscription ($30 US Dollars for Out Of Country), for another year’s subscription.
The "RED" contaminant is your only reminder, other than your mailing label saying "00" issues
left after your first name. As we value your support and interests, please send payment now while
it is on your mind.This way, "TMC" can continue and you will never miss an issue. After
all, it is your Journal. And, you may also elect to receive the "TMC" Electronica Issues
along with your Physical Hard Copy Subscription, FREE and at no extra cost. Whe n you send
payment, just ask to be included on the Electronica Issue Subscription and give us your email
address.

For "TMC" Electronica Subscriptions: "TMC" Electronica subscriptions are $5.00 for one year,
$8.00 for two years, and $10.00 for three years. Lifetime subscriptions are $50.00. Send payment
made out to FMRC, POB 18105, Pensacola, FL 32523. Be sure to give E Mail address you wish
to have the subscription sent to. The two Journals, Physical and Electronic, contain the
same information and articles. The Electronic issue does not have actual 4" X 6" photograph (has
computer scan of photograph), and it of course does not contain the mushroom spore print
samples contained in Physical issues (Hard Copy)..

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759

By Cathryn Conroy, CompuServe News Editor The BBC and Newsnight, a British TV news
program, are reporting the anthrax attacks last fall may have been part of a secret CIA experiment
intended to investigate the methods of sending anthrax through the mail that instead went
tragically wrong with a mad scientist going berserk. BBC science editor Susan Watts reported
from Washington: "The shocking assertion is that a key member of the covert operation may have
removed, refined, and eventually posted weapons grade anthrax which killed five people." The
CIA told BBC/Newsnight that it rejects this theory and is unaware of any project to assess the
impact of anthrax sent through the mail. Still, Dr. Barbara Rosenberg of the Federation of
American Scientists told BBC/Newsnight that she believes the FBI knows who sent the anthrax,
but is dragging its feet because an arrest would be embarrassing to U.S. authorities.

Milton Leitenberg from the Center for International &Security Studies at the University of
Maryland said, "Only someone with years of experience and the cowboy mentality to match his
bravado could have pulled something like this off." Fort Detrick, Maryland is a likely place for it
to have happened. Col. David Franz, who was in charge of Fort Detrick for 11 years, told
BBC/Newsnight that he thinks it was someone who knew what he was doing someone who has
spent a significant amount of time in the lab working with a spore former that knew how to grow,
purify, and dry anthrax. Meanwhile, the FBI has hired Craig Ventor, the man who helped decode
the human genome, to find a DNA "fingerprint" of the anthrax.
Gardenburger Takes a Stand Against Deceptive Labeling Gardenburger Takes a Stand Against
Deceptive Labeling The Official 'Missionaries of Meatless' Assert Consumers Are Misled
About Mycoprotein PORTLAND, Ore., April 10 /PRNewswire FirstCall/ Gardenburger
Authentic Foods Company, the pioneers of meatless eating, are petitioning the Food and
Drug Administration to regulate the labeling of mycoprotein, a new food recently approved as
safe in the United States. The company using the new food, Quorn Foods Inc., wants to claim that
its products are "mushroom based" or "mushroom in origin." The actual ingredient, a Fusarium
venenatum fungus, is more commonly referred to as mold.

"Gardenburger is concerned that consumers don't know the truth. After extensive consumer
research and discussion with scientific experts, we fee l that this labeling is misleading, and could
potentially damage those who legitimately use mushrooms in their products," said Scott Wallace,
Gardenburger CEO. Demonstrating the breadth of concern across the industry, Giorgio Food Inc.
and the American Mushroom Institute, both mushroom growers/processors, have written letters in
support of Gardenburger's petition. In addition, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has
filed a complaint with the FDA against the maker of the Quorn brand line.

Roper Study Confirms Labeling is Misleading According to a study conducted by Roper ASW,
six out of 10 American consumers polled believed that a product described as "mushroom in
origin" would contain actual stems and caps of mushrooms. In addition, almost twice as many
people were interested in purchasing the product described as "mushroom in origin" versus those
who were told it was derived from a fungus. Two mycology experts, David M. Geiser, Ph.D. and
Gretchen A. Kuldau, Ph.D of Penn State University claim that "Fusarium venenatum is not a
mushroom in any way, shape or form. It would be more accurately described as a 'mold.'
Calling it a mushroom is analogous to calling a rat a chicken because both are animals."
About Gardenburger, official "missionaries of meatless" Founded in 1985, Gardenburger Inc.
pioneered the original meatless patty, and has been pushing the meatless category to new levels
ever since. An independent company, Gardenburger's vision is to promote pure food and a healthy
environment. From the classic, grain based Gardenburger

Original to the groundbreaking barbeque Riblets, the company distributes its meatless products to
more than 35,000 foodservice outlets throughout the United States and Canada. Retail customers
include more than 30,000 grocery, natural food and club stores. Based in Portland, Ore., the
company employs approximately 185 people.

Study Methodology The data resulted from a study conducted by Roper ASW. Telephone
interviews were conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,032 adults, using
random digit dialing. Data has been weighted to correct for any sampling imbalances by four
variables: age, sex, geographic region, and race, to ensure reliable and accurate representation of
the total population. The margin of error for the total sample is +/ 4 percentage points at the 95
percent confidence level. The survey was fielded from March 1 to March 3,
2002. About Roper ASW

Roper ASW, a NOP World company, is the merger of two of the world's leading market research
and consulting firms Roper Starch Worldwide and Audits &Surveys Worldwide. Flagship
services include Roper Reports trend research, the annual Global Consumers Survey of 30
countries, and the FORTUNE/Roper Corporate Reputation Index.
*A copy of the Roper ASW study is available at www.gardenburger.com. Article sent in by
Donna McMahon, RI

People Getting Sick From "Mycoprotein" May 1, 2002 The Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI) has told the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that a small percentage of
consumers may get sick and throw up after eating a new chicken and meat substitute made from a
fungus. Last January, the FDA allowed the manufacturer to sell the ingredient as a Generally
Regarded As Safe (GRAS) substance, and the agency is on the brink of formally approving it as a
food additive.

According to CSPI, the FDA failed to take into account one of the only scientific studies of the
organism that makes up the "mycoprotein" ingredient in "Quorn" brand foods. That study linked
the consumption of Quorn foods to vomiting and diarrhea.

CSPI provided the FDA with new reports from several consumers who got sick after eating Quorn
products. CSPI received those reports via its web site, www.quorncomplaints.com.
A 22 year old Massachusetts man told CSPI he threw up several hours after eating Quorn Tenders
and eight days later after eating Quorn Nuggets. One 35 year old Maryland woman reported
severe vomiting and diarrhea several hours after eating Quorn Chicken style Tenders. Others
reported similar symptoms.

"Here we have brand new foods made with an ingredient never before eaten in the United States.
Instead of undergoing careful reviews, this fungus food was waved into the American food supply
with only a cursory governmental review," CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson said.
"But even the limited amount of research should have raised enough red flags to keep Quorn off
the shelves pending further testing. This could be the FDA's worst blunder since Olestra."
Quorn's labels identify mycoprotein as "mushroom in origin" and as an "unassuming member of
the mushroom family" claims that are highly deceptive and that should not be permitted,
according to CSPI. And, says Jacobson, the highly processed vat grown fungus is hardly what the
average person considers "natural."

Three mycologists (fungus experts) at Pennsylvania State University and the State University of
New York at Cortland told the FDA earlier this year that while the Quorn fungus (Fusarium
venenatum) and common mushrooms are both fungi, calling the Quorn fungus a mushroom is like
"calling a rat a chicken because both are animals." Those scientists also wrote that F. Venenatum
is a fungus more accurately described as a "mold." Another mycologist from Cornell University
said that mushrooms are as distantly related to Quorn's fungus as humans are to jellyfish. This is
CSPI's second complaint to the FDA about Quorn. In February, CSPI first complained about the
deceptive labeling of Quorn and the inadequate testing of the fungal product for allergenicity. In
April, the Gardenburger company, which uses real mushrooms in its meat free burgers, and the
American Mushroom Institute both complained to the FDA about Quorn's false labeling. Today,
CSPI also called on the managers of more than 400 grocery stores that sell Quorn products, asking
them to remove the products from the shelves
pending further testing and changes in the labeling. Quorn is produced by Marlow Foods, a
division of pharmaceutical juggernaut AstraZeneca. Quorn has been commercially available in
Britain and in other European countries since 1994.
CSPI's complaint is available at http://www.cspinet.org/quorn or by contacting Jeff Cronin at 202
777 8370. Article sent in by Robert Toole, MD

FMRC’s "F I V E" Catalogs

Since 1972 FMRC has offered the world’s largest mushroom spore bank…..growing supplies,
publications, mushroom video, microscopes, Ion Generators (the first to introduce their use in
home mushroom cultivation), correspondence courses in mushrooms, and mushroom forays. If it
has anything to do with mushrooms, FMRC is involved. To review what FMRC has to offer in
the world of mushrooms, simply order the catalog that best fits your interests.

"MAIN" Catalog : This catalog lists choice edible mushroom species plus our full line of
equipment for cultivating mushrooms, Starter Kits, Filter Disks for canning jars, Microscopes,
Mushroom Correspondence Courses for up to Doctor’s Degree, The Manchurian Mushroom
(Kombucha Tea), and Microfiltration for cleaning up contaminated spore samples.

"RED" Catalog : This catalog has a more complete listing of all types of mushroom
spores…..edible, poisonous, psychoactive, and deadly. No publications. No growing supplies.
Nothing is listed but the world’s largest selection of mushroom spores of it’s type. You can get a
free e mail version of our spore bank listing by requesting it at FloridaMycology@cs.com.

"CHROMATOGRAPH BUYER’S GUIDE" : This catalog lists all the supplies you will need in
order to make extractions from mushrooms using the Column Chromatograph method. Comes
with complete instructio ns. Extractions made easy for home researchers.

"PLANT TISSUE" Catalog: Everything you will need in order to conduct sterile plant tissue
culture. Many sterile plant tissue cultures are offered (tomatoes, carrot, African violet, ect). Plant
tissue culture is a method of producing whole plants from tiny pieces of tissue….and even single
cells. It is a highly efficient means of propagating plants, since literally hundreds of new plants
can be produced from a single piece of tissue, small enough to be grown in a test tube. No
mushroom cultures are listed in this catalog.

"BOOK STORE" Catalog: This catalog lists all works and publications offered by FMRC.
Mushroom Books, Mushroom Videos, Mushroom Publications, All back issues of "THE
MUSHROOM CULTURE", The Journal Of Mushroom Cultivation (TMC) are listed with each
issue’s contents. Many of the publications listed are not found available anywhere else except
here at FMRC. This means that you will obtain three decades of diversified information about
mushrooms.

All Catalogs are $10.00 each. Any 2 Catalogs $15.00. Any 3 Catalogs $20.00. Any 4 Catalogs
$25.00. Order all 5 Catalogs $30.00. These are not 2 or 3 sheets of paper stapled together. These
are 8 X 11 inch mailed in large thick plain brown envelope. They are priced as such to keep away
curiosity seekers, and thus seek out only true dedicated mycologists.
"TMC" has been published since 1983 in order to keep up with the advancements being made on
the academic landscape of mushrooms, including medicinal, toxicity, cultivation…….anything
that has to do with mushrooms, you will read about it 1st in "TMC". It is written in simple form
so that most common and ordinary people can read and understand it’s articles and contents.
When scientific terms are used, they are followed by an explanation. It is to be viewed upon as a
broker of information and educator on the subject mushrooms and other mycological concerns.
Articles may not always reflect the views of this Journal, FMRC, or any editors. They also wave
all responsibility for any injuries or legalities incurred through the use or misuse of any
information or products received through or by them.

Submitting Articles To "TMC" : You may submit any article by yourself to

FloridaMycology@cs.com or by postal mail. Other articles found in newspapers and other print,
should be sent postal mail. Any article used earn the sender a year’s free subscription to "TMC".
"TMC" is the physical issue of this Journal, "TMC" Electronica is the electronic version of issue.
So be sure to include your postal address when submitting any articles. When postal address
is not given (optional), the subscription is converted to "TMC" Electronica. Mail Call entries earn
no free subscription. You may also elect and state not to have your name published or listed with
article. Ideas about regular columns by you are welcomed, as is all other ideas which you feel will
be helpful to this Journal.

If you are a Hotmail user , you've been opted in to every marketing, advertising, co branding, etc.
effort the site is involved in. It doesn't matter what preferences you entered about sharing your
information, because the people at Microsoft opted you all in just recently — and they were nice
enough to do it without your knowledge or consent. To opt out of it, log in to Hotmail, click
OPTIONS, then click PERSONAL PROFILE, and then look at the bottom of the screen. Chances
are you'll see: [X] Share my e mail address. [ ] Share my first and last names. [X] Share my other
registration information. Go ahead and uncheck those boxes. Enjoy! A post by Insomnia

China Cultivates Selenium Rich MushroomsMay 14, 2002 A kind of native fungus rich in
selenium, which has shown promise in cancer treatment and prevention research, is being
successfully grown in China.

Cultivation trials of the species of mushroom recently passed an appraisal by experts from the
science and technology bureau of Shaanxi Province, northwest China.

Ziyang County of Shaanxi, where the selenium rich mushrooms were grown near the foot of the
Qinling and Daba mountains, is China's second largest source of the element. The soil and even
local agricultural waste are very rich in selenium. The county also boasts a pollution free
environment. Under the guidance of technicians with the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Ziyang County began cultivating the fungus in March of 2000, using selenium rich natural raw
materials like mulberry twigs, crop stalks and silkworm, sheep and cattle dungs as organic
compost, but no chemical fertilizer and pesticides.

Tests show that mushrooms cultivated in Ziyang County are rich in selenium and contain many
nutritious active substances. Scientists have also found that such mushrooms show
promise in the prevention and treating of cancer, boosting immunity and postponing aging.
Lack of selenium may lead to cancer, cardiovascular diseases and osteoarthritis.
The compost left over from growing the mushrooms can be used as organic fertilizer in farming,
scientists say. Ziyang County has planted 100,000 square meters of the mushrooms this year,
with a total investme nt of 2.5 million yuan (more than $300,000 US dollars). A total of 500,000
dry mushrooms are expected to be produced. Cultivation of the mushrooms has created job
opportunities for surplus laborers in the county, when a project aims to turn low yield steep
farmland into forest and grassland, local sources say.

China produces some six million tons annually of mushrooms in general, or 75 percent of the
world's total. Tongrentang, China's leading producer of traditional Chinese herbal
medicines, has signed a letter of intent with Ziyang Kangyuan Bio medicine Engineering
Company to jointly develop health foods and new medicines using the fungus produced in Ziyang
County. Article sent in by Fred Giroux, WI

Morels In Those Woods Nothing makes anyone more tight lipped than knowing a good spot for
morel hunting. Ask friends where they found their morels, and you're sure to get an evasive
answer.

Morels are a spongy mushroom shaped a bit like a pine cone. Found in the spring through early
summer over much of the United States, they are considered a delicacy and are sought after by
down home country cooks and prized by top chefs.

My introduction to the morel came when I was a young child growing up on a farm in Illinois. My
family was never highly successful at finding the elusive mushrooms. We usually managed to find
a small mess (as the locals say), but our harvest never compared with the full gunnysacks that
neighbors would gather.

The only time we had our fill of morels was the spring after we had three dead elm trees cut
down. We were in mushroom heaven our front yard was filled with morels that popped up
around the fallen trees. My enthusiasm for morels has never waned. I usually live near woods.
One year while in graduate school, I had a particularly bountiful harvest. My roommate suggested
I barter with a top New York restaurant for plane fare to the city to sell them. Unfortunately, the
French chefs I spoke to couldn't be convinced that morels grow in the US. When I married, my
husband became enamored of morel hunting as well. He quickly learned the location of public
lands where the morel might flourish. When the time is right, we head out with my morel key
ring, a life size replica, which also serves to refresh the image for novices, and bags tucked in our
pockets.

Since the beginning of the morel season can vary as much as three weeks, I look for markers in
nature to determine exactly when to go. When our dogwood tree begins to come into bloom, we
head 50 miles south to a wildlife area and state park where we have had successful harvests.
When the dogwood is in full bloom, we hunt for morels nearby. When the blossoms start to turn
brown, we travel 80 miles north.

Weather also matters. Experts agree that a good rain shower followed by temperatures in the 70s
are needed to make morels pop out of the ground. The size of morels can vary tremendously.
Newly emerged morels will be an inch or so tall. With wet, warm conditions they can grow to
eight inches tall, and reliable sources say they've seen them shoot up to 12 inches.
There are many theories about where to find morels. Moist woodlands (particularly south facing
slopes) and river bottoms are the most promising locations. But we have found them in tall grassy
areas, so I don't stick to any rules too rigidly. My brother in law once found a slew of morels
growing halfway submerged in water on the flood plain of the Illinois River.

It's crucial to sharpen your eyes to nature's detail, since the morel has perfected the art of
camouflage. One can stare right at a morel and not see it. Fortunately, where there's one, you'll
often find more. While I have never come near finding a gunnysack of morels, my husband and I
often find what can be termed as a good size mess. However, if the hunt produces only two
morels, we still celebrate the occasion.

First, we soak the morels for 15 minutes in salted cold water. Usually a large spider and a number
of little insects will parade out. If, after this soaking, there are still a few bugs adhering to the
morels, we rinse them again.

To intensify the morel's flavor, I follow Margaret Leibenstein's advice. (She is the author of "The
Edible Mushroom.") Place morels, cut in half or in quarters, in a heavy saucepan and sprinkle
with a little water. Cover the pan tightly and sweat morels over moderate heat for approximately
10 minutes. Drain mushroom liquid and save for adding to sauce. Butter or olive oil can then be
added to morels for sautéing. If our harvest is tiny, we carefully sauté the morels in olive oil and
serve them on thin slices of toasted baguette. For larger harvests, we make a sauce for pasta or
chicken. I prefer simple preparations with only a hint of herbs (or none at all), so the morel's
earthy flavor is not drowned out. Their nutty, seductive flavor makes them an excellent addition to
a special sauce. Fried in an egg batter to crusty perfection as country cooks do they are the most
tasty morsels one can bite into. After a day in the woods and an evening of hearty eating and
mushroom talk, we go to bed with visions of morels.

Fettuccine With Morel Mushrooms and Sage Cream At about $20 to $25 per pound, wild morels
are quite pricey. To keep costs down, you might wish to use a combination of morels and white
button mushrooms in this sauce. In a pinch, dried morels could be substituted, but their flavor is
much less intense, so most morel enthusiasts don't recommend them.

4 cups water 1/2 pound fresh morel mushrooms

1 pound fettuccine 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup whipping cream 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
Salt Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) Bring water to boil in small heavy saucepan; add
mushrooms. Remove pan from heat. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes. Drain
mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm. Drain
pasta. Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic
and sauté for about 5 minutes. Pour in mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Add
mushrooms, cream, and sage. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes. Add pasta
and toss to coat with sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with fresh
Parmesan, if you wish, and serve.
Serves 4. Hints for the hunt

Morels are distinctive, but an inexperienced hunter could be confused by the false morel that is
sometimes poisonous. A true morel is hollow, with pits and ridges. False morels have a spiraling
texture of lobes, flaps, or wrinkles. The bottom edge of the false morel's cap extends free around
the stem like a skirt. On the true morel, the bottom edge is attached to the stem. Morels must be
cooked before eating. Raw morels can be toxic.

For your first "moreling" adventure, hunt with an experienced person. Sometimes trips are offered
by local park districts, universities, or state conservation departments. To find mushroom
enthusiasts in your area, check out club listings on the North American Mycological Association
website (www. namyco.org). For further information on morels in your locality, contact your
state conservation department. Check with state or federal authorities before heading out to public
land. Some parks and wildlife areas restrict collecting.

Wear long pants, long sleeves, and a hat to protect against ticks and brambles. Sturdy walking
shoes are also necessary. When picking a morel, pinch it off at the base of the stem. Do not pull it
out of the ground; you could disturb the mycelium that guarantees growth of morels in subsequent
years. Collect morels in a mesh bag, so spores can drop out as you walk. Speculation is that the
morel may be declining because use of paper or plastic bags has not allowed this "reseeding."
Don't put any fungus you are uncertain of in your bag with other morels. If you want to have an
unknown mushroom identified by an authority, pick it with a paper towel and keep it separate
from morels. Morels deteriorate rapidly if not stored in a cool, dry place after being picked. Do
not put them in your car trunk. Carry a small cooler with ice if you are going to leave your
harvested morels in the car. Article sent in by Linda Cox, GA, it was by Jeannie McDermott and
published in The Christian Science Monitor we believe in the April 2002 issue.

Bottled Water Contaminated With Feces!

By Cathryn Conroy, CompuServe News Editor If you purchase bottled mineral water because you
think it's good for you, read this before you take a swig. Nature News Service reports that a new
study reveals that some brands but definitely not all brands are contaminated with human feces.
The testing was done by Christian Beuret and his colleagues at the Cantonal Food Laboratory
in Solothurn, Switzerland. They tested 29 different brands of bottled mineral water all from
Europe for possible contaminates and discovered that 11 of the brands contained signs of the
"Norwalk like Virus," which is the cause of 90 percent of upset stomachs. The results were so
surprising the Cantonal Food Laboratory scientists actually had the tests rerun by an independent
lab. The results were identical.

Mycology News From Around The World

A Fungus That Activates Hormone Production April 18,2002
TOKYO Agricultural scientists at Hokkaido University said Wednesday they have determined
the function of a natural substance they had discovered in earlier research, saying it activates an
enzyme in plants linked to their hormone production system, which controls when the plants
flower and bear fruit. The story comes from Tokyo, Japan.

A team of scientists from the university's Faculty of Agriculture, led by biology professor
Teruhiko Yoshihara, said a substance called theobroxide, which was extracted from a type of
fungus, helps regulate plant growth by
activating a system that produces hormones, which in turn trigger flowering
and various other phenomenon. Article sent in by Ray Boyd, DE, it appeared in Kyodo News

New Tick Control Technology May 14, 2002 Taensa Inc., the innovative biocontrol company, has
announced the completion of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Under the terms of this Agreement, the parties will
demonstrate the efficacy of the Tick Ex(TM) product developed by Taensa for application against
the specific species of deer ticks prevalent in Connecticut, and to combat the growing national
problem of Lyme disease.Taensa's product, Tick Ex(TM), is a patented naturally occurring strain
of the metarhizium fungus which has shown efficacy for the control of ticks.

This strain of metarhizium was originally developed by Bayer AG and has been exclusively
licensed on a worldwide basis to Taensa. The US field trials in Connecticut will pave the way for
product registration and sale to professional pest control applicators and homeowners. The
product is expected to create a natural tick barrier around buildings and homes and can be easily
applied. Metarhizium has also been demonstrated to control several insect pests affecting floral,
fruit, vegetable and field crops. Taensa management expects Tick Ex(TM) to be available in
2003.Dr Edgar Butts, Chief Executive of Taensa commented, "We welcome the opportunity to
collaborate with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the capability of Tick
Ex(TM) to help protect Connecticut residents." Ernst Bachofner, President added, "Using natural
products to control pests like deer ticks will be preferred by customers over the continued use of
conventional chemical pesticides."

Taensa is considering the potential establishment of its permanent headquarters and

manufacturing facility in Connecticut and is reviewing the New Haven Science Park as a potential
location. Taensa maintains a European office at the Bayer Agricultural Center in Monheim,
Germany. New Haven is also the location of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 32 states are considered "at risk" for
Lyme disease, which is caused by a bacterium transmitted by the deer tick. Within these states,
Taensa management estimates that at least 31 million households are affected. Taensa is a life
sciences company commercializing and selling natural products for controlling insect pests and
plant diseases. Taensa is a featured company that has been selected to present at the Crossroads
Venture Fair, the Connecticut Venture Group's annual exhibit of emerging technology companies.
Article sent in by Sue Ponds, PA
Fungus Threatens to Kill Out New Zealand rogs A toxic fungus blamed for decimating amphibian
populations around the world has been found in New Zealand, prompting fears that the country's
four unique frog species coud be wiped out.Six months ago the native Archey's frog population as
found infected with the chytrid fungus, believed to be responsible for a rapid decline in a number
of species, anterbury University ecologist Bruce Waldman said on Thursday.New Zealand's four
matchbox sized native frog species all lack ears, don't croak and hatch directly into froglets
without going through a tadpole stage."These are living fossil frogs...They were alive before there
were dinosaurs roaming. These frogs not necessarily the same species but frogs that
morphologically are very, very similar lived 200 million years ago."

Three of the species live entirely on land and all have little or no webbing between their toes.
New Zealand's rarest species, the Hamilton's frog, numbers less than 300 and is found only on a
few hundred square meters (yards) of rocky ground on the summit of a single islet between the
South Pacific country's main North and South Islands.

Populations of the most widely found native frog, the Hochstetter's frog, were also in decline and
research was under way to discover if the fungus was responsible, Waldman said.

The chytrid fungus, identified in Australia and central America in 1998, was discovered in New
Zealand in 1999. The fungus kills most of the frogs it infects. Frog populations around the world
have been in decline in recent years, with researchers variously blaming the chytrid fungus,
habitat loss, viruses and pollution for the reduced numbers.

U.S. researchers, earlier this week, reported they had found that very low levels of a popular weed
killer can cause male frogs to grow female sex organs and curtail their croaks.
Some scientists view frogs as an ecological barometer, but Waldman disputes that claim.

"It's very hard to kill a frog, they have very robust immune systems it much harder to get a frog
sick than a human being sick. They're not all that sensitive, which makes this story even more
worrisome." Article sent in by Gary Platt, New Zealand

Researchers Solve Toxic GrassAnd Young Dieing Foal Mystery Apr 28, 2002 It took decades of
effort but scientists finally solved the mystery of why some cattle and horses grazing on a popular
feed grass were losing foals and falling ill, and found a way to solve the problem while keeping
the hardy nature of the grass. Tall fescue is a grass grown widely in the United States. Able to
thrive on land which is too hilly, rocky, or otherwise inappropriate for cultivated crops, it is
mainly grown as a hay crop and in pastures to feed beef cattle. It is also used as a turf grass for
residential lawns, parks, golf courses, roadsides, airports and cemeteries. Its ability to stay green
and dense for most of the year with very low maintenance contributes to its usefulness in holding
soil in place and filtering out impurities from storm water. This wonder grass made its way to
North America as seed in hay or in seed mixtures brought over by immigrants from the British
Isles or northern Europe in the 19th century. Despite its popularity, farmers often complained of
problems with livestock grazing on tall fescue. These problems became especially common
starting in the 1950s when widespread plantings were made of one particular variety named
"Kentucky 31."
Weight gains and milk production in cattle were not as high as expected based on the generally
good nutritional content found in the forage. Cattle retained their rough winter coats well into
summer and looked weak and unhealthy.

Cattle also stood in ponds to keep cool and lost tips of ears and tails, and even occasionally lost a
hoof. This lead to the terms "fescue foot" and "fescue toxicosis." Horses had problems with
delivering dead foals, and mares were not able to produce milk.

Researchers exp lored many possible leads in determining the cause of fescue toxicosis. It wasn't
until the mid 1970s that scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of
Georgia made a major discovery. A fungus was found growing in the grass being grazed by
affected cattle, but that same fungus was absent in the good pasture.

The fungus only grew inside the plant, and was therefore called an endophyte, from the Greek
endo (inside) and phyton (plant). Microbiologists had actually described the endophyte more than
three decades earlier, but its presence was finally linked to fescue toxicosis in cattle.

The fungus has a curious habit of growing in developing seeds. This allows the endophyte to
spread after the seed is harvested and gets replanted. As the seeds germinate, the endophyte grows
into the new seedling, and the life cycle starts again, without the endophyte ever leaving the inside
of the plant. A plant which happens to be free of the endophyte, will not naturally get infected by
the fungus from neighboring plants. But a chemical explanation for the toxicosis problems was
needed to definitively explain how fescue toxicosis occurred in the animals. The scientists
suspected a class of compounds called "alkaloids" because of similarities of symptoms with other
known alkaloids.

Sure enough, chemical analysis revealed that a family of compounds called ergot alkaloids
were produced by the fungus when growing in the plant. The toxins flowed up into the leaves of
tall fescue and were consumed by the animals. Once inside the animal, the toxins interfered with
various mechanisms controlling body temperature, appetite, reproduction, milk production, and
blood flow to the outer body parts, such as the feet and tail. Solving the problem seemed to be a
simple matter of ridding the plant of the fungus. Fungicide application on tall fescue pastures
proved to be ineffective in eradicating the endophyte. So, seed was treated to kill the endophyte
without killing the seed. That seed was able to produce new stands of tall fescue that produced no
fescue toxicosis. After a few years, however, farmers observed that endophyte free stands of tall
fescue were thinning out especially during hot, dry summers. The endophyte was found to
provide some protection against drought, which explained why tall fescue was able to adapt to
conditions and resistance to insects and microscopic worms in the soil called nematodes. This
presented a dilemma to livestock farmers who wanted a grass that was well adapted to poor soils,
but that did not produce the toxins affecting livestock.

With additional work, scientists discovered rare strains of the endophyte that did not produce the
ergot alkaloids causing fescue toxicosis, but helped the grass withstand drought and pests.
Varieties of tall fescue are now being released which contain these new strains so that cattle can
have their hardy fescue and eat it too.
(Dr. Charles P. West is professor of crop, soil, and environmental sciences at the University of
Arkansas), he is the aut hor of this article which appeared on, an unknown to us, news service.
Article sent in by Jay Warren, GA

New Survey Documents Patient Preference; Evaluation of the Only Topical Pre scription Nail
Fungus Treatment A peer reviewed dermatology journal, details positive results from a survey
of people suffering from nail fungus, or onychomycosis. The National Onychomycosis Society
(NOS), through an unrestricted educational grant, commissioned Selya Associates, an
independent research company, to measure patient preferences for the only prescription topical
treatment for nail fungus approved in the U.S., Penlac Nail Lacquer (ciclopirox) Topical
Solution, 8%.Selya Associates interviewed 1,750 patients who were using Penlac, or had
completed a course of Penlac therapy within the previous 12 months. The results were reported by
Manjula Jegasothy, MD, a board certified dermatologist in Miami, Florida. According to James
Short, Executive Director of the NOS, the findings include 87% of patients stating they found
Penlac easy to use. Additionally, 65% reported improvement of their nails after using Penlac.
Another important consideration was a majority indicating that the possible health risks associated
with oral antifungal treatments discouraged their use for treating nail fungus.

"The number of inquiries we've received on our website, http://www.nailfungus.org, have

skyrocketed in the last year," said Mr. Short. "Primarily, in addition to looking for general
information regarding nail fungus, people are seeking an alternative to prescription oral
therapies. Penlac has generated a lot of interest in that area."Doctors have prescribed Penlac more
than two million times since the product was launched in March, 2000. One out of three
prescriptions written for nail fungus in the U.S. is written for Penlac.

The National Onychomycosis Society is a not for profit resource clearing house dedicated to
providing people with nail fungus useful information on all current prescription therapies
available in the United States. Article sent in by Jack Pendo, CT. It appeared in the April Issue of
"Skin And Aging". Larry Stickney, From The West Coast Mushroom Patch

Gee, Stephen,
I haven't heard much about yo u in recent years. I trust that things are going well for you and your
projects after so much harassment in the early years. I would be interested in seeing your offered
publication at the very least for old times sake.

I'm also wondering if you know anything about the guy Niemuller (however he spells it) from
Indiana who buys and sells many varieties of wild mushrooms "Not for human consumption."
I believe he spends some winter months in Florida there being little business to conduct at home
during the snowy winter months except from California I suppose.

Maybe you also know something about what happened to that kid in Texas who had a Truffle
farm experiment which failed (of course since he was dealing with that charlatan from France
named Pikard{?}) The guy's name was Tom Thacker, and all I ever heard was that he was in the
center of the biggest illegal mushroom bust in Texas, but no further details. No one at NAMA in
Beaumont could tell me anything when I was there. Tom and I were participants in one of Gary
Lincoff's European tours which was centered on Truffles. I think it was one of the best mushroom
trips other than NAMA Forays that Dr. Manny Salzman ever produced.

Thank you for the absorbing articles from your journal. I'm sure I will enjoy further issues on the
Web. Yes you may publish my letter and by all means use my name and email address.
I've never needed to go into hiding over anything. The closest I ever got to mushroom misuse was
at the Telluride mushroom foray where I would say it was rather rampant. My published report of
the gathering was titled "Rocky Mountain High" after a popular musical piece at the time by John
Denver. I'm not sure it pleased planner and sponsor Dr. Saltzman; the whole thing was done
plainly tongue in cheek. Tom Thacker did a story on his Truffle farm in the beautifully illustrated
women's Madamselle (?) Magazine, and I would share it with you except that I cannot locate it
right now. I do have other published pieces about his Texas Hill Country Truffle farm which adds
a few bits of information of interest. One comes from Texas Gardener Sept./Oct Issue 1982 Vol 1
No. 6. by Mary Gail Rundell, Assoc. Editor

Another from San Marcos Daily Record July 14, 1982 page 1B written by Betty Medford
A third piece which link s Thacker with Picart whom we all met in Paris, and Pat Gerard, Tom's
partner, also known as Pat Jarred in Austin and Fischer. I believe his passport name on our
European trip studying truffles was different still.

Tom was located in Wimberly, TX, according another piece from The Wimberly View, 11/11/82.
Originally from Chicago, I recall, he had lived later in San Antonio where he knew the doctor
who provided prescriptions and drugs to midnight callers, one of whom murdered him late one
night. You probably remember something about that scandal. I used to know his name at one
time; so did many others across our varied mycological America scene…………2nd
email......Yes, it was Pollock.

Larry: I only know that Mark (JLF) has had some problems , a little on this in #54 "TMC". He is
one of our oldest IMGN Members. I have been waiting some time for a reply of some type from
him on "what’s up". I have still not heard from him. I have not heard anything on Tom Thacker
and an illegal mushroom bust in Texas. I will look into this. Anything found will be published in
"TMC". Perhaps someone will send the story to me. Enjoy #54 "TMC" Electronica…… Thanks
for all the info. I was more concerned with the large illegal mushroom bust in Texas you
mentioned. Also....was the murdered doctor..Dr. Steven Pollock? I have a rather large library on
him and have published many articles about him and his works. I also own several of his books.
Him and Gary Lincoff collected the only specimens ever of Psilocybe tampanensis outside
Tampa, FL in 1976. Dr. Pollock just happened to make several clones. It was also a sclerotia
producer. The mushroom has never again been sighted in the wild. Any spores or cultures today
available are all down the line from this one time find. I held and protected this mushroom for
many years, trying to establish it again in the wild. At one time I held 914 different strain
variations. I deposited it several places throughout the world when our government started
destroying psilocybian type mushroom cultures held at our nation's main culture bank ATCC
(American Type Culture Center)....see #EXTRA EDITION "TMC" (11/94) "Federal DEA takes
final steps to wipe out Psilocybe genus Mushrooms". I guess it is making it's way back as I was
told the other day that Ps. tampanensis live culture is being sold on the streets for $10.00 in The
Netherlands. One of the places I deposited it was the CBS Culture Bank there in The Netherlands.
See what you can come up with the big mushroom bust.........slp/fmrc

The Bugs That Live In Morels

Greetings from The West Coast.......Larry Stickney More about morel "beetles" I've been
keying out morel bugs that folks have been giving me. Mark Lockaby (Club V.P.) gave me some
staphylinid beetles a few weeks ago (which came scuttling out o f his morels as he was cooking
them), which I posted about a few weeks ago. It turns out that these staphylinids are not the main
type of morel bug. I've subsequently gotten some bugs from Dennis Desjardin and Margareta Luff
(collected in the Darby Fire and El Dorado County, respectively) which I recognize as the
"classic" morel bug that I've cleaned from morels so many times before. (Dennis also
reports that he always sees this same insect as well).

It turns out that its not a beetle at all, but a true bug, specifically a flat bug (family Aradidae).
Aradids are easily recognizable with a hand lens, having a flattened body, a small pair of crossed
half sclerotized wings (hemelytra; which will not be fully developed if you're observing it in the
nymphal stage) surrounded by a segmented lateral margin (connexivum), and a head with
mouthparts in the form of a long beak (rostrum) rather than mandibulate mouthparts. I've been
able to key it down to the genus Aradus, and may even be able to key it to species with a little
more work. (It also turns out that much of the early taxonomic work in this group was done in
California, with type specimens conveniently housed in the Academy of Sciences Entomology
collection.) >>I've uploaded a line drawing of Aradus to the photo pages for this >mailing list:
>>http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/mssf/lst?&.dir=/Aradus >>So, what are they doing
hanging out in morels? Like most Aradids, they're fungus feeders. Aradids are not ordinary
fungivorous insects, however instead of coming along and chewing up the mushroom with its
mandibles like the above mentioned staphylinid does, it has a highly specialized mouthparts for
penetrating the mycelium and sucking out its contents,much the way an aphid would feed directly
on a plant's phloem sap. Inside of their rostrum, they have a long thin coiled tubelike stylet for
penetrating mycelium; this stylet evidently can follow a mycelial strand for quite a distance
relative to its body length. (I've posted a cross section of their mouthpa rts to the above mentioned
photo page.) >This explains an observation that Debbie Veiss pointed out, that morel beetles are
often strongly attached to the pits of morels and seem to be able to pull themselves back in. This
is in agreement with an observation made by Usinger and Matsuda in their monograph
Classification of the Aradidae when observing Aradus on the polypore Dendroctonius, they note:
>>" The setae are uncoiled and deeply embedded in the fungus, as can be demonstrated by pulling
individuals away from the fungus with forceps whereupon they hang in mid air, suspended by
setae as long or longer than the body." >>After conducting a fairly thorough literature search the
other day, I've >found that there's actually been no detailed studies done on t he feeding behavior
or ecology of these interesting creatures, just incidental observations by insect taxonomists. They
are usually associated with wood rotting fungi, and typically feed directly on mycelium growing
in rotting logs, or directly on the fruiting bodies of polypores and resupinate fungi. I've found no
mention in the scientific literature or on the Internet concerning their association with morels
mycologists so far haven't delved into the identity of insects encountered on morels, and
entomologists haven't looked at morels as a site for collecting or studying insects.

I did encounter some intriguing references in the Scandinavian literature on aradids that are
adapted to post forest fire succession, and that deliberately seek out burnt wood. My take on the
ecology of the morel bugs we encounter is that they are probably adapted to post forest fire
succession, either surviving the fire within logs that aren't entirely consumed by the flames, or are
attracted to the scent of burnt wood. They then take advantage of the abundance of fungi that
grow in this flush of dead wood, as well as other abundant post fire fungi like morels. In their
habits and habitat, they're not unlike MSSF members, actually. >Anyway, hope this gives you
some intriguing things to ponder and observe next time you're cleaning a large batch of morels.
>Thanks to everybody who has given me bugs (and even some morels!) so far. >I'm still
interested in getting bugs, just to get a better survey of >what's out there. I still haven't gotten any
centipedes or millipedes, so I'm particularly interested in these guys if you encounter them living
in morels. >Peter Werner S.F. State Univ. Mycology
Student
This and the following 2 emails were sent in by Larry Stickney
Message from a current morchella collector "This being my 4th time collecting morels in the
Sierras, (and my first time at a fire locality), I find myself continuing to look for patterns in morel
habitat. But so far, the best advice I can probably give is "Don't look for pat terns, look for
MORELS". "Also they were fairly bug free. Few maggots were found in the cleanup, and
only a handful of mushrooms had maggot tracks in them. Far more abundant were the "morel
ticks". Little elongated lenticular bugs, that seemed to be sucking the juice out. Very easy to clean
off while collecting, as they just sit there nicely on the outside of the mushroom and play dead.
Also they attached themselves with an invisible thread of some kind. I'd try to brush
them off, then the ones that came loose would hang by their thread, and were easily plucked off.
They don't seem to do any damage to the mushroom by being there. If you like morels, get out
there and get some; there are plenty to go around!"

Mushroom Wars A few things to ponder while reading the moreling story: (See below) It's
written by a staff writer at the Billings (MT) Gazette, never a paragon of journalism when I lived
in Montana.

Its chief source of information is a forest service district ranger, a member of a group of people
who are usually the last to know what's really going on in the mushroom picking world. (Try
talking to any rangers in the local USFS districts as I did this last week and you'll see what I
mean.)

This kind of "pistol packing mushroomer" story surfaces every year or so. t makes for a lively
story. If anything there are less guns in the forest now that groups of pickers can buy cheap walkie
talkies and no longer need to signal a gathering by shooting a pistol. In my experience picking as
an amateur amo ng circuit pickers there's no reason to fear or worry about
commercial pickers. It is, in fact, every bit as much fun for me to pick around them as it is with
my own friends here. They don't see us as a threat. They call us "mycologists," identify us by our
wicker baskets, and sometimes laugh at how little we know about picking mushrooms. And
they're usually right. I'm not saying that there isn't some vocal friction among commercial
collectors, often among racial lines, and that a financial incentive in a tough economy doesn't lead
to territoriality. But a pumped up story like the Gazette article is a foolish reason to avoid the
woods for personal safety. Picking mushrooms in a woods full of commercial collectors will
always be much safer than the drive to get there.
As for the bumper to bumper cars mentioned in the story, try going on an MSSF foray these days
when you get 20+ cars lining tiny back roads. I think the real change for the worse in California
collecting might be the radical increase in popularity of amateur collecting and the increasing
number of organizations trotting out herds of people in mass forays. But maybe that's just because
I'm grumpy.
Mike Boom Mushroom madness: Racism causes tensions among pickers Associated Press
KALISPELL (AP) Insults, threats, and pistol packing mushroom pickers are becoming almost as
commonplace as the prized morels that are drawing them to bumper crops near here, forest
managers say. Gathering morel mushrooms can be lucrative, and more people are
seeking them out, leading some locals to lash out at pickers of Asian descent from coastal states.
"Asians are packing weapons and so are the whites," said Rod Hickle, a Hungry Horse Ranger
District staffer who has been managing morel permits. "I've seen a lot of weapons, mostly
sidearms."

Hickle estimated that about half of all the pickers roaming the North Fork of the Flathead River
mushroom areas are carrying weapons. Part of the problem is that most picking has been
oncentrated close to roads within the perimeter of last summer's 71,000 acre Moose fire. Morels,
which can fetch up to $9 a pound but have recently been selling for $2.50 a pound, thrive in
ecently burned forests. Hickle said vehicles were parked almost bumper to bumper last week. As
the "fire following" mushrooms begin appearing at higher elevations, he expects pickers to
disperse more. But he is concerned that harvesters who have hiked a long way will become even
more territorial. "They'll be going into the backcountry, and once they get there they won't want
anybody in their area," he said. "It's got potential to escalate, but I certainly hope it doesn't." With
a pistol strapped to her hip, Flathead Valley resident Charlye Puryer was out picking with her
daughter, Victoria, 4, and her husband, Joe, on Friday. Puryer said she'd heard talk of intimidation
and she just wanted to make sure she was not threatened while out looking for mushrooms. Doug
Peacock, a writer and avid mushroom picker, says "mushroom wars" are leading to commercial
operations that hire migrant Asian or Hispanic workers and sometimes guard their finds in the
national forest with AK 47s. "All for the mighty American dollar," he said. The Forest Service
issues permits for commercial gatherers and does what it can to police the picking fields. "The
Asians are complaining that the whites are
assaulting them verbally, and they want us to do something about it," said Hickle. "It's mostly
white local folks that have been intimidating the Asians." One man of Asian descent said someone
yelled, "Go back to your country" at him. If you can, tell the local people to be nice to the
Asians," Koy Chounlabout said in an interview. "We are out here working just like
them." Larry

Georgia Agri Commissioner IssuesSulfite Warning On, or about, April 12, 2002, the Georgia Ag
Commissioner Issued Sulfite Warning for Mushroom Tomato Pasta Blend
A Pennsylvania company is recalling a mix of mushroom and dried tomatoes because the
tomatoes contain high levels of sulfites, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin
announced today. Phillips Mushroom Farms of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is recalling Dried
Wild Pasta Blend Mushroom, Containing Sun Dried Tomatoes. The product comes in a 3 ounce
clear plastic package and is sold under Phillips Mushroom Farms, Elite and Southmill Mushroom
Sales, Inc. labels. It was distributed nationwide.
People who have an allergy or sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of serious life threatening allergic
reaction if they consume these products. "Anyone who has this product should return it to the
place of purchase," Commissioner Irvin said. "Our inspectors will be looking for them in retail
stores and wholesale places and putting them on hold." Article sent in by Jay Warren, GA

JLF Under The FDA Microscope Mark Niemoeller, owner and operator of JLF
Poisonous Non Consumables in Elizabethtown, Ind., received national attention following a
January Rolling Stone article chronicling the drug overdose death of teen ager Josh Robbins.
The article shed light on potentially abusive substances widely available for sale via the Internet.
At the center of the Rolling Stone investigation was the chemical compound 2C T 7 a
psychedelic agent that until recently was sold under the heading of "Pure Chemical Research
Compounds" in Niemoeller's online catalog.
Officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency are considering an emergency classification of 2C T
7 as a Schedule I substance. That would make it temporarily illegal while investigators conduct a
full scale evaluation of the drug's effects.
Niemoeller said, last summer, when Rolling Stone interviewed him for the January story, he was
told the article would be about Internet entrepreneurs. He claims that during the interview he was
unaware of the death of Josh Robbins or the controversy surrounding 2C T 7 because the
interviewer never mentioned it. As a result, Niemoeller says that his responses appear callous
to readers and that the writer, Mark Boal, set him up. "At the time, 2C T 7 was not even an issue
for me," said Niemoeller, who sold the substance for $400 per gram online. "It wasn't one of the
items that are at the heart of this company. In fact, we stopped selling it months before
simply because we ran out of stock not, as reported in Rolling Stone, because of the police raid
or the supposed link to the death of Josh Robbins."
Niemoeller, 46, an avid mushroom hunter and collector, started his company in 1986 with what he
continues to call the star of his business Amanita muscaria mushrooms. His Web site claims the
bright red mushrooms are "the toadstools of fairy tales and ancient rituals."
Anyone who purchases a product from Niemoeller's company must agree to terms outlined in a
disclaimer. Buyers must sign by fax or agree to in a recorded conversation that they will not
ingest, consume or inhale the product. The problem, however, as outlined by officials from the
Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, is that while the products
offered on Niemoeller's Web site are all perfectly legal, most of the substances including the
Amanita muscaria are known to be ingested for their hallucinogenic effects.
Because the investigation is ongoing, drug officials would not comment on the specifics of the
Niemoeller case. Niemoeller, however, is vocal about the legitimacy of his business and the civil
rights he says are being violated.

In a February telephone interview with The Sagamore, which Niemoeller recorded with the same
equipment he uses to tape pre purchase disclaimers with customers, he emphasized that his
innocence is evident by the very name of his company.
"Our company is called JLF Poisonous Non Consumables. I make our clients go through a
lengthy process to ensure that they understand that these products are harmful and could kill them
that they are, in many cases, indeed poisonous," said Niemoeller.
"So, I don't understand why I am supposedly responsible when people use these products for
things that go against why I am selling them. This is clearly a case of product misuse."
Niemoeller said he just recently found out through legal documents related to the September raid
that he and his company have been under surveillance by the FDA since 1998.
Following the filing of federal charges against him for dispensing pharmacological substances
without a license, Niemoeller has agreed to stop selling more than 16 forbidden products.
In fact, all the substances that Niemoeller is not allowed to sell as part of his personal agreement
with the courts, including 2C T 7, are available for immediate sale from other Internet sites, a fact
that has not gone unnoticed by Niemoeller.
"All of my sources still exist," said Niemoeller. "They have not been harassed or threatened, nor
to my knowledge have my customers just me." Article sent in by David Neal. It appeared in the
Indianapolis "Sagamore" April 1, 2002, it was written by Nancy Golay.

How To Grow Amanita Muscaria And Information On Other Mycorrhiza Type Mushrooms, By
Stephen L. Peele
Amanita muscaria falls under "Mycorrhiza" A symbiotic association of a fungus with the short
root tip systems in trees and many other plants. That's why you only find them under trees. Here
in Florida, they are found under Pine Trees. The two grow together. There has been some success
with using tomato seeds. The roots from the seeds bind with the mushroom's mycelium
causing this mycorrhiza relationship. Last year I discovered a type of grass which binds with said
type mushrooms. I have yet to find out what species of grass this is, but it forms this relationship
with several types of these mushrooms. In #52 "THE MUSHROOM CULTURE", The Journal Of
Mushroom Cultivation (TMC) Oct. 2001, Article "Trees And Plants May Choose Their Best
Fungal Partner (Mycorrhiza)", I discuss this growing process. Right now, the best
way to grow Amanita muscaria is to do this outside using pine trees. This process can sometimes
take several years to get going. Go around the base of the tree and gently dig until you find the
tree's small roots. Place the mushroom's spores on these roots and cover them back up. This
mushroom's mycelium can be easily grown and maintained on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). If
you have any of this mycelium, put this on the roots. The easiest way to obtain a live culture is by
taking a tissue clone from a fresh mushroom you collected. Then you know for sure you have it
growing. Right now I don't want to say any more about my research on growing Amanita
muscaria. We all know how people like to steal other's work, and then act like they did
everything. Also, the main purpose for this research is not only to grow Amanita
muscaria, there are many types of edibles that are (Mycorrhiza)", and they bring high prices
because the only way you can get them is to collect them from the wild as they cannot be
cultivated. If anyone is interested is reading the #52 "TMC", back issues are available for only
$5.00. Send payment made out to FMRC, POB 18105, Pensacola, FL 32523, and request said
issue. If you would like to inspect our current April 2002 #54 "TMC" issue, the first issue to start
Electronically, just request a FREE #54 "TMC" Electronica Issue at FloridaMycology@cs.com
and I will send it right off to you. It arrives like email. slp/fmrc

By Marshall E. Deutsch, From The Boston MycologicalClub

Coccidioides immitis is a fungus which has recently gained prominence by being placed on the
"watch list" of organisms which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deems potential
agents for terrorist attacks. In a letter published in Science for 4 January, Joshua Fierer and Theo
Kirkland point out why this is absurd. Among other reasons why they think laboratories
which work with the organism need not be controlled and monitored, they point out that it is
easily available from the environment, it is easily cultured, it has a low infection
rate and long incubation period, and usually produces mild self limiting disease in the few who do
become infected. There's more, but you get the point. Metarhizium anisopliae, on the other hand,
is an effective biological warfare agent, but against flies. It is a common fly k9illing fungus which
has negatively charged spores, and Daniel McGonigle of the University of Southampton has come
up with a clever way of attaching the spores to flies, according to an article in New Scientist for 9
February. The flies "are lured by pheromones into a walkway made of a material that gives them a
positive charge. The walkway leads to a receptacle containing the fungal spores, which
become attached to the victim...(and)...kills it within about 10 days. During this time, the insect is
highly infectious and passes the fungus to other flies." This is a great idea, but there's a catch
because most of us terrestrial mammals function best and live longest at a relative humidity of
about 50% and our computers are susceptible to damage at low humidity because of the high
dielectric strength of dry air, which raises the specter of electrostatic damage. Let's hope that
someone works out a way to keep the humidity around a fly trap low enough to preserve its
changes without drying out us and our computers.
Would you believe that the introduction of the euro on January 1st made
Italians more inclined to eat truffles? The New Yorker for January 21 reports that "Restaurants in
Rome celebrated the happy coincidence of January 1st and the white truffle season, white truffles
being definitely more appetizing at forty euros than at eighty thousand lire for a small sprinkling
on your pasta." Later in January, New Scientist for 26 January reports on "the Dry
Valleys of Antarctica—the most hostile environment on Earth. The Valleys are extremely dr y and
cold, with an average temperature of 30 to 35° C, but what little water there is stays liquid due to
its high salinity." And what living things were found there? "An international team of researchers
found healthy colonies of fungi in soil samples taken from between 3 and 8
centimeters below the surface. The hardy species they found were Beauveria bassiana, which
usually feeds on insects, and the common soil fungus Penicillium ." Finally, here’s a quotation
from J. R. R. Tolkien in Smithsonian for January: "I smoke a pipe and like good plain food
(unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field)..." Photonics
Spectra for February reports on a paper which appeared in Analytical Chemistry , detailing a rapid
method for identifying fungi. Known as matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight
mass spectrometry, it can identify a fungus in two minutes, enormously less time than the flight
time of the fungal spores, which Scientific American for February states are being blown
to the U.S. in dust storms from Asia and Africa. The spores include those responsible for "the
sometimes deadly infection coccidiomycosis." A paper in Science for 22 February was entitled
"Global Allocation Rules for Patterns of Biomass Partitioning in Seed Plants," so I read it
carefully to see if, as I would expect, plants could cut down on the amount of biomass they allot to
their root systems if they got some help from mycorrhizal fungi. Nothing about fungi! So I
emailed the senior author, saying "I would expect that the presence of mycorrhizal fungi would
affect the biomass partitioning of a tree, but your recent paper doesn't seem to consider this. Do
you have any comments to offer on this subject?" I got a reply the same day, but he had
quite a different slant on the matter than I did, and replied " Thank you for your comment. Our
paper only focuses on standing plant biomass and does not deal with issues of allocation. You are
correct in that mycorrhizal associations will demand a large percentage of plant carbon allocation.
We hope to address issues of metabolic production allocation in future work."
This interchange sort of reminds me of the East Indian story of the varying opinions of different
observers of an elephant. Accord ing to Science for 1 March "Switzerland is a wonderland of
mushooms and other fungi: It has 6000 species of mushrooms alone—a biodiversity as rich as
Germany’s in a country a fraction of the size. Every autumn entire restaurant menus are given
over to fungi fare. The country boasts some 700 amateur mushrooming groups and a
coterie of eminent fungi experts." This is by way of an introduction to the announcement that
Mycorama, an international center for mycology research and public education is planned for
development in Neuchâtel. It will feature, among other things, mushroom exhibits in mushroom
shaped glass spheres and a mushroom tasting restaurant. The same issue of Science tells of <
www.ulb.ac.be/sciences/biodic>, a treasure trove of microscopic portraits including, of course,
fungi. USA Weekend for March 8 10 reports on an interesting theory which might "explain why
testicular cancer is more prevalent in young white men, particularly in northern European men,
who consume more grains and live in areas where weather conditions promote mold."
Gary G. Schwartz hypothesizes that a mold which grows in grains and coffee beans produces
ochratoxin A, which (transmitted through the placenta or mother’s milk) alters testicular DNA in
the fetus or infant. The theory was published in Cancer Causes and Control for February.
"Extensive Fungal Diversity in Plant Roots" is the title of a paper appearing in Science for 15
March. The authors Spores in the air are easier to find and identify than is DNA in the ground,
and in The Lancet for March 16, Canadian investigators looked for a correlation between fungal
spores and pollen grains in the air, and "morbidity from childhood conjunctivitis and rhinitis" (red
eyes and runny noses) in children visiting a hospital emergenc y room. They reported finding
correlations with both, but a look at their data shows the correlations with pollen to be much less
convincing than those with spores (especially those of basidiomycetes). The iron laws of protein
synthesis don’t always apply to bacteria and fungi, according to an article in Science for 22
March. When you and I synthesize proteins, we do it on ribosomes which receive their
instructions from the DNA in our cell nuclei via messenger RNA. Bacteria and viruses, however,
contain nonribosomal peptide synthetases which "are able to produce an army f peptides with
unusual properties" without the participation of ribosomes. The army includes "some of the most
potent pharmaceuticals known, from penicillin to the immunosuppressant cyclosporin." Finally
for March), on the 26th The Boston Globe got around to telling us about the electrostatic
technique for infecting flies with fungal spores described in my last column. What’s shocking
about "Opening the Door to Comparative Plant Biology" in Science for 5 April is what’s missing.
chart lists "Phylogenetic relationships among multicellular organisms whose genes have been
equenced or are currently being sequenced." Not a fungus in sight. And on 6 April, New Scientist
features a letter alleging that fungal toxins make "organic" vegetables dangerous to eat. (On 4
May, N.S. ’s featured letter to the editor refutes this with data on pesticide levels in "organic"
oods and a suggestion that such foods have higher nutrient levels.) Also on 6 May, N.S. publishes
a prediction that rare frogs in New Zealand are doomed to extinction by a fatal fungal disease. No
ord on whether the fungus is doomed to extinction by loss of the frogs. U.S. News &World
Report takes up organic foods in an article on April 22 which alleges abuse of farmworkers by
organic growers and which is illustrated by a photograph of a worker wearing a miner’s lamp and
harvesting organic mushrooms. The recently published "Lichens of North America" by Irwin
Brodo et al. is given a rave review by Chet Raymo in The Boston Globe for April 23. Raymo
quotes lichenologists who consider the fungus alga
relationship to be more of an exploitation of the latter by the former than a collaboration. The alga
cells must reproduce faster than they are cons umed or the lichen would "eat itself alive’" A
strange complaint in a restaurant review in New York for April 29: "So many morels in the pasta
call for more noodles." And Corby Kummer in The Atlantic Monthly for April brings maitake
to the attention of the general public, calling them "lately a chef’s darling among wild
mushrooms, whose flavor is often called lobsterlike." Smithsonian for May contains a great article
on leafcutter ants and their fungal gardens. Some of the species of ants appear to have propagated
the same fungus lineage for at least 23 million years. One of the problems with which the ants
deal is "a persistent and ravaging mold, called Escovopsis." The mold doesn’t
regularly overrun the nests because the ants carry a type of bacteria, Streptomyces, on their
undersides, and the bacteria secrete antibiotics. "The Fescue, the Fungus, and the Prairie Vole" is
an interesting brief article in Natural History for May. It describes how tall fescue (a grass, but
you know that) benefits from being infested with a fungus which produces toxic
alkaloids. The fungus "redirects the [voles’] appetite toward other plants, sparing its host the cost
of being eaten and also eliminating the competition." But Russians are not voles, and they often
prefer fungus infested foods. In Harper’s Magazine for May, in an article which
could serve as a textbook on Russian food, Leon Aron expatiates on this prefence: "Another
national craving is also now amply supplied by the market: between August and Octobe
no Moscow grocery store is complete without mushrooms. There are tall and firm podberyozoviki
(‘the ones under a birch tree’) in dark brown bonnets; all white gruzdi (‘the heavy ones’); saffron
milk caps, or ryzhiki (‘little red ones’); yellow maslyata (‘little buttery ones’); chanterelles
(lisichki , or ‘little foxes’)and, of course, the noblest fungi of the Russian forest
and a dream of every mushroom picker: the squat, fleshy, tawny brimmed belyie (‘the white
ones’) on a chubby white stem. "Some mushrooms are used in soups; others are fried in butter
with scallions and potatoes, or stewed in sour cream, flour, and parsley and then baked in pies, or
salted and marinated to form one of the three best accompaniments to vodka. (The other two are
herring and pickles...) The mushroom season having begun early last summer because of
unusually heavy rains and cool weather, the Razumovskiy [a grocery store] offered half a dozen
ready to eat mushroom salads: in sour cream or olive oil, and with beets, carrots, and potatoes." If
the preceding paragraphs made you hungry, I think I can temper your hunger by citing an article
in American Scientist for May June, which complements the report in Scientific American
for February. Entitled "The Global Transport of Dust," you can get the flavor of it from "For the
past few years we’ve been measuring and identifying the microbes present in the Caribbean air
during African dust events. It turns out that about 25 percent are species of bacteria or fungi that
have been identified as plant pathogens and about 10 percent are opportunistic human
pathogens (organisms that can infect people who have a lowered resistance)." When Ben Maleson
told me that the Boston Beer Company was selling a beer of high alcohol content, I expressed
disbelief, because I believed that the limiting factor in beer fermentation is normally reached
during brewing when the alcohol content becomes lethal to the yeast. But now, two authoritative
journals, Playboy for May and the Spring edition of Forbes FYI have described this remarkable
brew. It is called Utopias MMII, is 48 proof (That’s 24% alcohol.), having been produced by
yeasts specially bred for 8 years, and costs a mere $100 for a one and a half pint bottle. Neither
magazine mentions whether six packs are available. B Reprinted, with permission, from The
Bulletin of the Boston Mycological Club for June 2002.

UK Warns Of Bacteria Risk In Some

Chinese Mushrooms Britain's food watchdog on Thursday, May 23, 2002, advised consumers not
to eat or use certain tins of mushrooms imported from China, as defects in the
can seams could lead to the presence of food poisoning bacteria.The Food Standards Agency
(FSA) said low levels of bacterial contamination had been found in a batch of Blue Dragon
Shitake Mushrooms, but there had so far been no cases of illness.
"However, given the problems identified with this particular batch...and the probable long shelf
life of the product, the Food Standards Agency advises that tins of this product should not be
eaten," the agency said in a statement.
"People should check that they don't have any of these particular cans of mushrooms in their
cupboards at home. And caterers should check as well that they are not using them," it added.
The agency said it had issued a hazard warning to local authorities asking them to visit food
businesses and ask for cans of the affected brand and batch to be withdrawn and destroyed.
Article sent in by Jerry Boven, ND

Takara Bio To Provide Unique Mushrooms Takara Bio Inc. is pleased to announce that its
agricultural biotechnology unit, Takara Agri Co., Ltd. agreed with Pulmuone Co., Ltd. of South
Korea to set up a joint venture that will cultivate and market mushrooms originally developed by
Takara Bio to South Korean consumers.
The joint venture will start operations in May and will use technology from its parent companies
to cultivate Hatakeshimeji and Bunashimeji mushrooms, which were originally developed by
Takara commercialize new types of mushrooms that the company develops. Mushrooms are
popular in South Korea and are often consumed in a wide selection of home cooked dishes such
as nabe pot stews. According to the South Korea Agriculture and Forestry Department, some
120,000 tons of
Hiratake, Enokitake, Western style mushrooms and Reishiba are produced each year in Korea, a
figure that is steadily increasing. The Takara Bio Group has been involved in mushroom related
research for approximately 35 years, and has put resources into the development of
original mushrooms as well as innovative cultivation techniques. The group's first majo r success
in this area was made 30 years ago, when it became the first Japanese company to artificially
cultivate the Bunashimeji mushroom. Sold from the JA Zenno Nagano under the trademark
Yamabiko Shimeji, this mushroom has annual sales of 20 billion yen. Both Hatakeshimeji and
Bunashimeji contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals than regular mushrooms and contain
agents that can prevent cancer. More recently, the group has developed industrial cultivation
techniques for the mushroom. Takara Bio currently produces and sells these mushrooms on a
small scale and is constructing a large scale Hatakeshimeji production plant (to be called Mizuho
Nourin Co. in the Tanba region of Kyoto Prefecture. The joint venture will be located in
Kyoungsangbuk do in South Korea and will have access to Takara Bio's mushroom cultivation
technology. Dr. Ikunoshin Kato and Mr. Jong Chan Bae will both be representative directors at
the new company, which is due commence operations with capital of 2 billion won, of
which each parent company will provide half. Basic details pertaining to the establishment of the
joint venture were
agreed in March.
Corporate Outline of Pulmuone Co., Ltd. Name: Pulmuone Co., Ltd. Location: 174 6 Seokchon
Dong, Songpa Gu, Seoul 138 844, Korea Capital: 24.9 billion won (as of December 31, 2001)
Operating Activities: Production and sales of natural food products, processed food
products, and health foods Established: 1984 Representative: Jong Chan Bae Net Sales: 208.8
billion won (approximately 20.8 billion yen) No. of Employees: 1,300
About Takara Holding Company Limited Takara Holding Company Limited (TSE: 2531)
Formerly known as Takara Shuzo Co Ltd. The principal activity of the Group is the manufacture
and distribution of alcoholic beverages and seasonings. Operations are carried out through the
following divisions: Alcoholic Beverages &Seasonings (distilled spirits, carbonated shochu with
fruit juices, sake, wine, whisky, sweet cooking wine) accounted for 85% of fiscal 2001 revenues;
Beverages (health drinks, soft drinks), 6%; Biomedical (supplier of reagents for DNA research) ,
6% and Others (printing business and real estate), 3%.
About Takara Bio Inc. Takara Bio Inc. is committed to preventing disease and improving the
quality of life of people around the world through the use of biotechnology. Takara
Bio is divided into three separate divisions; DNAtech, which develops technology and equipment
for research into genomics and proteomics; BIOMedi, which develops biotechnology applications
in gene and cell based diagnostics and therapies; and AgriBIO, which concentrates on
agricultural biotechnology. Through strategic alliances with other industry leaders, the Company
aims to become a leader in creating innovative technologies for use in all parts of
the world. About Pulmuone Co., Ltd.
Puluone is one of South Korea's premier natural food product makers, recording sales of 21
billion yen in 2000. The company also boasts the top share in the market for soy bean related
products such as tofu. Mushrooms produced by the new joint venture will be distributed through
Pulmuone's sales network.
Source: Takara Bio Inc. Contact: For more information, please contact Business Development
Dept. Takara Bio hayashiytakara bio.co.jp Article sent in by Jan Abuela, AL, it
appeared in Kyoto News, Japan, Apr 08, 2002

Terrifying! Anthrax Letter Revelation

By Cathryn Conroy, CompuServe News Editor The anthrax laced letter attacks that occurred last
fall contained the most sophisticated strain of the disease ever found, according to an investigation
by Newsweek magazine. The news weekly was told by government sources that a secret, new
analysis of the anthrax in the letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick
Leahy showed it was ground into "microscopic" fineness and fluffiness to a degree never before
achieved by U.S. weapons experts. In addition, individual spores were coated with a chemical
compound the experts have never seen and can't identify. Newsweek reports that the mysterious
coating cannot be matched to any of the known anthrax samples in the world.
What is anthrax? Find out about this bacteria from WebMD, including different forms of the
disease. This new information may further muddle the FBI investigation, which has
pretty much stalled out. Newsweek reports that while the FBI had profiled the anthrax attacker as
a "grudge bearing, sociopath male laboratory nerd with knowledge of the geography of Trenton,
N.J.," agents are now looking at someone who may be a brilliant scientist. Or, instead of being
produced by a loner genius, a new theory holds that the anthrax came from a team of
scientists organized by a government Iraq or the former U.S.S.R. American officials have no
leads on such a team's actual existence, though. Six people died during the two month anthrax
letter scare. Dozens more were infected,
but fully recovered.

Syngenta, Swiss Institute Decode Plant Fungus Genome

Researchers at Swiss life sciences group Syngenta and the University of Basel
on Friday announced they had successfully mapped the genome of a plant fungus, allowing work
on new crop protection methods. Genomes are a kind of map of the smallest building blocks of
living organisms and knowledge of their make up and function allows small alterations to
change the characteristics of organisms like plants. Swiss Syngenta AG <SYNZn.VX> and its
rival Monsanto Co <MON.N> of the United States are leading the research and
commercialization of gene modified organisms. These are crops that allow better yields and are
resistant to illnesses which the makers market as wonder crops to alleviate hunger.
But environmentalist groups are worried that changes in the basis make up of crops would work
through in the food chain in animals and humans and could have unwanted side effects.
The sequencing of the Ashbya gossypii fungus has no direct commercial benefit in itself, in
contrast to the mapping of the rice genome that two university research teams and Syngenta
unveiled on Thursday. But the research value is big as the fungus possesses the smallest known
genome of a eukaryote organisms with nuclei which consists of nine million base pairs
distributed on seven chromosomes. The composition of the 4,720 proteins encoded in the genome
is now know. By comparison, human cells create and use upward of 100,000 different proteins.
"This will now provide an efficient and innovative platform in the search for new methods of crop
protection," said Dr David Evans, Head of Research and Technology at Syngenta.
The Applied Microbiology Research Unit at the Biocenter of the University of Basel has been
researching Ashbya gossypii since 1981 and started a systematic analysis of its genome with
Syngenta in 1997. Article sent in by Roy Redding, CA, it appeared on the Reuters News Service
Apr 5, 2002.

'STINKY WHITE FUNGUS' COULD HELP

"Farmers" Mar 20, 2002 (WENN via COMTEX) Researchers at America's Montana State
University say a stinking fungus from Honduras may provide farmers with an alternative to an
effective, but ozone damaging, soil fumigant. The musty smelling fungus, it turns out, emits a
number of gases that kill or slow pathogens harmful to certain crops. "It's early in the research.
But now everything seems to look very, very good," says Barry Jacobsen, a professor
of plant pathology. The fungus is called Muscodor albus loosely translated as "stinky white
fungus." Researchers believe it could become an option to replace methyl bromide, used each year
by thousands of farmers to kill soil pathogens that can damage crops. While the fungi have shown
promise in greenhouse tests, researchers say that doesn't guarantee success in the field
or in broader application with different crops. They say government grants will allow additional
research as well as extensive field testing, inc luding work with strawberries, later this year (02)…
Article sent in by Glen Bahr, UV of Florida, it appeared Mar 20, 2002 on the WENN News
Service.

How To Win A Year’s Free Subscription To "TMC"

If you see any article about mushrooms, past or present, and you think others
may like to read about it, send it in. If it is used in "TMC", you get the free subscription. If you
find a large stand of a particular species of mushroom, and are able to collect 7 to 10 good full
sheets of spore prints (enough to place samples in "TMC"), send them in. If they are accepted,
they will be placed in "TMC", and you get the free subscription. If you send
anything in that has to do with mushrooms, and it is used (Mail Call letters do not apply), you get
the free subscription. If you do not want your name mentioned, please state so and we will honor
your wishes. Free subscriptions are physical issues with spore print samples and 4" X 6" color
photograph. Winners may elect to receive "TMC" Electronica if they wish.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE : Because of your input to this issue
of "TMC", you are awarded a year’s free subscription. We all thank you for your very helpful
input. Keith Williams, MI for correct answer to #54 TMC "Mushroom Quiz", Joseph Smithson
for "Mushrooms Working With NASA To Create Life Support Systems", Dian Isert for "Japan
Outlaws Magic Mushrooms", Chris Penny for "Japanese Magic Mushroom Dealers Await Fans",
Donna McMahon for "Gardenburger Takes A Stand Against Deceptive Labeling", Robert Toole
for "People Getting Sick From Mycoprotein", Fred Giroux for "China Cultivates
Selenium Rich Mushrooms", Jeannie 42 #55 "TMC" Electronica July 2002c
McDermott for "Morels In Those Woods", Ray Boyd "A Fungus That Activates
Hormone Production", Sue Ponds for "New Tick Control Technology", Gary Platt for "Fungus
Threatens To Kill Out New Zealand Frogs", Jay Warren for "Sulfite Warning" and Toxic Grass
And Dieing Foal Mystery", Jack Pendo for "Patient Preference On Nail Fungus Treatment",
David Neal for "JLF Under The FDA Microscope", Jerry Boven for "UK Warns Of Bacteria In
Some Chinese Mushrooms", Jan Abuela for Takara Bio To Provide Unique Mushrooms", Roy
Redding for "Syngenta Decode Plant Fungus Genome", Glen Bahr for "Stinky White Fungus
Could Help Farmers" and Darold R.J. Stenson for "Basic Mushroom".

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Washington, DC, Apr

05, 2002 The Department of Commerce has received requests to conduct a new shipper review
of the antidumping duty order on certain preserved mushrooms from the People's Republic of
China. In accordance with AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration,
ACTION: Notice of Initiation of New Shipper Antidumping Review.

Sylvan Gets Rid Of Arthur Anderson Sylvan Inc. is a worldwide producer and distributor of
products for the mushroom industry, specializing in mushroom spawn and spawn related products
and services, and is a major grower of mushrooms in the United States. They announced on June
4, 2002 that its board of directors appointed Ernst &Young LLP as the company's independent
accountant for 2002. The action was taken following the board's dismissal of Arthur Andersen
LLP (IMRON’s Accountant) their previous independent accountant, this to be effective May 31,
2002.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing ... Mar 27, 2002 The Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a notice soliciting
comments on its proposed revision to change the United States Standards for Grades of Canned
Mushrooms. Specifically, AMS proposed to lower the Recommended Minimum Drained Weight
Averages (RMDWA's) and lower limits for mushrooms packed in the 8 ounce, jumbo, and No. 10
can sizes. After reviewing and considering the comments received, the Agency has
decided to withdraw the proposal and terminate the action.

BASICMUSHROOM
By Darold R.J. Stenson
Mushrooms are any variety of fleshy, umbrella shaped, fungi. Mushrooms most
commonly grow in and around wooded and grassy areas. There are about 3,300 species of
mushrooms throughout the world and about 3,000 of them grow in North America.
Mushrooms help to keep our soil fertile for the growth of plants. As mushrooms grow, they cause
the decay of the materials from which they obtain food. This process the releases important
minerals into the soil. Plants need and use these minerals to grow and stay healthy.
Mushrooms are an important source of food, not only for man, but for insects,
birds, and ma ny animals also. Peope eat them fresh in salads and they are used wonderfully in
sautes. We also use mushrooms to flavor gravies, eggs, meats, sauces, soups, and many other
foods. It is sometimes difficult to describe the flavor of a mushroom. Some people say that
mushrooms have a mild taste, others say the flavor is nutlike, bitter, peppery, or earthy. Truffles
are an underground fungi that are harvested and sold for in excess of many hundreds of dollars per
pound, depending upon the species. In any event, mushrooms are rich in B vitamins and minerals
such as potassium, phosphorous, and iron.
Most species of mushrooms are tasty and completely safe to eat. But others
can have a very bad taste and while some others are very poisonous. A few of the poisonous
species can even be fatal. For years, many of the bad tasting or poisonous mushrooms have been
referred to as toadstools.
Mushroom cultivation is becoming a very important food industry worldwide. Most mushrooms
are cultivated in specially designed mushroom houses, where growers carefully control such
conditions as temperature, humidity, and moisture. Caves are ideal for most mushroom
cultivation, like the Button Mushroom, because of their constant cool temperatures and dampness.
In the past, scientists considered both mushrooms and fungi as simply,
non green plants. Today, the fungi are most commonly regarded as a separate kingdom of living
things. Like other fungi, mushrooms differ from green plants in that they lack chlorophyll, the
green substance such plants use to make food. Instead, mushrooms survive mainly by absorbing
food material from living or decaying plants in their surroundings.
The mushroom consists of two main parts, the mycelium and the fruiting body.
The mycelium grows just beneath the surface of the soil and absorbs food materials from there.
This part may live and grow around the same site for many years. The umbrella shaped fruiting
body grows from the mycelium and lives only a few days. During that time, it produces tiny
reproductive cells called spores, from which new mushrooms grow. The fruiting body of the
fungus is the part most people consider the mushroom. They
vary greatly in size and color. They can be as small as mere centimeters to about 15 inches in
height. While most mushrooms are a white, yellow, orange,
red, or brown color, some can be blue, violet, green, or black.
The mycelium of a mushroom consists of many white or yellow, threadlike filaments called
"hypha". The hypha absorb food and water for the developing mushroom and help to hold it
upright. In most mushrooms, the filaments form loose web like mycelium. But in some
mushrooms, they are bundled into long strands, that look like shoelaces, which are called
"rhizomorphs".
The fruiting body of the mushroom is made up of highly woven filaments. It consists of a stalk
topped by a round cap. Most species of mushrooms have thin, vertical knifelike growths called
gills, which are located on the underside of the cap. The gills spread outward from the center of
the cap like the spokes of a wheel. Species that do not have gills, have densely
packed parallel tubes under the cap. Tiny, club shaped cells called "basidia" cover the outer
surface of the gills or the inner surface of the tubes. The basidia of most mushrooms produce four
microscopic spores. These spores are reproductive cells from which new mycelia grow.
In some mushrooms, a cloth like membrane called a veil protects the gills or
tubes as the mushroom develops. As the cap grows wider, the veil tears. But it remains draped
around the stalk, forming a ring called an "annulus". Sometimes, a veil covers the entire
mushroom. When the veil breaks, it leaves a cup called a "volva". it also may leave warts or
patches on the top of the cap.
Mushrooms need carbohydrates, proteins, certain vitamins, and other minerals
to live and thrive. To obtain this food, the mycelium releases proteins called enzymes from it’s
hypha. The enzymes convert the materials on which the hypha grow into simpler compounds that
are absorbed by the mycelium.
Many species of mushrooms are "saprophytes", meaning that they live on dead or decaying
materials. Some of these species obtain their food from dead grass or decayingt plant matter.
Other species attack decaying wood, such as fallen trees, old stumps, and even the timbers of
houses. A few species even live on the dung of animals that graze on grasses.
Some mushrooms grow on living plants, especially trees. Such mushrooms are
called parasites. A few of these mushrooms can cause disease and may eve ntually kill the plant
host on which they feed.

Other mushrooms grow in or on the roots of living green plants without causing them harm. This
type of assoc8iation, called a "mycorrhiza", benefits both the mushroom and the green plant. The
mushroom mycelium absorbs water and certain materials from the soil and passes these on to the
plant. In turn, the plant feeds the mushroom. Mushrooms form mycorrhizas with a number of
trees. These include Douglas firs, hemlocks, larches, oaks, pines, poplars and certain other plants.
Typically a mushroom grows when a mature mushroom releases hundreds of millions of spores.
The slightest air current can carry the spores for miles. However, only a few of these spores will
land in places with enough food and moisture for them to survive.

If a spore reaches such a place, it begins to grow by sending out a hypha.

The hypha lengthens from it's top, branches out, and eventually produces a mycelium. Knots
about the size of a pin's head develop on the mycelium. These knots, buttons or pins, will become
mature mushrooms. As a button grows, the cap and stalk become recognizable. Soon, either gills
or tubes develop under the cap. Then very quickly, the stalk shoots up and the cap unfolds like the
opening of a umbrella. Much of this growth results from the lengthening of cells as they absorb
water. This is why mushrooms seem to pop up overnight after a heavy rain. Most mushrooms
reach their maximum height in about 8 to 48 hours.
The fruiting bodies of mushrooms die and decay after releasing their spores.
But the mycelium often continue to live. In many cases, mycelia produc mushrooms year after
year, for many years in the same area.
In some grassy areas, rings of greener grass or of bare soil may be seen. Each year, mushrooms
grow along the edges of these rings, which are called fairy rings. In ancient times, people believed
that the rings were foot prints left by fairies dancing during the night. The mushrooms that
appeared were thought to be the seats on which the tired fairies sat!
Actually fairy rings develop in response to the growth of mycelia in the
soil. Mycelia tends to grow, in all directions from a central point, forming an expanded circle. At
the edge of the circle, nutrients released by the activity of the mycelia stimulates the growth of
grass. As a result, the circle of grass directly above these mycelia may appear greener than it's
surroundings. Just inside this circle, the grass may die because the growing mycelia absorb
nutrients from the surrounding soil. Fairy rings of bare soil may appear near the inner edge of the
circle. if the soil remains undisturbed, and no obstacles stop the growth of the mycelia, fairy rings
can become extremely large and can last for many years. Scientists believe that
some of these rings are in excess of three hundred years old!
Mushrooms belong to a scientific group called "Eumycota". This group is further divided into
classes, orders, and families of mushrooms and other fungi according to common physical
characteristics. The scientists who study fungi are called "Mycologists" and they disagree on
many points in their studies. Most list mushrooms as either "Agarics" or "Boletes". Agarics have
gills under their caps and Boletes have tubes. Both can either be poisonous or non poisonous.

There are more than 2,000 species of mushrooms that are absolutely harmless. The best known
agaric is the table mushroom. This good tasting mushroom is commercially cultivated and
available in most stores all across North America. When young, a table mus hroom has a whitish
cap with pinkish gills. As the mushroom matures, the gills turn brown. The table mushroom's
closet relative is the field mushroom, Agaricus campestris. It grows wild throughout
North America.
A few species of mushrooms have toxins that can actually cause death. When a person eats these
mushrooms, the symptoms of illness may include severe abdominal pain, violent vomiting, and
physical weakness. The toxins of other deadly mushrooms can cause serious liver damage, while
others attack the kidneys. In most cases, unless immediate medical treatment is given, the
victim will die.
Some of the deadliest mushrooms belong to a group called the "Amanitas". These mushrooms
have both a volva and an annulus. One of them, the Destroying Angel, is an especially beautiful
all white Amanita that grows in the summer and the fall. The toxins of the destroying angel have
killed many people. *Taken in part from submitted article.

Mushroom Spore Print Sample For #55 "The Mushroom Culture",

July 2002
Pleurotus sapidus: The Florida OysterEDIBILITY Choice
FMRC's Catalog Number #SO30Collected by Stephen L. Peele, FL, June 29, 2002

"TEONANACATL", The International Journal Of Psychoactive Mushrooms (TEO)

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